For only my second KAP session of the year, I got just the right conditions to head back to Calvert Cliffs. (The first KAP session unfortunately ended with no pictures because I forgot to turn on the camera before launching it into the sky — woops!) Calvert Cliffs is a really beautiful place in Southern Maryland that I’ve photographed with my kite before and also from the ground (actually in the water) with a regularly-operated camera. Here is that picture, by the way:
Flying a kite here can be challenging, though, because the wind direction has to be just right to come down the creek valley and lift the kite out over the water, and also because the beach is pretty narrow. Everything was looking just right according the forecast, so I got up early and arrived at the park at 7:00 am, soon after it opened, since I was also hoping to get some soft morning light. The two-mile hike to the beach paid off, because the wind was just as the forecast had said. This was one of those times where my Rokker kite got up and away on the first try with no difficulty at all.
Despite the perfect wind, the cloud cover was not quite perfect. Though the sky was only partly cloudy, there seemed to be a never-ending row of clouds marching directly in front of the sun. I flew on one side of the beach for probably about thirty minutes taking aerial photos from different heights but never quite getting out of the shade from the clouds. At that point, I decided I might as well walk to the other side of the beach and at least get some other pictures. Finally, the sun peaked out from the clouds, and I got a picture looking down on the cliffs and trees from above. You can also see me and the kite string if you look carefully. During the time when clouds were blocking the sun, I also turned the camera in the other direction and got a picture of the offshore oil rig (which looks a lot closer in real life than it appears with this wide-angle lens).
Now that there were finally some moments of sunlight, I hurried back to the other side of the beach and managed to capture the shot I was looking for: the north-end cliffs basked in golden morning light. The lighting definitely came out better than in my previous session at Calvert Cliffs, where the main issue was a completely overcast sky.
With steady winds, there were no surprises bringing the camera and kite back down, though it was hard work at times, as it tends to be with a big kite. This was a fun and successful KAP session.
So what do you think? Which is your favorite aerial photo of Calvert Cliffs? And do you prefer the aerial photo over the one above taken from the water? Feel free to leave a comment if you feel like sharing your opinion!
Southern Maryland Kite Aerial Photography 