Kite’s eye view

2 days back I wrote about the mighty Google, which is there everywhere in our lives, even in the heavens taking photographs of our little worlds, courtesy Tele Atlas or Navteq’s satellite imagery.

But now it appears Google has company. Nicolas Chorier, the French kite aerial photographer – he likes to call himself so – has recently (August 23) released his book in the hands of French ambassador to India Dominique Girard in New Delhi.

The book is titled, Kite’s Eye View: India Between Earth And Sky. Nicolas is an expert kite photographer. He likes flying kite, but more than that his preference lies in taking photographs from the kites he flies.

How does he do that? Nicolas ties small remote-controlled camera to kites that are made after the Japanese Rokkaku style (see the image on the book-cover). The results are stunning photographs that are impossible to imagine otherwise.

Nicolas’ book has collections mainly of historical monuments of India. The one below is that of the Tower of Victory in Chittorgarh Fort built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century (image source). If you’re a shutter-buff, this book may be a good collection to don your shelves.

There is a term to Nicolas’ artistry. It’s called Kite Aerial Photography or KAP. The earliest instance of KAP is the image of San Francisco lying in ruins 6 weeks after the devastating earthquake and fire.

It was taken from a camera suspended on a kite 2,000 feet above the city on May 28, 1906 by George R Lawrence (see below, image courtesy).