Scott Haefner

Kite Aerial Photography
A professional photographer and Web designer living in the San Francisco Bay area, Scott Haefner began taking kite-lofted aerial photographs to gain a new perspective of our world, as he phrases it. He shoots primarily landscapes and scenics, using both film and digital cameras. He is widely published in books, magazines, and newspapers. With support from the Drachen Foundation, Haefner in spring 2006 on the 100th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake approximated the famous George Lawrence Ruins of San Francisco panoramic photograph from an offshore boat. Haefner suspended his camera and positioned it so as to capture the view Lawrence did. The resulting photograph was a triumph.
Here Haefner is testing to make sure the shutter for his fisheye lens is being triggered by radio control before letting the kite rig fly. Note the camera hanging from the kite line in the shadow at the center. For a look at his striking 360-degree virtual reality panoramas taken from a kite, bring up his Website at http://www.the haefners.com/kap/ 18
Drachen Foundation Journal Summer 2007
Both photos by Scott Haefner
While working and traveling in New Zealand, Haefner discovered sunken gardens in Napier, created after a devastating earthquake in l931. The rebuilt city sprang back to life clad in Art Deco, he says, making it an interesting modern day destination. What pleases Haefner about the image is its array of circles, lines, and textures, all in the same shot. What distinguishes KAP images from ordinary shots are these patterns that emerge from above, but I dont usually capture so many different examples in a single photograph, he says.
4 Kites for Different Winds
Scott Haefner is pleased to discuss the kites and equipment he uses in making his aerial shots, as follows: The four kites are a Rokkaku, Maxi-Dopero (keeled Double Pearson Roller), Sutton Flow Form 30, and Sutton Flow Form 16. Fuzzy tails add stability to the Flow Forms. He uses 250 meters (760 feet) of 250-pound test line on a Halo spool. Leather gloves protect his hands. He employs a Picavet-style suspension rig, camera rig, radio control transmitter to snap shutter, canvas bag with chargers and spare parts, tool bag, carabiner (or snap-link) plus webbing for tying off the kite. He employs either a Nikon Coolpix 8400 digital or Nikon D80 DSLR camera. The latter has better image quality but is much heavier. He sometimes uses a Nikon FC-E9 fisheye lens. Why the four kites? Haefner explains: The classic Japanese six-sided Rokkaku fighter kite has become my favorite. For a framed kite, it is quite easy to set up. It is versatile, allowing me to lift my camera in the widest range