Comments on: Inexpensive Pole Aerial Photography (PAP)

By: Photo News Today » Blog Archive » A Little Added Elevation Always Helps A Real Estate Exterior Shot

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:50:30 +0000

[…] CO sent me an example of some PAP (Pole Aerial Photography) that he’s done recently inspired by some previous posts we’ve done on this subject.” - Larry […]

By: Photography For Real Estate » A Little Added Elevation Always Helps A Real Estate Exterior Shot

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 17:02:56 +0000

[…] sent me an example of some PAP (Pole Aerial Photography) that he’s done recently inspired by some previous posts we’ve done on this subject. Paul says, “it’s really making a difference in my […]

By: Malcolm Waring

Malcolm Waring — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:09:45 +0000

That’s link is a typo, try http://www.premierkites.com.

By: Michael Martin

Michael Martin — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:19:31 +0000

Answer to Adam:
My pole of choice is the heavy duty telescoping 32′ windsock fiberglass pole. It is item# 77932 sold by Premier Kites: www.PremireKites.com. It costs about $100. In its collapsed state, it is about 3′-8″ long and 2″ in dia. The pole weighs about 5 lbs. Inside this package there are nine more tappered sections. The smallest (top) section has a swivel mount loop for attaching a windsock. I just cut that off with a hack-saw. I then take a bolt about 6″ long with the correct tripod thread size and cut the head off. I then wrap the cut end with duck tape and force fit it into the top cut-off end of my pole. Now the pole is just like the top of a normal tripod and you are good to go.

The pole extends easily and quickly (less than 30 seconds: the max of my delay timer). The sections are held in place by simple friction fit (i.e., no screws/clamps, etc.). I don’t need to extend it all the way and often don’t depending on what’s needed.

I set the camera for what I think the best exposure setting is, set off the 30 second timer, raise the pole, have the camera take a burst of 5 shots, move the pole around a bit between each shot and then lower the pole and see what I’ve got. If I think I need to a re-take, do the same thing again with whatever changes are needed. Most times I don’t need more than two attempts.

By: Malcolm Waring

Malcolm Waring — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:20:41 +0000

Yes, they always said to us in vol. firefighter training to recite “Look Up, Look Up, Look Up” while you were raising a ladder or moving it.

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:45:28 +0000

My other hat for many years has been safety management. I know this is a no brainer but no one has mentioned looking up. Swinging a 32 foot pole up in the air can bring your fragile human body in contact with things you would never normally touch. Power Lines. Don’t rush onto a site because your late etc and not pay attention. Cable lines, telephone lines, trees hiding power lines, wasp nests — OK you get the idea. Just be careful. (I used to work for the power company)

By: Adam Maurer

Adam Maurer — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 11:56:42 +0000

Michael, not so.
I can be taking pictures from my remote controlled camera atop my 40 foot pnuematic vehicle-mounted mast in under 3 minutes of arriving on site. If the ground is on an incline, then make that 3½ minutes. The pole is a great idea though.

What exactly is a windsock pole though? Never heard of that term here, down under.
I was going to try out a swimming pool cleaner pole (two stage extendable pole that normally has a net for scooping up leaves on the end).

By: Michael Martin

Michael Martin — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 03:17:53 +0000

As Larry says, I think PAP is of absolute importance to external RE photography. Like many others that have gone before us, you can spend thousands of dollars getting started. Or you can spend just a few dollars using available hardware store bought poles. I went the simple rout and spent most of my dollars on a great small camera. I then spent another $100 on a great windsock pole that gets me up to 32’ within my 30 second delay camera timer. So now I can stand most anywhere, raise my pole, take a burst of shots at various angles, lower the pole, and see what I’ve got. If I don’t like it, I’ll try again using what I’ve learned from the previous shot. This is simple and very effective. Later on, if you really think you need to get up higher, go ahead and order the 50’ + pole and the remote control equipment to make it happen. With such equipment, I expect you will be spending hours, not minutes getting great PAP shots.

By: Adam Maurer

Adam Maurer — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 23:22:52 +0000

For my elevated photography, I use one of these 2.5″ LCD monitors that has a built-in 2.4GHz receiver;
http://www.amazon.com/Swann-Mobile-Viewer-Channel-Receiver/dp/B000AMB8KE

At the camera head, I have a small 2.4GHz A/V transmitter module. Obviously I don’t worry about audio, but I do take a feed of the live viewfinder out of my Nikon Coolpix 8400, and feed that into the transmitter. This will require some skills in electronics if you want to purchase a module and integrate that into a box, ie; wire up some connectors, an on/off/channel switch, and provide a power source (rechargeable batteryies).

You can even buy miniature 2.4GHz cameras that have a TX built in. This may be a good solution if the lens suits mounting to a viewfinder. Do a Google, there are solutions out there.

Cheers,
Adam

By: Photo News Today » Inexpensive Pole Aerial Photography (PAP)

Photo News Today » Inexpensive Pole Aerial Photography (PAP) — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 17:44:56 +0000

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