India: A Kite's eye view

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Assalamu alaykum

Found this on the bbc news website

Jama Masjid:



Nicolas Chorier is a French photographer who specialises in taking aerial pictures by fixing cameras on kites. A selection of his "kite photography" appears in a new book, Kite's Eye View: India Between Earth and Sky, published by Roli Books.

Varanasi:


Chorier makes his own 40-sq-foot kites out of siliconised nylon and carbon or fibreglass rods. The camera is mounted on a small cradle hanging on the line under the kite, and it can be lifted up to 1,000ft (300m). Chorier says lower altitudes are "more interesting".

Jodhpur:


Chorier uses a Canon 5D camera, and the whole rig on the kite weighs about 2kg, depending on the lens and extra battery. The cradle with the camera operates by remote control and can achieve a 360-degree rotation and 90-degree tilt.

Pushkar Animal Fair:



An air-to-ground video link provides real-time monitoring on a portable TV for accurate framing. "Once I feel my kite flying nicely, I rig up my camera on the line, about 100 feet below the kite," he says.

Manikarnika ghat:



The kite rigged with the camera can then be flown up to the required height. Chorier holds the kite string under his arm, carries the remote control on his shoulder and the video monitor around his neck. He walks and raises and lowers the kite for shooting angles.

Kovalam beach:



"Sometimes the kite comes down, but as the sail of the kite is big, it parachutes or glides down slowly. I have lost one camera, dropping it in the Yamuna river behind the Taj Mahal," says Chorier.

Karalipayutu, Kerala



"I have shot thousands of pictures above India. I love India, its sounds, smells, colours, people. Shooting India is so rewarding to my senses," Chorier says.