Aerial photography began in 1858 with a kite and a camera strapped to a string. In 2025, most aerial photographers use drones. But the kite remains, as Fly360 continues to demonstrate, the most versatile, most poetic, and in many circumstances the most practical aerial photography platform ever devised.
The History of Aerial Photography: From Nadar to Drones
The first aerial photograph in history was taken in 1858 by French photographer Gaspard-Felix Tournachon, known as Nadar, from a tethered hot-air balloon 80 metres above Paris. It took him three years of experimentation to achieve this. In 1855, he had patented the idea of using aerial photographs for mapmaking and surveying. The oldest surviving aerial photograph is James Wallace Black’s image of Boston, taken from a balloon in 1860. By the 1880s, kites were being used to lift cameras — offering a simpler, cheaper, and more controllable aerial platform than balloons. Both World Wars saw extensive use of aerial photography for reconnaissance, mapping, and military planning.
The Four Types of Aerial Photography
Aerial photography today is classified into four main types based on camera angle and output format. Oblique photography captures the landscape at an angle, showing both terrain features and the horizon — useful for topographic surveys and landscape documentation. Vertical photography shoots straight down, producing plan-view images used in mapping and cadastral surveys. Combination photography merges oblique and vertical approaches for comprehensive coverage. Orthophotos are geometrically corrected aerial images where scale is uniform across the frame, used in GIS mapping and land-use planning. Fly360’s kite aerial photography platform can produce all four types depending on camera orientation and altitude.
Vertical and Orthophoto Aerial Photography
Vertical aerial photography shoots the camera pointed directly downward, capturing a plan-view of the terrain below. This type is the foundation of modern cartographic mapping — every topographic map, land-use survey, and GIS dataset draws on vertical aerial imagery. Orthophotos take this further: they are geometrically corrected to remove the distortions caused by terrain elevation and camera tilt, producing images where every point is at true map scale. Fly360’s kite aerial photography rigs can be configured for vertical capture, making them suitable for archaeological site documentation, heritage surveys, and environmental monitoring at locations where drones are prohibited.
Kite Aerial Photography: The Fly360 Advantage
Fly360 operates purpose-built kite aerial photography rigs that outperform drones in specific scenarios: extended flight time (hours vs 30-40 minutes), silent operation, zero battery constraints, permitted in most restricted airspace, and deployable by two people in under 15 minutes. The camera hangs on a stabilised pendulum below a large, stable kite, and is triggered remotely from the ground. Fly360 has used kite aerial photography at coastal sites, heritage locations, and festival grounds across India — producing high-resolution panoramic images that are simply not achievable by any other means in those environments.
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As a professional photographer in Mangalore, I have been exploring kite aerial photography for coastal surveys. The perspectives you can achieve are truly unique — different from drone shots and with a certain organic quality. This article covers the technique beautifully. Would love to see a gear guide for camera rigging on kites!
As a professional photographer in Mangalore, I have been exploring kite aerial photography for coastal surveys. The perspectives you can achieve are truly unique — different from drone shots and with a certain organic quality. This article covers the technique beautifully. Would love to see a gear guide for camera rigging on kites!
As a professional photographer in Mangalore, I have been exploring kite aerial photography for coastal surveys. The perspectives you can achieve are truly unique — different from drone shots and with a certain organic quality. This article covers the technique beautifully. Would love to see a gear guide for camera rigging on kites!
In Germany, kite aerial photography (KAP) has a dedicated hobbyist community and this article is one of the best introductions I have read in a long time. The distinction between oblique and vertical photography is clearly explained. The historical context about its origins in France in the 1880s adds wonderful depth to the piece. Excellent work!
In Germany, kite aerial photography (KAP) has a dedicated hobbyist community and this article is one of the best introductions I have read in a long time. The distinction between oblique and vertical photography is clearly explained. The historical context about its origins in France in the 1880s adds wonderful depth to the piece. Excellent work!
In Germany, kite aerial photography (KAP) has a dedicated hobbyist community and this article is one of the best introductions I have read. The distinction between oblique and vertical photography is clearly explained. The historical context about its origins in France in the 1880s adds wonderful depth. Excellent work!
We used kite aerial photography for a heritage mapping project in Rajasthan and the results were stunning. The low altitude shots captured architectural details that satellite imagery completely misses. This article explains the principles behind it very well. Fly360 is clearly at the frontier of combining traditional kite expertise with modern applications!
We used kite aerial photography for a heritage mapping project in Rajasthan and the results were stunning. The low altitude shots captured architectural details that satellite imagery completely misses. This article explains the principles behind it very well. Fly360 is clearly at the frontier of combining traditional kite expertise with modern applications!
Very informative article! In Nigeria, aerial photography is mostly done with expensive drones but kite-based systems offer a much more affordable alternative for small-scale mapping and agriculture monitoring. This article has given me a lot to think about for community farming projects. Is Fly360 open to consultation on agricultural aerial photography projects?
Very informative article! In Nigeria, aerial photography is mostly done with expensive drones but kite-based systems offer a much more affordable alternative for small-scale mapping and agriculture monitoring. This article has given me a lot to think about for community farming projects. Is Fly360 open to consultation on agricultural aerial photography projects?
We used kite aerial photography for a heritage mapping project in Rajasthan and the results were stunning. The low altitude shots captured architectural details that satellite imagery completely misses. This article explains the principles behind it very well. Fly360 is clearly at the frontier of combining traditional kite expertise with modern applications!
Very informative article! In Nigeria, aerial photography is mostly done with expensive drones but kite-based systems offer a much more affordable alternative for small-scale mapping and agriculture monitoring. Has Fly360 consulted on agricultural aerial photography projects?
France has a rich tradition of kite aerial photography going back to the work of Arthur Batut in the 1880s. It is heartening to see this technique being revived with modern camera equipment. The resolution achievable with a GoPro mounted on a stable kite rig is surprisingly high. A great introductory article for anyone curious about this niche but rewarding field!
France has a rich tradition of kite aerial photography going back to the work of Arthur Batut in the 1880s. It is heartening to see this technique being revived with modern camera equipment. The resolution achievable with a GoPro mounted on a stable kite rig is surprisingly high. A great introductory article for anyone curious about this niche but rewarding field!
France has a rich tradition of kite aerial photography going back to Arthur Batut in the 1880s. It is heartening to see this technique being revived with modern camera equipment. The resolution achievable with a GoPro mounted on a stable kite rig is surprisingly high. A great introductory article for anyone curious about this niche but rewarding field!
I stumbled upon this article while researching non-drone aerial documentation methods. Kite photography is so elegant in its simplicity — no batteries, no permits needed in many areas, and the gentle swaying motion actually adds character to the images. Planning to try this for documenting a heritage temple complex in Tamil Nadu. Thank you Fly360!
I stumbled upon this article while researching non-drone aerial documentation methods. Kite photography is so elegant in its simplicity — no batteries, no permits needed in many areas, and the gentle swaying motion actually adds character to the images. Planning to try this for documenting a heritage temple complex in Tamil Nadu. Thank you Fly360!
I stumbled upon this article while researching non-drone aerial documentation methods. Kite photography is so elegant in its simplicity — no batteries, no permits needed in many areas, and the gentle swaying motion adds character to the images. Planning to try this for documenting a heritage temple complex in Tamil Nadu. Thank you Fly360!