Hello everybody!! I have an idea that I'd like to share with you.... First, you can check this Flickr group that I admin (http://www.flickr.com/groups/token/ ) to get some background.... The idea is quite simple, there is a token (in the case of that group was woodem mannequin "Woody"), that should appear in your pictures, and we pass from one participant to the next one. In that case, we sign (make a tatoo to Woody) so your signature is present in the other participants pictures.
What do you think about doing something like this with the KAP community? I think we could use a "banner or flag" as token... That would work this way, let's say I use banner as first token (And take a KAP picture of a kite flying with the flag atached) sign the banner (or add a logo) add it to the dedicated pool and send it to the next KAPer.... and so on.... What do you think? Will this work? And as the banner is lightweight material (say 2.5 by 1 meter) freight wont be too high if you'd ask me. Let me know your thoughts.... would you like to participate? Ideas are welcome....
My nephew's snuggle puppy might volunteer for a round-the-world trip. I'll bet he'd fly if he had a cape. Reminds me of the traveling garden gnome in Amélie (which would almost certainly be a bad idea for KAP).
tgran, Yes I agree about a banner will make the things easier... :-) :-) :-) BTW, with some friends we implemented that kind of photography project; It is call the "traveling teddy project", you can check it here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/travelingteddy/ In that case, you pass the teddy to somebody (know or unknow) and the pictures should be sent to an email address for later upload. Regards Ramiro
I'd love to participate. I'd suggest that everyone geotag their photo, and as the photo's get uploaded, it will show on a map. I'm pretty sure that Flickr has this, but I use SmugMug and would allocate webspace if necessary. I think this almost trumps the book in trying to figure out creative ways to get the banner into the photo. I also like the idea of each person signing the banner as it makes it's way around the globe. Maybe a windsock of some sort instead of a banner so if people wanted to have it captured from the sky, it's ready to fly! I'd be willing to purchase something to get us started, or donate to the originator.
Sounds fun. I like this kind of thing where there isn't any politics (fingers crossed), competition or someone running down to the trophy store for some meaningless 'competition' between the only 2 people that showed up anyway. I just hope it doesn't end up being a book, t-shirt, bumper sticker, bobble head type thing. It would be more fun if you keep it true to itself IMHO. I could make a plain banner sans any tags, markings and what not if you can't find one, and if a banner is what folks end up preferring.
I use a kite tail which is basically a 10 meter-long and 5 cm wide spi strip. It can be flown or seen on the ground, has plenty of space for writing, can be folded to a small size easily and doesn't weigh much. Maybe something similar could do the job ?
Jones, Be sure, no politics and no competition. Just a something cool to do it all together. I like the Idea of a windsock, maybe one of those that rotate? On the other hand... we should keep it simple to ship... humm... Regarding the kite tail, I like it too, but I think that the "token" should be big enough to be photographed from certain high... Regards Ramiro
It also gave me a similar idea that may be fun. How about sending a kite around the world, and each person can use it for KAP and then pass it on. We can pool all the photos taken from the same kite into a flickr group.
I like the original idea of a flag or banner with KAP lettered on it, and maybe the image of a camera. A spinning windsock could result in a blurred photo and doesn't really identify our group. Regardless, count me in.
I took a beautiful Premier canard kite to Kapica 06 and got everyone to sign it - treasured possession. If you send a kite around the world to get signed, it might not make it back ! I like the idea of a large cloth symbol on the ground that we can photograph. What about a 8 or 10 foot mouse pointer in white ripstop ? That would look great from the air if properly done with a black border - it would be really neat if it was pointing to a blue underlined word saying KAP discussion, or some other web link associated with KAP
ooh, what a great idea! Like WWKW, it's a great way for those of us who live far, far away from other KAPpers to still feel connected to the group.
I like the banner (or line laundry) idea. I'm sure people would try to outdo each others' creativity in how to KAP it and it wouldn't just lay on the field for long... I'm imagining it on roofs and hung from sailboat spinnakers... so long as we keep the ideas safe of course. The giant mouse pointer is a cool thought!
And I love the idea of everyone signing it too as it goes around the world!
seems like there's enough kite makers in the group, maybe someone might volunteer to make the banner/line laundry and start the ball rolling. Instant fame, at least in this small circle of people ;o)
Geotagging would be excellent, as would this thing having its own Flickr group.
Once we have a banner, how about starting a new discussion thread "sign up here to participate" - then we mail the banner in order to the next person down the discussion thread. Everyone would have to have their email address either in the thread or in their profile, so we could email the next person down to request their address (or send our address to the next person up, or whatever.)
And of course folks who have the connections should let the other KAP groups (French-speaking group, Japanese group etc) know about it once it's up and running...
Organizing it by country, province, state, city and so on would help save on postage, rather that have bouncing all over the world. Are there any space shuttle workers in the group? ;o)
I too think a big mouse pointer would be great! Symbolicly (internet forum) and graphicly very nice: That looks like google earth? No, it's KAP! And it gives a KAPper possibilities to point at whatever he/she thinks is interesting, e.g. in his living area, although it is said that Dutch skies/clouds are special in old Dutch paintings.
I expect the time the token is passed from one to the other sometimes will not be very fast, not only because of the logistics part, but also because as we know winds and KAP-oppurtunities are not always there when you want to.
Or, if we want it to look like google earth, we can do similar to the second part of this url : As seen on Google Maps . Well, maybe something a bit ligher :)
No mouse pointers for me. Count me out if this just turns into a commercial for a kite maker that doesn't even KAP. I think you should find some neutral or KAP related object. Also I do not think it should glorify any particular web link Cris Benton (KAPers talk in other places too) or Flickr (KAPers post on other image sites too) unless Ramiro were to make a blog or something since he is the originator. I think that would be much more appropriate.
answering the discussion that's taking place in the signup:
FWIW, I prefer the idea of a light mailed object e.g. a banner or windsock, than to constructing the same shape as everyone else. It would be neat to have a package arrive which has been or will be around the world and has been touched and photographed (and signed I hope) by other KAPpers.
All of us making an object/icon (e.g. mouse pointer) and photographing it would be fun and another great project, but it doesn't have the same impact to me as sending an object from person to person (like has been done with Flat Stanley or a travel bug.)
I'm confused - is a mouse pointer a commercial object? It seems neutral to me but maybe I'm missing the significance. What is objectionable about it? Or is it just that it doesn't represent KAP?
Do you (does anyone) have some better ideas for a banner or object that might represent us as a group? Maybe something like a picture/cartoon of a person (shown from the top of course) holding a spool of string and looking up?
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When I was thinking maybe someone could sew the object I wasn't thinking a commercial kitemaker, I was thinking someone like MNKiteman who does a lot of sewing and makes his own kites. (no, Jerry, I'm not volunteering you, just using you as the first example that popped into my head.) I got the impression there were lots of folks here who sew their own kites and it wouldn't surprise me if one of them might want to make a banner or windsock for this. Like Mike, I'd feel betrayed if the object was simply a standard premade thing "donated courtesy of" some commercial enterprise.
BUT having said this, I don't think this automatically excludes someone like Mike or Brooks from volunteering to make the item. It's a whole different thing to say "I'll make one if you like" than to say "My company will donate the materials and labor." Mike and Brooks and Peter (and whoever else I might be missing) are all people who like to KAP, quite outside any commercial venture, and I don't want the commerce to stand in the way of their collaborating. If one of you who also have a business in KAP were to simply say "I'd enjoy making the banner" then I would take that at face value.
And I'm not volunteering you guys either. Shoot, I'd make the banner myself except for the fact that then the whole planet would see my lousy sewing and uneven seams, and I'm not ready for that embarrassment! :oO
Kelly, I'm flattered that you thought of me as a kite maker, but I am no longer making kites. I have developed tremors to the point where it makes it almost impossible to control my hands when trying to do precise, detailed work. There are dyes that could be painted on a cotton bed sheet using resist, and permanently set with heat to make a banner. There are a number of people in the kiting community that know how to do this. There was a class on how to do it at Fort Warden a couple of years ago.
Putting the politics and the representative "object" to one side. What is fascinating me is the time scale of the project. Will there be a time limit between receiving the "object" and having to pass it on. I hope that within reason we can be relaxed but sensible and if KAP is not possible an alternative can be found. I'm proposing a simple photo of the kapper with gear and "object". Does this make sense???
This post is already on the sign in discussion but was the wrong place so here it is again:
I Have another suggestion
Rather than using a big printed sign I think the coolest thing would be to make it with the material found on the site, for example branchs, sand, stones,... I'm thinking of the land artists work.
We could keep the idea od a big pointer icon but made of whatever we find on the ground near the launch site.
Would be less expensive, everybody could do it anywhere.
And the kaper could choose his scale, make a 10x10m sign or a make a tiny one placed on the top of a statue. That would add a lot more diversity and creativity to the project.
I'm not as choosy about the nature of the object. I was thinking it might be neat to have something more in line with kites and KAP, maybe a banner in the shape of a diamond kite with tail, but I'm flexible.
I like both the idea of something mailed around, and something that's made on-site with available materials. But I'd have to consier them two very different projects. A few years back one of my co workers who knew someone who knew someone who... got a Flat Stanley in the mail. The idea with Flat Stanley is similar to the idea for this project, except there's no kite involved: Stanley shows up in the mail, and you photograph him wherever you are, then put him in the envelope and send him on to the next recipient. So my co-worker photographed Flat Stanley in the control room for our telescope.
So here are two examples I'd be tempted to do:
Constructed Object: There's a long-standing tradition of coral art where people gather coral rocks and make words, pictures, patterns out on the black basalt so they can be seen from the highway, or from overflying airplanes. I'd be tempted to do something like this, and make a pattern out somewhere that's pretty and do a big sweeping vertical panorama to get the sense of the place and the constructed object in the same frame.
Sent Object: I'd LOVE to put this down outside our telescope and photograph the whole summit ridge from the air, getting the object (banner?) and telescope dome from above. But I can't construct things here. There's a very VERY strict rule against making changes on the mountain. Even putting a web cam out on our building's catwalk requires a couple of months of applications, meetings, votes, permits, etc. before we're allowed to make that change. Re-arranging rocks, etc. to make an object visible from above would be enough to get me and my kites kicked off the mountain for good.
Regardless of how this goes, I'll make plans accordingly. But it WILL affect my choice. It has to.
All that being said, I'm just excited to be a part of it. I really like the idea of touching and holding something that has gone through the hands of other KAPers, and adding my signature to it in turn. But more than that, I like the idea of being included. It's easy to get isolated out here.
Hello Everybody!! 1)- First and most important!! A huge THANK YOU for you enthusiasm and your will to participate.... 2)- Second... I think that using a banner as token will make the things easier for all of us (take in account that we'll have to ship it around the world), I have some ideas for the banner, but I think it will be better to discuss that in a different threat (I'll open that). 3)- Regarding how long you can keep the token with you before shipping it to the next participant I'd say that we could set a goal of 15 days each kaper with some flexibility. 4)- Regarding the banner... as I said, I don't want any discussion about that, -no politics and no commercial issues- so if you don't have any problem (and since this was my idea) I'll pay for it. (I'm not a kite maker and I don't know to sew, but I know some guys of the local kite club Batoco that are incredible at sewing and could help me with that). 5) Regarding the logistics... I'm making a list trying to figure it out who is closer to who to avoid bouncing and saving shipping costs (will publish soon). Regards Ramiro
