Photographing the Earth from 200 miles above ground makes for an impressive photo opportunity. It’s also surprisingly affordable, and easy to set up. Hobbyists enthusiastically join the more than 60,000 weather balloons launched yearly throughout the United States. Building a high altitude balloon kit is easy to do and an affordable way to get some unique perspective on our little blue planet.
What You Need
You will need at least a 600kg near space balloon to launch something that will reach the stratosphere. At that size, you can also carry a small payload. Typically, these payloads consist of GPS units and a camera. There are several light weight cameras available, and you should make sure that your choice is able to survive the fall back to Earth. You can also buy special containers to house the camera and protect it from the shock of falling.
How it Works
The day of the launch, you will need to prepare the payload and fill your balloon with gas. Once the payload is secured, via a rope, and you have switched your camera on, set the timing of the shots. Most small cameras can shoot whenever something passes through the frame, or on a timed basis. A GPS unit is handy for data retrieval, as the balloon will float some distance away from your launch site.
Where to Post
Once you have collected your photos and uploaded them to a computer, you can set up a blog for your photos. Try WordPress, which you can install on your own Web server, or Tumblr, which you can use a subdomain. There are also photo sharing services like Flickr or Picassa that can store your photos in the cloud.
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