Bruce Owen has combined kites and archaeology into a fascinating pursuit of ancient South American treasures
The Sonoma State University adjunct professor will discuss his research methods in a lecture called "An Archeologist Flies His Kite: Kite Aerial Photography in Peru," from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 21 in Stevenson 2011 at Sonoma State University.
Satellite imagery and air photos from planes are great, but to clearly see archaeological sites or other human-scale things, one needs to fly lower, Owen says.
One solution is to hang a camera from a kite. Last summer, Owen used kite-aerial photography to take pictures of archaeological sites and excavations in Peru. He made photographic maps by combining shots into mosaics.
Owen will show how it works, from the kite and homemade hardware through the computer work, along with the pros and cons and practical experience.
The public is invited.
