Hanging by a Thread: A Kite’s View of Wisconsin

Foreword

foreword For a medium-sized Midwestern city, Madison has an unusually large community of photographers . This situation might lead to intense competitiveness and a lack of openness and information sharing . Just the opposite is true. On a regular basis a group of photographers gather to show recent work, discuss new technologies and socialize. It was at one of these gatherings several years ago that I first became aware of Craig Wilson’s kite photography. About a dozen photographers were showing slides and Craig’s turn came. The first image I recall him showing was a shot of the gleaming golden statue Wisconsin on top of the Wisconsin Capitol dome. Everyone in the room was immediately captivated. The photograph was taken from a vantage point none of us had even imagined before. How had he managed to make a photograph just a few feet away from the statue at a height of over 100 feet? The answer was that Craig had devised an ingenious method of attaching his remote-controlled camera to a kite line. The group was mesmerized as Craig showed slide after slide using this unusual vantage point, revealing natural and man-made patterns on the ground not otherwise visible. Everyone who turns the pages of this book will enjoy a unique visual perspective made possible by the dramatic and beautiful kite photography of Craig Wilson. —Brent Nicastro • ...