Two weeks ago I went down to DC to visit with my sister and her husband, and to view and photograph the Cherry Blossom Festival. I didn't know it but there was a serious kite festival going on a the same time on the mall in front of the Washington Memorial. I had great fun shooting at this festival. Everybody was having a great time.
All photos taken with the DS and either the Pentax SMC 300mm F4, the kit lens, or the Zenitar fish eye.

300mm at 1/250 aperture unknown.



300mm at 1/250 aperture unknown



I really liked this dragon
300mm at 1/350 aperture unknown, he was really high this is about a 160% crop.



As we came over the top of the rise and looked down on the Kite festival proper, a little girl near me turned to her father and said, "Look Poppa! Many kites! many! many! many!" While hopping up and down with glee. I didn't hop up and down but I could identify. Kit lens f11 at 1/1000



I loved the shape of this one. 300mm at 1/125 aperture unknown



This very large dog was being carried up by the kite in the next photo. The kite must have been very strong as there was a small dog, a medium sized dog and this huge guy. By the time I had switched lenses to catch all three in a row, there was a problem and all three dogs were down.
300mm at 1/60 aperture unknown.



The "carry kite"
300mm 1/60 aperture unknown. I got too excited about all the "photo ops" and forgot to keep watching my vitals, 1/60 is a bit too slow for hand holding this lens, I should have stopped down.


More images in replys, C&C always welcomed.

NaCl(I hope you like kites as much as I do!)H2O

[NaClH2O]

I had great fun with all the flags and pennants too.


Lots of wind lots of pennants, great photo ops, and like on the other two forgot to stop down!
300mm at 1/90.



300mm at 1/125, barely fast enough, but this one is OK



Kit lens f27 at 1/180 finally I stop down!



Kit lens f5.6 at 1000, the pennants were really whipping wanted to stop the motion, opened up to 5.6 to get the 1/1000.


I shot about 20 or so exposures just of pennants, they were fun!

NaCl(next up, bubbles!)H2O

[NaClH2O]

They had two continuous bubble making machines operating.

300mm at 1/250



The bubbles were a big hit with the younger crowd trying to catch them
Kit lens f11 at 1/180



And the older crowd catching the younger crowd catching
Kit lens f11 at 1/180



It was even fun to stand down wind directly in the bubble "stream"
Kit lens f11 at 1000


NaCl(These guys thought of everything!)H2O

[scribble]

Just beautiful!

I particulally like the one you made of the bubble machines. The changing colours are fantastic!

[khardur]

Wow - I love the bubble photos - and the pennants and flags shots too.. Looks like it was a lot of fun for sure!

[SCGushue]

Salty,


This is a really wonderful series of images. I really wish that I was there and sharing in the festivities. Gives me an idea that maybe I should get my small city to embark on something like this to kick off Spring. Hmmm....still feels like it is months away here.

Stephen

[NaClH2O]

A few more kites. Did I say I like kites?

Some kites were wonderfully decorated by hand, like this one from the Kabuki theater
300mm at 1/125



And King Tut was there:
Kit lens f8 at 1500



This one was another of my favorites when it flew it would oscillate along it's long axis flashing alternately red and black. Way cool. kit lens f8 at 1/350.



This is how it looked flying. Kit lens f8 1/3000



They also had kites that swooped dove and turned with great quickness, very hard to follow in the viewfinder! One of the few times I wished I had a video cam. Very complicated harness on this guy that unfortunately doesnt show up well in the photo. Kit lens f11 at 1/1000



DPR had a monthly contest a while back "Leading lines" boy, I wish I could have entered this photo! Kit lens f11 at 1/750



One last look back, "Many kites! many! many! many!"
Zenitar fisheye1/1000 aperture unknown



I'll leave you with this one: One sky, two different ways to use it.
Zenitar 1/180


EDIT: If you want to see more kites go to my smug mug site:
SmugMug - saltwater : Kites! The Washington DC Kite Festival


Hope you had fun!

NaCl(I went to DC for the cherry blossoms, I'll go back for the kites!)H2O

[NaClH2O]

Salty,


This is a really wonderful series of images. I really wish that I was there and sharing in the festivities. Gives me an idea that maybe I should get my small city to embark on something like this to kick off Spring. Hmmm....still feels like it is months away here.

Stephen

Really good idea Stephen. I didn't know anything about this one, until after the fact. But there were several "kite clubs" that seemed to have done most of the work. I'd google and see if there is a kite club in your area, I'm sure they'd leap at the chance to "show off". I never saw more smiles on more people than at this festival. Everybody was having a great time. It didn't hurt that it was perfect kite flying weather, bright, mostly sunny, good wind and not too cold.

NaCl(and the photogs would love it)H2O

[Alvin]

Wow wow wow! So many different colours and a totally different subject than the cherry blossoms! I still need to get my son a kite and see if we can pull off that kite flying stunt at the mall!

[little laker]

Wonderful pic's like always NaCl

I love Kites, and really wish that I could have been there.

I also like Hot Air balloons, and hope that I have a chance to photograph some of them in action soon.

[NaClH2O]

Wow wow wow! So many different colours and a totally different subject than the cherry blossoms! I still need to get my son a kite and see if we can pull off that kite flying stunt at the mall!

Yes Alvin a completely different experience. With the cherry blossoms it was kinda "quiet contemplation" walking around the tidal basin and enjoying the natural beauty of the blossoms, the water and the monuments. The kite festival was energetic, exciting and action oriented. And the colors were anything but natural!

NaCl(it shifted physical, emotional and intellectual gears)H2O

[NaClH2O]

Wonderful pic's like always NaCl

I love Kites, and really wish that I could have been there.

I also like Hot Air balloons, and hope that I have a chance to photograph some of them in action soon.

I'm glad you liked the shots Stu, The festival was a photographer's dream, no matter where you pointed your camera there was an interesting shot. We were there about 2 to 3 hours and I must have taken 200 or more exposures. It was great fun. Maybe there is a festival near you? You could google for kite clubs or kite festivals, I know there is a famous one in eastern Washington state.

NaCl(definitely going back next year)H2O

[roentarre]

Great shots, Salty.

These individual images are really colourful and truely unique in their designs.

A great day out I can tell from these shots

[RoxnDox]

Wow, all I can add...

Jim

[AmdamJayne]

I'll add my wow as well. What colour and variety! I had fun just looking at all of the colours, bubbles and activity ... fun had by all, obviously!*! cheers, Jayne