Authors: Oscar Frey
Date Submitted: July 31, 2015
Article Type: Discourse

In 2003, I was introduced to kite aerial photography (KAP) by Ali Fujino and the Drachen Foundation. It was a pivotal turning point in my life and my career, as it widened my perception and understanding of planet earth to a much broader and more objective perspective from above.

By this time, I had been studying whales for a decade. As an oceanologist, I realized I could use KAP to document whale behavior and interaction around my boat from an external perspective that was clearly not subjective.

From this external and objective view, I had the opportunity to document the human/whale relationship and how whales react to the maneuvering of boats during whale-watching activities – either tourist or during research and data collection. Putting this into experimentation, I was able to grasp a higher understanding of human impact on the environment and have thus become far more respectful in the work that I do on a daily basis.

Page Number: 34
PDF Link: Discourse Issue 20