SDKC Members in print:
 
Thanks to advancements in technology and the internet, anyone can publish their own book on any subject.  There are several self-publishing sites on the web that will allow you to design and print your own book in as low as one copy.

Rick Spurgeon and Ron Despojado currently are such authors.  Both books were done through blurb.com.  Anyone interested in creating a book simply downloads the software and drags & drops photos as well as enters text.  The author can set the price to make a profit on each book or not.  The books can be printed as a paperback, hardcover with a dust jacket, or with the cover printed on the hardcover. 
 
Worldwide Kite Aerial Photography Weekend - 2008
KAP Discussion Group

Rick is a member of the KAP Discusssion Group - Kite Aerial Photography.  As the name implies, their niche is taking photos with cameras mounted on kites.  One member had an idea to have a KAP Weekend and everyone shoot pictures on a specific weekend.  The idea was to post and share the pictures online on Ramon Pallares's flicker.com account.  Soon the idea evolved into publishing a hard-copy book.  Peter Neville was put in charge to assemble the book.  In the end, forty people from around the world submitted entries for the book.

The weekend was to be the first weekend in May 2008.  Rick had planned to go to Morro Bay California that weekend for his Miata Car Club's excursion.  But before he left he shot a few pictures of Mission Bay just to have a "safe" set of pictures.  Coincidentally Morro Bay had a kite festival the week prior to the KAP photography weekend, so Rick just missed having a kite festival, car club, and KAP weekend rolled into one.  While at Morro Bay Rick did get a shot of the monumental rock at Morro Bay and in the picture is his red Miata.

A couple of Rick's pictures were purchased and used for promotional material for three upcoming conferences UCSD is hosting.   They mainly used the one of Mariner's Basin he shot for the KAP weekend.  Each conference has a brochure and a website using that picture.  According to Rick, the best website is http://cme.ucsd.edu/internalmed/

When it was published, Rick says the book immediately went on the website's best seller list due to all it's members buying a copy.
 


Rick shows his 3 photos in the book


Iris looks over Rick's book.

The "Worldwide Kite Aerial Photography Weekend - 2008" can be previewed and purchased by clicking here.

 

England 2008 - Flying Kites and More
Ron Despojado

When I saw Rick's book at the August meeting I immediately felt compelled to create one, but didn't have any inspiration at the time.  Then suddenly I remembered I was going to England at the end of August for the Portsmouth and Bristol Kite Festivals.  The festivals were celebrating both the 20th Anniversary of Revolution Kites and the Decorator's Kite Team from England.  The festivals were planned one weekend apart.  It was not an easy decision to go on the trip for many reasons but I thought if I missed it this time, I might have to wait another twenty years to go. 

The day before I left I bought a new digital camera.  I shot about 700 pictures and borrowed a few hundred more to choose from for the book. 

The book also has the sightseeing locations in-between the two festivals.  Team Too Much Fun traveled as a group along with Mark and Jeanette's family members who live in England.  Also pictured in the book are Ben D'Antonio, Joe Hadzicki, and Team iQuad.

When I arrived home from the trip I went to work on the book right away (obsessive- compulsive??) and received my first copy about 2 weeks from when I returned.  After reviewing the book I made a few corrections & additions and the revised version is now in print.
 


The obligatory "leaning on Stonehenge" pose.
 


Mark & Jeanette flying pairs at Portsmouth.
The "England 2008 - Flying Kites and More" book can be previewed and purchased by clicking here.