Winter runs a very long time up here in Michigan, offering few days for really nice flying. One of the things that helps me survive until Spring is a nice collection of photos from previous flying seasons.

Air-to-ground photos like this one are particularly nice because they directly express what it's like to fly a gyro. Taking photos like this is easy, if you follow a few simple guidelines.

All in all, the 35 mm film format provides the best picture quality. The new APS cameras are cute and compact, but the negative size is very small, which results in objectionable "grain" when making 8 x 10 or larger enlargements. While single-lens reflex cameras provide the best quality, a point-and-shoot model is entirely suitable for casual photography. I would suggest the use of color negative film such as Kodacolor. You can get one-hour prints made almost anywhere and, if you need a slide, it can be made from your negative. 200-speed film is the best compromise between sensitivity (low light capability) and grain size.

Shooting pictures from your gyro demands a bit of concentration and coordination. Don't try it until you are completely comfortable flying your machine.

By this I mean using your camera to record some of the magnificent views and interesting sights you see on any flight. I carry the camera on a neck strap, tucked into the left pocket of my flight jacket. The key is to practice shooting pictures using your left hand. Sit in a lawn chair and practice different ways to hold the camera and trigger the shutter. With most camera, it is usually easier to hold the camera upside down, so you can trip the shutter with your thumb. If you will only be taking occasional pictures, a disposable camera (no flask needed) will serve quite nicely. A few details to watch out for:

Out of Focus.  Most point-and shoot cameras have auto-focus. If you are using a SLR, set the focus to infinity and don't change it! Most out-of-focus shots are due to camera movement, as in this example. Assuming you hold the camera steady when you trip the shutter, the big problem is likely to be the "Red-eye Reduction" feature in most point-and-shoot cameras. This feature results in a slight delay between pressing the shutter release and the actual shot - leading you to move the camera slightly, since you think you have already taken the picture. Look for a camera without this feature or one where it only comes into play in the flash mode.
 

 Wayward digits. The reason for practicing holding the camera one-handed on the ground is to develop an automatic grip that doesn't leave a finger or thumb blocking all or part of the lens. In addition to looking silly, it also throws off the auto-exposure - as seen in this case!
 

 Minimize Sky. You want to angle your shot so as not to take in too much sky. This includes more ground detail, but also lets the camera do a better job of computing the exposure.
 

 Avoid Shooting Up-sun. Early or late in the day, avoid shots that are looking toward the sun. The visibility is poorer in this direction and the light scattering will result in a poorer exposure calculation. Also, the sun may cause "flare" in the camera optics. All of these problems are evident in this photo of one of the schools near Mason.
 

 By swinging around 180 degrees and taking the same shot looking down-sun, you get a much better picture. Although you can't see it at this resolution, you can even spot the kids playing soccer in the field behind the school.
 

Take a really good camera (a Canon Rebel in this case), mount it to shoot directly below the aircraft, and set up a remote shutter release and you have a serious system that can be used for mapping and scientific work.
 

This is the same school shown above, shot during a construction project to add a wing at the lower left. Even at this much-reduced resolution, you can make out the orange safety-fencing around the construction areas. Knowing the focal-length of the lens (50 mm) and the space between any two objects on the ground (like the distance between the lines on the parking lot) you can calculate the precise altitude - this picture was taken 883 feet above the level of the parking lot.

Even at fairly high altitude (about 750 feet in this case), your field of view will be limited. However, you can merge closely-spaced pictures to provide a photo mosaic covering a wider area. This is a shot of the southwestern end of a pond (the one at the extreme right in the lead-off picture for this page, created by a gravel-mining operation. To give a sense of scale, the white object along the shore-line is a full-sized pontoon boat. The mining area includes a lot of heavy machinery, including a crane-operate bucket loader on the point.