Basic Equipment

The only essential equipment for this type of TCAP is a camera with a self timer. Because of the high probability of poor images, a digital camera may be advisable, or the cost of film and processing per successful image could be rather high.

With a small camera you may be able to toss the camera higher. With an inexpensive camera you may be willing to toss the camera higher.

I use padding to help protect the camera. This could be especially important if I don't manage to catch the camera, but it can help cushion catches as well.

There are many other kinds of equipment that could be considered, and people have made some interesting suggestions for using parachutes, remote controls, gyroscopes and catapults. My inclination is to keep things simple, at least for a while.

Technique

Timing and tumbling seem to be the most critical factors in getting good TCAP images. Both are important in minimizing camera motion, and timing is also important to getting images from a good altitude. I've only begun to learn to control them.

So far, I haven't tried to throw the camera much beyond an altitude of about 6 meters. Greater heights involve greater accelerations, which increase the risk of camera damage. It takes scarcely more than a second for the camera to reach the apex of a six-meter toss, so split-second timing is needed to get the shutter triggered near the maximum altitude. My camera begins flashing an LED just two or three seconds before the self timer triggers the shutter, and that seems to work fairly well as an indication of a good time to throw.

I've had less success controlling tumbling (or spin) of the camera. Without resorting to gyroscopic stabilization, I suppose practice is the critical ingredient, so I'll just have to keep at it.

Last update: 2005-11-12