Freefall Photographers Association

Focus on Skydiving & Photography

May 15, 1998Ooops! I had forgotten to remove the address from the above graphic. If you truly want to send us stuff, for inclusion on the web site, please e-mail them to ffpa@bigfoot.com or send it to:

FFPA
c/o Keith Takayesu
P.O. Box 277, Station B
Ottawa, Ont.
K1P 6C4 Canada

April 9, 1998 Good news! I have been informed that J.A. Winsler will be taking over the FFPA duties from Jeff Cook. Currently, no new memberships or renewals will be taken, but we will keep you informed as events occur.

I am interested in keeping the FFPA site active, as I am in the middle of re-vamping my complete web site. My idea is to keep this open as a place for camera-flyers to show off their stuff, and to contribute to an on-line library of information for camera-flyers. If there is interest, perhaps I can link in some sort of on-line digest of the CSPA Camera-Flyer's maillist, as well as getting permission to reprint articles from Skydiving, Canpara, etc. Please let me know what you think, and if you are interested in helping out!

Keith 'Tak' Takayesu (Webmaster)

The world of skydiving is constantly changing, new training methods, new year, new competitions it seems there is always something going on. Photography is also in a state of constant change, new digital equipment, better films, lighter cameras, it seems it's outdated even before you can buy it! When you put the two together, if you are crazy enough to do so, products and techniques change so rapidly that it seems almost impossible to keep up!

Now, here is the great news: the Freefall Photographers Association,(FFPA), can deliver help and information on all aspects of freefall photography. The FFPA is the only organization of it's kind, teaming you with members from all over the world representing virtually every aspect of freefall photography.

The purpose of the FFPA is to provide information and services to its members, and to promote freefall photography. You will be an integral part of the development of the FFPA, most of the information and services it provides will come from it members. - Just starting to shoot tandems? Ask one of the FFPA members, who have thousands of tandem jumps, how to go about doing it right the first time! - Looking for a new video camera? Ask the FFPA about the most popular units used by it's members!

The FFPA is dedicated to closely watching and sharing with you the most innovative approaches to freefall photography and the latest advances in technology - knowledge you can use to stay current and competitive.

Learn About it First Hand With FFPA's Newsletter "PHOTO PILOT"

"PHOTO PILOT" is the official publication of the Freefall Photographers Association. It is the main source for information to and from members all over the world. See the December 1995 Photo Pilot

Every issue of "PHOTO PILOT" contains:

Photos: What would a photographers publication be without photos, every newsletter will contain all types of photographs, but with more technical details, (such as equipment used, camera settings, Etc.), about the photographer, his gear and how the photo was taken.
Articles: In-depth articles, ranging from equipment to technique, with topics about and from freefall photographers. Details that my not be of interest to regular skydivers, such as F-stops, battery life, video editing, photo market prices, will be included in every article. Information you can't get anywhere else.
Product Review: Covering all products available for freefall photography, user reports, where to locate items, who is using what, etc. Instead of guessing what works well, find out all the details from the FFPA.
Classified Ads: Have an old camera or helmet that is still good but you no longer need it? Looking for a back up video camera? The classified section will help you sell your gear directly to those who are most interested - other freefall photographers. Jump suits, ring sights, rigs, what ever, buy it or sell it fast.

Worldwide Communications

The Freefall Photographers Association will be a conduit for information. By the use of "PHOTO PILOT" and the FFPA database, information on freefall photography will be compiled and maintained for future use by FFPA members. A question from a photographer in Colorado may have already been answered by a photographer in Georgia. Someone from a small drop zone, only jumping Cessnas could find out how to best video a 4-way team exit from a Casa by simply asking.

Another information resource that the Freefall Photographers Association will provide will be an expanded database of information on freefall photography. The database will include freefall photographers, equipment resources, and services available. This information will be provided to members who may be look for photographers in their area or event organizers and drop zone owners, who in need of photographic services.

Internet Resources

A free service run by Dan Amberman, provides an e-mail registry for Camera-flyers, as well as a Camera-flyer MAILLIST.

This web site is maintained by Keith Takayesu ("Tak") of Tak's Freefall Services. You can request to have some of your digitized photos linked into Tak's Gallery, or simply have your link added to the index. Contact Tak for more information or requests regarding the WWW site.