STRATOS is a low budget short-term mission with the purpose of capturing images of space and earth at a terminal altitude of approximately 70,000 Ft. This initiative was inspired by a project called Icarus which successfully launched their own spacecraft and took pictures at near-space altitudes for less than $200. Pictures taken from 100,000ft: it can be done cheaply
An enthusiast in the UK has flown a consumer digital camera up to a height of about 100,000ft (30km in the air, described as "the edge of space") using a helium balloon, took pictures of the UK and a part of Europe parachuted the camera safely back to Earth, and tracked it down using GPS equipment.