Moon-glow
Sunset at the 2013 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, preparing for a "glow".
Sunset at the 2013 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, preparing for a "glow".
Read less
Read less
Oct, 2013Views
1051
Likes
Awards
Staff Favorite
Peer Award
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Outstanding Creativity
All Star
Top Choice
Exceptional Contrast
Magnificent Capture
Jaw Dropping
Superior Skill
One Of A Kind
Love it
Top Ranks
Top 30 rankTop 30 rank week 6Top 30 rank week 5Top 20 rank month 1
Top 20 rankCategories
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Discover more photos See all
Behind The Lens
Location
2013 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, New MexicoTime
Sunset, approximately 7:00 PMLighting
In this situation you must be patient and wait for the pilot to fire the burner, which happens randomly.Equipment
Handheld Nikon D5100 with a Tamron 28-75 f/2.8 lens. No flash.Inspiration
Wandering the field during a balloon glow provides an infiniite number of opportunities to capture images. The light is something you can't find anywhere else, and when you also get a gorgeous sunset in the background it's like winning the lottery. I prefer to focus on balloons that have colorful patterns, rather than special shapes or advertising.Editing
I use Lightroom 5 for basic adjustments. I then took this image into PS CS5, masked out the lit balloon and used Topaz Labs Clarity on it. The background is also masked out to enhance the color depth. Finally, I applies high-pass filter sharpening to the foreground elements.In my camera bag
A Nikon D5100, an SB600 Speedlite with a remote trigger, a remote trigger for the camera, and my 105mm f/2.8 macro lens.Feedback
Go to a major balloon fiesta to experience color and light; there's nothing else like it. But select one that has at minimum a few hundred balloons; the AIBF typically hosts over 700 now. Get up early for a sunrise ascension. While on the field, get close as well as far away. Don't limit yourself to wide shots, as details can be just as interesting as landscapes. Don't be shy about shooting into the envelope while they are being inflated, either, especially as the sun rises or sets.
