IMG_6428
Jun, 2015Views
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Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This was taken on Robin Lake at Callaway Gardens, a huge horticultural and recreational preserve located near Pine Mountain, Georgia. I went there before dark and set up specifically to get this shot of the "Balloon Glow," which officially launches the annual Sky High Hot Air Balloon Festival.Time
I shot this just after dark, when they inflate balloons around the lake and then periodically set off gas burns in unison to get the unified glow effect. This was some time after 8 p.m., with the camera on a tripod. Because I didn't have my remote shutter-release with me, I had to set the shutter timer to go off on a two-second delay, to avoid camera shake. It was real tricky getting the timing down, since the glows peak, then fade fairly rapidly in a ragged fashion. I lucked out with a number of nice shots, but this was my favorite.Lighting
The balloons provided most of the lighting. This shot was taken at ISO 200 at f 5.6, with a 6/10th of a second exposure.Equipment
I used a Canon t4i, with a Tamron 18-300mm lens, on a (pro)master xc528 tripod and ball head.Inspiration
I had seen some similar shots and realized the potential to get the image I envisioned.Editing
I only had to crop and saturate the colors a bit.In my camera bag
I normally carry two Canon cameras. My current go-to camera is a Canon t6S, with a Tamron 16-300 mm lens. I also often carry a 600-mm Sigma lens and a sturdier Enduro tripod with a Wimberly gimbal head, which I think would work better for similar shots.Feedback
My advice is to come early and get set up in daylight. Allow enough time to go around the lake to pick out your preferred vantage point.You can also get shots of balloonists inflating their crafts. The day after the Balloon Glow features a morning mass liftoff, which can be interesting to shoot, weather permitting. This happens right after dawn, when the winds usually settle down, so one should try to be there at 7 a.m. at the latest. If the winds are in the right direction you could drive to the Pine Mountain ridge and shoot the liftoff from above and, with luck from the wind gods, as the balloons rise up toward you and fly over.
