Hot Air Balloons
Jul, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This shot was taken at the Allen County 4H Fair (Fort Wayne, IN) in the summer of 2015. This fair doesn't have a large number of Hot Air Balloons but enough to put on a beautiful show!Time
This was taken in the early evening during the balloon launch. They launched from this location and then returned in a couple hours for a Glo Show.Lighting
This was a perfect evening for a balloon launch. It was about 7:00 in the evening and the sky was a perfect blue backdrop to showcase all the bright colors of the balloons.Equipment
This was shot with a Nikon D5300 using a 40mm f2.8 Nikkor lens. No other equipment was used in this shot.Inspiration
I love to shot in natural light and I love bright and brilliant colors. I made a special trip to the 4H Fair on this night with the sole purposed of photographing the hot air balloons. I was thrilled that the lighting conditions were so perfect and the wind conditions were ideal so the balloons could safely launch. It was a wonderful evening.Editing
I did very little post-processing this image. I Cropped it a little but other than that it came out how I visualized it!In my camera bag
I shoot with Nikon and I primary body is the D5300. I am also waiting for the opportunity to acquire the newly released Nikon D500. I frequently use my Nikkor 40MM micro f2.8 lens. I also carry a Nikkor 50 mm 1.8 / a Nikkor 18 - 55mm 3.5-5.6 and a Nikkor 55 - 300mm 4.5-5.6.. I use natural light as much as possible but when necessary I use a Nikon Speedlight SB-70.Feedback
My best piece of advise when photographing hot air balloons is "Patience". The balloon launch has a lot to do with weather conditions and as a photographer you must have patience. The above happened half hour after it was scheduled to launch and I have been to balloon shows that didn't happen at all due to the weather conditions. Most launches happen at dawn or dusk. As a photographer this is fantastic because the natural light can be so perfect. The above shot was taken at dusk and the lighting was absolutely perfect. And because the sky was so clear I had a perfect back drop to highlight the fantastic colors of the balloons.
