summers past...

This is a scan of a very old photo (8x12 actually) I took in the summer of 1999, at the Pittsfield NH Annual Rotary Balloon Rally. You can even see fingerprints...
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This is a scan of a very old photo (8x12 actually) I took in the summer of 1999, at the Pittsfield NH Annual Rotary Balloon Rally. You can even see fingerprints on the bottom of the image from the print.

The Balloon Rally is one of the highlights of the summers I spent in NH. Held in a little old factory town the rally draws thousands of balloon enthusiasts from all over the country. In return the Rotary Club puts on a fabulous event with music, a great August night, fair food, good friends, it's really a great experience.

This was a 30 second exposure on Fuji 1600 speed film. I blew through a few 36 exposure rolls that night, and this is and always has been my favorite from ANY night glow I have attended. I love the woman selling glow-sticks in the lower right and the stream of light across the frame as she walked away after making a sale. The grain is amazingly tight for the speed and length of the exposure. The balloons? They weren't even lit at the same time. The balloon in the front, the reddish looking one, is actually red and white and the other side features a huge monkey. It wasn't even lit, the light is ambient, you can tell because you can't see the flame.
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