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Winter balloon

Looking out over the Yampa River valley from Storm Peak, at the top of the Steamboat Ski Resort, I spotted this colorful hot air balloon floating with the thin ...
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Looking out over the Yampa River valley from Storm Peak, at the top of the Steamboat Ski Resort, I spotted this colorful hot air balloon floating with the thin clouds below us.
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Steamboat Springs, Colorado, US

upload_date

Nov, 2016

Views

607

Likes

+51

Awards

Winner in Full of Hot Air Photo Challenge

Peer Award

+13

Absolute Masterpiece

Superb Composition

Top Choice

All Star

Superior Skill

Magnificent Capture

Top Ranks

Top 30 rank

Top 30 rank week 3

Top 30 rank

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Behind The Lens

Location

This photo was taken at the top of Storm Peak at the Steamboat Ski Resort, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

Time

It was our first lift ride to the top of the mountain, so it was still early, probably about 9:00.

Lighting

With the clouds below us, it was a bright, sunny morning, with the sun at my back.

Equipment

I had my Pentax *istDS DSLR camera, with a Pentax 55-200mm zoom lens along for the day, hoping to get some action shots of my daughters skiing.

Inspiration

After getting off the lift, we stopped to make sure everyone had their clothing and equipment properly adjusted before be began our descent. I happened to glance out at the valley and saw the balloon drifting above the low, thin clouds below us. It occurred to me that I could use the trees in the foreground to frame the balloon and valley, so I pulled out my camera and grabbed a shot.

Editing

Because of the distances, I found that the balloon almost disappeared in the original shot, so I cropped it so that the balloon was a bit more prominent in the final image.

In my camera bag

People are often surprised to see that I carry a DSLR while I'm skiing. I have a chest harness that I wear under my ski coat that locks the camera in place while I'm skiing, but provides me with convenient access when I'm ready to shoot. Since my primary goal on a ski day is to capture action photos, I usually mount a longer lens on the camera, so I can zoom in on the particular skier I'm trying to capture.

Feedback

This shot was a bit of serendipity, so my best advice is to pay attention to your surroundings. You never know when something unanticipated might capture your interest, and you need to be ready to improvise to capture these moments when they occur, even if you didn't plan for that particular situation. Take the shot, even if you aren't sure how it will turn out. Sometimes luck can be a photographer's best friend.

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Winter balloon