cramerimaging

Balloonfest-9

May, 2019

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Behind The Lens

Location

I took this photo while standing out in a farm field. It's the launching point for the Panguitch Balloonfest every year. This was my first year attending.

Time

Due to how hot air balloons like a contrast of air temperatures to fly, you usually only see them launch in the early morning or evening. This launch was bright and stinking early in the morning. They start unrolling and inflating the balloons around 6 or 7 AM. I took this shot long after the balloons launched.

Lighting

I shot this in the bright and direct sunlight of early morning. It was past golden hour and into straight daylight. There were no clouds to be found in the sky that morning.

Equipment

I shot this photo hand-holding a Nikon D7200 using a Nikkor 18-55mm lens. That is all the equipment I used for this photo.

Inspiration

As this was my first balloonfest, I was shooting all kinds of different photos. After the balloons launched, the photos became a bit repetitive. Still, my spouse pointed out the contrail and how some of the balloons were flying close to it in my point of view. I took aim with my camera and captured this shot among others.

Editing

Since I shot this in direct sunlight, I obviously pulled down the highlights and opened up the shadows to better balance the overall color. However, this photo didn't require too terribly much processing. Perhaps that direct sunlight is sometimes a blessing in disguise?

In my camera bag

I carry a Nikon D7200 rather permanently attached to a Custom Brackets Digital Pro-E flash bracket. I love the ease which this high end flash bracket allows me to switch from landscape to portrait mode on a tripod and back again. It makes life in the field so much easier for me. My go-to lenses are the Nikkor 18-55mm kit lens and a Tamron 70-300mm telephoto lens with 1:2 macro capabilities. These have served me faithfully for several years in photography. I also pack a Nikkor 50mm prime for those times when I need f/1.8 and a Nikon 60mm prime macro lens for when I want to go full blown macro on a photo. I also carry a Nikon Speedlight SB-700 for those times when natural light just isn't enough. My Hoodman hood-loupe, highly recommended by Scott Kelby, also goes with me. With it, I can see what my camera screen is showing me even in exceedingly bright light which would otherwise prevent me viewing my newly taken photos. My sling bag does get heavy with all this gear, but I know that I'm prepared for all kinds of photo opportunities.

Feedback

Hot air balloon festivals are great times to go get photos. There's a long period of unrolling and inflating where you can walk around and check out the balloons. Things start getting exciting when balloons inflate enough to stand up the baskets. The first lift-off is rather sudden and hard to catch. Still, others will follow soon afterwards. Those initial moments of liftoff can create some amazing photos. But that's a narrow window of time. Be on your toes. If you want to capture a photo like this one, you'll have plenty of time while the balloons are soaring. Just look for a contrail and see if you can line up some flying balloons with it. Groups of balloons are often better than a single for this shot.

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cramerimaging

cramerimaging

Balloonfest-9

Behind The Lens

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