PHOTOGRAPHING HOT AIR BALLOONS

Photographing Hot Air Balloons by Joe Myeress

If you are looking for something different and very colorful to photograph, start making plans to attend the annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico.  The “most photographed annual festival in the world” according to Kodak, begins Oct. 6 and runs until Oct 14.

I have attended 4 times.  There are so many balloons to photograph you will find yourself spinning in circles trying to capture everything.  Not only is the event great to photograph, but you get to walk up to the balloons, talk to the pilots, and even help inflate the balloons.  And if you are looking for an unforgettable experience, go flying.  I have flown twice in the balloons.  It is a must to do for anyone.

What you need to photograph the fiesta is any camera and lots of batteries and memory cards. You don’t need any special equipment to get great images, but I would say the one must have item is a polarizer filter.  The balloons start to take off at dawn around 6 a.m.  At around 8 a.m. the sky turns from dark to a beautiful blue.  The polarizer filter will make the sky bluer and the colorful balloons will “pop” with color.

As far as lenses, any and all lenses will work. Because you will be able to walk up to the balloons, a wide-angle is great.  It will also give you a sense of how big they are.  A zoom lens is great for the balloons that have taken off.  You can zoom in on one or a few, or zoom out and capture how they fill the skies above.  According to the official website, www.balloonfiesta.com there is about 500 balloons flying each year.  You will have a lot to choose from, so shoot as many as you can.

Regardless or your skill level or how much equipment you have or don’t have, the Balloon Fiesta is a perfect place to go photograph. Since the balloons are slow, it is a nice relaxing couple of hours photographing.  You can try different exposures and lighting effects and you won’t feel rushed to do so.

So, gather your gear, start to make plans for this fall in New Mexico.  You will have a great time and LOTS of images to relive your adventure.

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I have been a photographer for 30 years.    The highlights are many, but the key ones dearest to me, are:

• Served in The United States NAVY as a photographer for 5 years. (PH2, E-5)
• I was 1 of 10 chosen military photographers to photograph President George H. Bush’s Inauguration.  These images would become part of the National Archives.
• Photographed the Summit at the White House between President George Bush and President Mikhail Gorbachev of the Soviet Union.

Over the years, I worked in different areas of the photo field.  I photographed weddings, models, landscapes, concerts, sports, and tabletop.  I have won many awards, both local and National, and have been published in magazines and newspapers.

Now, as I get older, I enjoy photographing nature, landscapes and travel more.   I currently work as a Senior Photographer for a national retailer.  I photograph the items that appear in their catalogs and ads and on their websites.  www.tigerdirect.com,  www.compusa.com and www.circuitcity.com.

And for anyone that would like to purchase any prints of mine, checkout FineArtAmerica, http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/joe-myeress.html