10 replies to this topic

[nbanjogal]

I may be shooting a hot air balloon festival this weekend--not as a hired hand, just as an attendee. I've never shot an event like this before, so I'm not quite sure what to expect. 

 

Any advice for what lenses you'd take? Filters? Any other equipment? I think I'll try to keep it light with just a camera body and a couple of lenses. Thinking my 24-70 and maybe the 70-200...which combination is not light. Sigh...but I'd be well covered.

 

Must-have shots? Must do? Must not do?

 

I'd welcome any suggestions and advice!

 

 

 

 

[Rontography]

The ones I have been to are pretty open and you can get as up close and personal as you want. If they do a balloon glow at night don't miss it. 

[Merco_61]

Jamie (OTRTexan) had the same questions in October last year.

Here is the advice I gave him then.

 

I haven't shot balloons since I went digital, but I hope some of this can be of help. 

Forget about tripod and manual control during inflation and launch, you need to move your vantage point quickly as work progresses. It is fast-paced and best treated as a pj gig. Short focal lengths (normal zoom used on the short side) and getting as close as possible without getting in the way gives best results. Aperture priority and center-weighted metering makes life a little easier. If you meter off highlights with -1EV EC, exposure should be close enough. As soon as there is enough light to use a CPL without raising the ISO too much, do so. When the launch is over it is time to bring out the tripod and telezoom for the flight. If you can be there for landings, switch to the normal zoom again. For the night glow event, use a wide zoom.

Good luck! I think you will have a great time at the festival. Balloonists are mostly colorful characters but nice to be around except during launch when everything is so stressful.

Read more: Balloon Festival - Photographic Technique - NikonForums.com

 

Try to get some shots of the burners at the end of a long burn during inflation, the glowing nozzles and the flame makes for spectacular photos. Otherwise, just go with what looks interesting and compose as much as you can for the colours.

[Thumper]

Your 24-70 will be good.  Do you have anything wider than that (to go along with it)?   Not trying to load you down with lenses since you already have 2 picked out, neither of which are light weight.   But an extra wide angle lens would make for some fun shots at a balloon festival.  

[OTRTexan]

I took my 15-30 and 150-600. The one I went to started before dawn, so most inflations were in the dark. For me, it felt like a lot of waiting around, then chaos. I think if I ever did it again, I'd try to make friends with one of the balloon teams and just focus on them to begin with. Then go wide when everyone starts launching. I tried to get too many and ended up getting very few shots I was happy with. I think I'd also take 3 lenses. My 15-30 24-70 and my 150-600. Careful when you set up a tripod. It was crowded where I was and mine was hit multiple times.


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[Merco_61]

It sounds like not much has changed in the last 20 years... Tripods weren't usable for the launch then and, it seems, still not unless you want to be a bit away from the action and shoot with a tele lens.

[nbanjogal]

The ones I have been to are pretty open and you can get as up close and personal as you want. If they do a balloon glow at night don't miss it. 

 

I'm kicking myself because we won't be there in time for the glow--it's tonight (this is a smaller festival--apparently they only have the one, though there will be launches for three days).

 

Jamie (OTRTexan) had the same questions in October last year.

Here is the advice I gave him then.

 

 

I should have done a search! I knew someone had probably asked this already. Great advice to repeat though!

 

Your 24-70 will be good.  Do you have anything wider than that (to go along with it)?   Not trying to load you down with lenses since you already have 2 picked out, neither of which are light weight.   But an extra wide angle lens would make for some fun shots at a balloon festival.  

 

I do have a 14mm, but it's a manual focus Rokinon...I don't know if I can trust myself to use manual focus in this kind of setting. But I will be taking it with me for the weekend--going to try to get some Milky Way shots if the weather cooperates.

 

I took my 15-30 and 150-600. The one I went to started before dawn, so most inflations were in the dark. For me, it felt like a lot of waiting around, then chaos. I think if I ever did it again, I'd try to make friends with one of the balloon teams and just focus on them to begin with. Then go wide when everyone starts launching. I tried to get too many and ended up getting very few shots I was happy with. I think I'd also take 3 lenses. My 15-30 24-70 and my 150-600. Careful when you set up a tripod. It was crowded where I was and mine was hit multiple times.


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Thanks for sharing your recent experience--your list of lenses may influence what I take with me. Though I think the 150-600 is not so compatible with my D600. I've been keeping it around assuming that I will be upgrading sometime this year. 

 

And I think I will leave the tripod in the car for the balloon launch... If I were able to attend the glow, I think it would be essential. But as Peter points out, this will be more of a PJ type shoot, so it probably would just get in the way.

 

Thanks everyone for some solid advice! Hope I end up with anything worth sharing.

[Ron]

I'm late to this so you may not see it but anyway... assuming you can get in close, a ultra wide is generally the way to go. Up close, hot air balloons are huge and you'll come to appreciate every bit of room you can get on the wide end. Generally your hyperfocal range will be great enough to hide any minor focusing errors.

 

For the rest of it, your 70-200 would probably suffice, first for single balloons and then as they recede away larger and larger groups of balloons. 

 

Have fun!

 

--Ron

[nbanjogal]

Heh...so I took my ultra-wide (14mm), my 70-200mm, and my 24-70mm....aaaaaaaaaannnnnd the flights were canceled because of weather. So, no hot air balloon shoot! I'm pretty bummed, but other opportunities will arise. Maybe some year soon we should have a group meetup at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

[Tony]

Heh...so I took my ultra-wide (14mm), my 70-200mm, and my 24-70mm....aaaaaaaaaannnnnd the flights were canceled because of weather. So, no hot air balloon shoot! I'm pretty bummed, but other opportunities will arise. Maybe some year soon we should have a group meetup at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

Now there is a wonderful idea.  Sad that you missed out on this trip.  There will be other opportunities in the near future.  There is Hot August Nights in Reno, Nevada which has Hot Air Balloon Rides and auctions of vintage automobiles.  That would be fun to catch.

 

Rgds,

 

Tony

[Tony]

Hi Nicole, I was just curious as to whether or not you have a video camera.  That seems to me to be the most convenient way to go as far as weight concerns.  Also, not only can you film all the action on the ground, think of how magnificent your work will be when you become airborne.  That would certainly attract me to an event such as a Hot Air Balloon Ride.  Trust me, when it comes to Hot Air, I have been told I have an abundance.  )

 

Regards,

 

Tony