How To Photograph Hot Air Balloons
Last Friday, Chris Healy, owner of Above The Clouds Hot Air Balloon Rides, invited us out to photograph and film two of his hot air balloons as they carried passengers in whatever direction the wind took them. Having seen some of our previous work (including a shot of his balloons that I took when I first started with photography), Chris thought it would be great to have some ‘professionals’ on site to capture some updated images of his balloons as well as the experience for the passengers.
In order to photograph his balloons properly and capture the entire experience from beginning to end, we had to arrive at Randall airfield early. Since the balloons inflate quickly, we needed to be there before they even began to get things ready so we could position ourselves without getting in anyone’s way.
Chris had both balloons laid out on the field and when the last passenger arrived, he began blowing them up. Since the balloons are extremely long, a wider lens was definitely needed to capture as much of the balloon as possible. Once they were inflated enough, Chris started firing the propane flames into them …
My brother, Sean, was doing all of the filming for us and at one point was given the permission to walk into the top of the balloon and film Chris shooting the flames. If you’ve ever been near one of these things, you know that when those flames fire … they are very, very hot! I thought I lost my eyebrows at one point!
Once both of the balloons were up, the passengers moved in. Since Chris was looking for new shots for his website, I moved in closer and laid on the ground the grab a shot of the passengers with part of the balloon, basket and flame in the shot …
This gave me some great images of the passengers and the excitement that they were experiencing. Since the balloons are slow to get off the ground, this provided me the opportunity to grab some individual shots of the balloons as well as wider shots of the two of them. Because they take a little bit to get going, I had plenty of time to mess with my settings to capture different looks in-camera so Chris had a variety of images to choose from …
Once the balloons had cleared the field, we followed the chase cars around Middletown and Goshen. Since the calmest weather is early in the morning or later in the evening (about two hours before sunset), we knew that we’d get some great shots with the sunset as well. Even though balloons are very colorful, I find that a nice silhouette shot can be just as powerful …
As both of the rides came to an end and we started capturing the final images for the day, we made sure to stay out of the crew’s way as they have a lot to do before the sun goes down and they run out of light. One of the balloons landed in a parking lot while the other touched down in the black dirt onion fields of Goshen.
Part of the tradition of hot air ballooning includes a champagne toast at the end of the ride (to find out the full story as to why, book a flight with Above The Clouds … you won’t be dissappointed!). We were close by when the newly engaged couple, who landed in the onion fields, received their toast which capped a beautiful flight for them …
In the next few weeks, we will be flying with Chris and Above The Clouds to capture the second series of shots and video of his balloons from the air. We’ll be sure to bring those shots to you as well!
Class Of 2008: Eldred
The final entry of our coverage of the 2008 High School Graduation series ends with Eldred High School. While Chris was attending the S.S. Seward Graduation, I headed north to Sullivan County to cover the graduating class of Eldred High School (which my younger brother was a part of).
After a few days of rain and a close call at the Minisink Valley Graduation the previous evening, Saturday turned out to be extremely beautiful and very hot! It was one of the hottest days in recent memory!
As the ceremony got under way, students received awards for various achievements and accomplishments throughout the year as well as throughout their entire life as a high school student …
With nearly 60 graduates, the ceremony was brief … and I am sure that the students appreciated that it was because of the ever increasing temperatures. As the final names were announced, I positioned myself to capture one of the traditional shots at every graduation …
As everyone made their way to their parents, my brother and two of his friends stopped for a quick, candid shot!
Class Of 2008: S.S. Seward
Continuing our coverage of area High School Graduations, I headed over to Florida, New York for the 2008 S.S. Seward Graduation ceremony …
Even though it is a small school with only 61 graduates, there were a lot of people at the ceremony. Thankfully, the weather was incredible and no one had to worry about the possibility of rain!
Arriving early, I checked out the area (since I had never been there before) and waited for the first seniors to start arriving. I wandered between the setup outside and the gathering seniors inside. While grabbing a few shots of things going on around me, I ran into James Reilly, a new local photographer for the Times Herald Record. We chatted for a bit and then headed inside as the Seniors were getting ready for the ceremony.
Inside, we captured a bunch of candid shots between friends …
As the day went on and the ceremony got under way, I photographed the Seniors as they received awards and honors for their achievements. The time came when they would finally be receiving their diplomas.
As the names were read off and the Seniors made their way off the stage to receive their diploma, I snapped a ton of shots. However, there was one student that stood out … not only because of his picture … but because of his last name.
As they called Patrick Wanamaker down, I chuckled a bit as it is not a very common name in the area and I found it ironic that I would be photographing another ‘Wanamaker’ with absolutely no relation. However, the photograph he would provide me would be the best one of the day …
As the ceremony came to a close, the graduates made their way off the stage and back behind the main tent. Just before heading out for the day, I turned around the saw my final shot of the day!
Class Of 2008: Minisink Valley
A few weeks ago, we announced that Minisink Valley High School had selected Wanamaker Photography to cover their graduation ceremonies. When the day finally arrived, I think we were a little more excited than a lot of the Seniors!
Since September, we had the opportunity to follow a bunch of the Seniors through many of the different sports that they played for Minisink Valley. From Football to Lacrosse to Baseball, we had captured hundreds of shots of each Senior … and now we had the opportunity to capture their final photo as they graduated from High School.
As we arrived at the school, the day brought with it uncertain weather. I continually checked the radar on my phone hoping for some luck. As the clouds became darker, I would check more often. We headed out to the field and started taking some pre-ceremony shots of the band, arriving parents and the Minisink Valley ROTC practicing for the main event …
As the Minisink Valley Seniors began walking out onto the field, everyone’s prayers were answered. The dark clouds disappeared and the sun poked through … as bright as ever!
As our coverage continued, we took over 3,000 photos of the graduates during candid moments and while receiving their diplomas. In the end, we were extremely happy that we could share in such a special day with all of the 2008 Minisink Valley High School Seniors!
* We took so many photos that it was extremely hard for us to pick a few for the blog and the homepage. If you are a 2008 Minisink Valley Graduate and would like to see all of the images we captured, please contact us and we will be more than happy to provide you with a special access code to our online gallery!
Engagement Session: Patrick And Laurel
Laurel and Patrick, a young couple from New York, decided to use us for their upcoming wedding in November. Very artistic themselves, they found our work to be exactly what they wanted. After a few meetings with them and their parents, we settled on a date for their engagement session.
They decided on the Gasho House in Central Valley, New York as they have a very nice botanical garden behind the restaurant. As we arrived, however, we were a bit disappointed as there wasn’t as much color as we expected …
Loretta and I scoured the area briefly to get an idea of what was around … and then we began shooting! They were so easy to work with and are extremely photogenic … so we cannot wait for their wedding in November!
Here are a couple of the shots from the session …
