Colour in the sky Photo

Photographer’s Note

It is Balloon Fiesta time in Albuquerque--the balloon capital of the world. 600 plus balloons from all over the world, and pilots here from 23 countries. It is so exciting to go to the fields and see them take off in waves. The colour, the big cheers as the balloons launch, the sounds of the gas burning, the competitions, and the big buzz of all these balloons.

Balloons cost anywhere from $30,000 to $100,000. The special shape balloons, such as Arky which I posted the other day, are in another category.

PP
original, resize, sharpen, frame
OOPS! In the original post, along the edges, I had a few cut off balloons which took away from the composition. Thank you to both Shelly and Thor68 for pointing this out to me. I was so busy looking up I did not notice.

Guenther, lrw1966, thor68, leo61, ktanska, Sistercosmo, cagla, danasam, jusninasirun, Kielia, gunbud, Yffic has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

lrw1966 (1630) 2008-10-14 8:35

Joni Hi:

Wonderfully beautiful, a grand event and your compositions, show us the grand colors and details, beatifully.

Thanks for the notes
Congratulations, very nice, my friend
Larry
USA-tfs

rgarrigus (0) 2008-10-14 10:37

Hi Joni,

Talk about color! This is expertly composed and pristine in color and sharpness. The choice to clone out the balloons hitting the frame was spot on. This would make a fabulous print.

Cheers!

Bob G.

leo61 (42740) 2008-10-14 11:12

Hi Joni!
I have seen you original and I was reading one member`s suggestion to clone out the half balloons at the edges,and I`m happy that you did and post it again.
This version looks much better!
I wish I had such a fantastic light and blue sky in Cappadokia,where I counted 29 balloons at one morning.
Colors,contrast and sharpness are excellent here.
Regards,Leo

danyy (67882) 2008-10-14 23:51

Bonjour Joni,
une très belle région des USA que le New-Mexico. Une fête de lâcher de ballons ou plutôt d'envol de mongolfières, un peu comme celle de Saint-Jean sur Richelieu au Québec.
Superbes couleurs, il manque juste un petit nuage.
Regards.
Daniel.

Guenther (6591) 2008-10-15 0:42

Hi Joni,

very spectacular, the colorful view of these balloons! The different size and the irregular distribution give a good depth and dynamic to the image.

I don't find the cut off ballons on the original version very disturbing, IMHO it just gives a sense of partial view imaginig many many more...

regards,
Günther

ktanska (16375) 2008-10-15 4:58

Hi Joni,
Great view, it would be fantastic to see so many balloons some day. I like those colours, and am pleasantly surprised that I don't see advertising there. Vertical framing works well.
Kari

MarcT (20981) 2008-10-16 7:51

Hi Joni,
Indeed a very colorful sky. Nice placement of these balloons in your composition.
Cheers
Marc

giandom (694) 2008-10-16 13:12

Hi Joni
explosion of color, excellent composition and pleasant.
Well done,
Gianni

Royaldevon (5784) 2008-10-17 15:22

Hello Joni,

What a colourful array in the sky!
It must have been a wonderful spectacle!

I think you were wise to clone out the half ballons. The composition feels much better without them.
I like your framing which colour-codes to the subject really well.

Kind regards,
Bev :-)

Sistercosmo (2481) 2008-10-17 20:19

Hi Joni,
a truely wonderful capture! Sharp and colorful. Very well done!
Thanks and take care,
Linda

trekks (14260) 2008-10-18 3:35

I have never seen this in real life but I can imagine the excitement of being in the air and floating over land at low altitude. It was said to be man's 1st experience of flight before the advent of wings, gliders and aircraft.

I like the clean image from the strong sunlight on the colorful balloons and the blue sky is really a great backdrop. Like a commercial ad photo.

tfs, bill

mauro61 (14528) 2008-10-18 7:46

ciao Joni,
la foto mi piace non solo perchè vivace nei colori ma anche perchè composta in maniera perfetta con grande maestria, brava
buona serata
a domani
maurizio

baba_flies (7925) 2008-10-18 8:42

Hello Joni! Now I understand why you chose my balloon version to comment, we have both the same experience staying on the ground looking up and get crazy over hot air balloons. I mean I went totally nuts and was running around like a headless chicken. It is so so attractive to see them lifting off and your wonderful post shows what I mean. The New Mexico Balloon Festival is indeed world-famous and something that is on my wish list seeing it with my own eyes but in the meantime I enjoy your exquisite photo. You had excellent light condition and you used the chance and made a spectacular shot. What a happy picture!!!!! Take care, enjoy your weekend, Barbara.

PS. No hot air balloon festival this year, it was RAINING :)

cagla (2032) 2008-10-18 9:10

Hi Joni, I loved those balloons. Colours are wonderful. The view reminds me of Cappadoccia in Turkey, where you can see a lot of colourful balloons together in the sky. Thank you for sharing this one.

Silvio1953 (40677) 2008-10-19 0:37

Hi Joni, fantastic composition with a lot of balloons, splendid colors, very well done, have a good week end, ciao Silvio

danasam (1057) 2008-10-22 22:41

HI Joni, i see the way your way of taking photos is developed, i like the open clear sky in your background. very well done.
Sam.

jusninasirun (10030) 2008-10-24 22:01

Hi Joni. Glad to see you are still around with Larry here. This image is beautiful. The sharpness and colorful details are well established against the blue sky. Keep shooting and sharing. Regards. Jusni

Kielia (8159) 2008-10-25 11:03

Hi Joni,
what a pleasant view! Great atmosphere of the balloons and fantastic photo work! I would like to have this as a poster on my wall. TFS!
Warm regards
Harriet

jmcl (13721) 2008-10-25 17:26

Hi Joni,

Beautiful colors .. good sense of the vast sky full of balloons .. really good detail and sharpness .. striking image .. even from the thumbnail.

take care,

John

gunbud (27515) 2008-10-26 18:19

Hi Joni,
These vividly colored hot ari ballons stand out brilliantly against the pastel desert sky.
The reds, yellow and blue colors make a lovely combination that are seen in exceptioanal sharp detail.
Regards, Tom

batalay (20658) 2008-10-26 22:28

Hello Joni,

Before retiring for the night (it is 1:22 am in the East Coast), I want to comment on this spectacular scene, crowded with hot air balloons. Again a sensational composition, brilliant colors and sharp resolution. Did you get a chance to ascend in one of these "vehicles" and witness the deafening silence, drifting with the wind and not feeling it. Your earlier shot of Arky, I would love to present in some of my talks as a humorous touch — I am the person who had done archaeology on Mt. Ararat (in search of the elusive Noah's Ark. It is very nice to meet you. Warm regards, (My usual lectures are actually on theoretical physics and, entirely separately, on Leonardo.)

Bulent

Greg1949 (8499) 2008-10-27 4:37

Nice shot Joni, the colors on the envelopes is awesome. I think that the shot posted has fantastic balloon placement, your patience and eye have paid off well.

Greg

Yffic (6106) 2008-10-28 3:36

Hi Joni,

A very colorful shot.
The sharpness is very good on the totality of your picture.

Regards.

Yves

InasiaJones (19737) 2008-11-03 23:44

Hi Joni,

I wouldn't want to sound intrusive in any possible way, but it seems to me that your ancestors were from Quebec isn't it? Vachon doesn't sounds American one minute and it's quite a popular name here (I'm even wondering how your name is pronounce in English). Actually, the most popular cakes company here is named Vachon, one of the oldest bakery in Canada, the equivalent of Interstate Bakeries Corporation in USA, makers of the famous Twinkies... :-P)

Very colourful gathering of balloons, nicely fitting into the frame. Good light makes the colour even more vivid and all these layers and distance between the balloons create a lot of dimension.

Chees!

André

testmaniac (11832) 2008-11-11 4:58

Hi Joni, good and colorful photo:) I like it:)

TFS and regards,
Phil

jonathan_hart (22564) 2008-11-12 8:11

it's nice to get all these balloons of "different size" in the frame, good vivid colors, attractive photo
regards
jc