hotairballoon

Tips for Photographing Your First Hot Air Balloon Festival

Ah, you've just received your first camera over the holiday season and you're itching to use it. Or, perhaps you're just looking for something new to photograph for this year. Well, might I suggest the following: You should photograph a hot air balloon festival!

Immersive Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Time-Lapse Puts You in the Middle of the Action

The 9-day Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is the largest hot air balloon event in the world, and as such it's also one of the most photographed events in the world. Because of this, Albuquerque native and photographer Knate Myers knew he had to capture something special if his time-lapse of the event was to stand out.

"A whole lot of work (and very little sleep)," later he had achieved his goal in spades, creating this Technicolor dream of a time-lapse that gives you every angle you might hope to have on the event.

The Oldest Surviving Aerial Photograph

According to the Professional Aerial Photographers Association, the father of aerial photography was French balloonist Gaspard-FĂ©lix Tournachon, who photographed Paris from a hot air balloon way back in 1858. Unfortunately, none of his work remains today, and so the title of oldest surviving aerial photograph goes to the picture you see above.

Titled "Boston, as the Eagle and the Wild Goose See It" the photo was taken by photographer James Wallace Black in October of 1860 from an altitude of about 2,000 feet.