Critique Welcomed A Bunch of Hot Air

[Ronald Atchley]

Got up EARLY to run over to Decatur, Alabama for the
hot air baloon races. This is this first one of the captures
I have tried to work up. Will try to keep working with it.
Seems there is always something I can improve if I let it
rest for a few days and come back to it. If y'all ever have
a chance to go to one of these events in your area, it is
worth the effort
Ron


336Top#2 by Ronatch, on Flickr

 

[Lesley Jones]

I love it Ron. I have one very similar, only it was taken on slide film many years ago and I still haven't found time to scan it. Hot air balloons are fascinating aren't they? Have you been up in one yet?

 

[Ronald Atchley]

Thanks Zooey
I'll play with it some more but, until then, I would really
love to see your baloon shot ! IF you get time to work it
up, I'd appreciate it

 

[Brian Moore]

That's a great shot, Ron. (Did you get to float up in it as well?)

 

[Ronald Atchley]

Thanks Brian.
Nope. Didn't get high that day

 

[adrian jordin]

There's an international Baloon Fiesta in Bristol every summer (9th - 12th August this year).
Unfortunately you have to have contacts on the inside to get that good a shot, Ron.
Spectators are usually kept well away from the actual balloons.

I'm going to make more of an effort this year to see if I can get to one of the mass acents they have, but with a bit of luck the prevailing winds will bring them over my way.

 

[Ronald Atchley]

Jeez. That's just not right. I know you have people who will abuse anything
and then there are liability concerns but ..........
At Decatur it's more like a family affair. Really friendly folks. I was running
around like a chicken with it's head cut off and sweating like an old mule but
everyone was kind enough to curtail their laughter until I had passed

 

[Lesley Jones]

I'm sure Adrian is right. I shot a series about 25 years ago when things must have been more relaxed. I remember tucking myself next to the basket and nearly getting my left ear singed.

Ron - I have years of scanning to catch up with. At the moment I'm working my way back through the images shot with the Sony because a lot of the processing was really bad. Then I have a ring binder of negatives, a draw full of unmounted slides and a filing cabinet of mounted slides. I started a few years ago, but I knew so little back then that I was making all the changes on the background layer. As Derek keeps reminding me - at the moment I am going backwards at a rate of knots!

The more I look at this image, the more I love it!

 

[adrian jordin]

I think we're probably talkinbg about a difference of scale...the Bristol Fiesta has 100 balloons and 500,000 people over the 4 days of the event.

not my photo but this might give you an idea of how crowded it can get...

I don't know how busy it gets for the early morning launch (06:00)...

 

[Chris Dodkin]

That first shot is wonderful - love the perspective inside the envelope, and the saturated colors

The texture/wrinkles in the fabric are interesting as well - not seen that before

 

[Pete Askew]

Wonderful shot Ron. Nothing I'd change I don't think. I often try to pick up some leading diagonals ideally at the shooting stage and in the crops but to do this on this image you'd lose more than you'd gain I think.

 

[Ronald Atchley]

Thanks Pete
Chris, the wrinkles are there in real life but I've
brought them out to much . Will redo in the next edit.

 

[Garry Lee]

Super

 

[Dan Cattermole]

Can't believe I missed this one!
WOW!!! Don't get to go in an air balloon everyday let alone the inside of it.
What a great shot!

 

[Ronald Atchley]

Thanks Garry and Dan
I appreciate the kind words.
Bit overdone and am working on it.
Thanks again
Ron