Hot Air Balloon 9-17-2013

Attending a hot air balloon festival early in the day is always worth the early alarm. Watching the chase crews scramble as several envelopes lift off together gives you a constantly shifting sky of vibrant patterns. I aimed my lens upward to frame the staggered ascension against the wide open blue.

The composition captures four distinct hot air balloons drifting across a solid blue canvas. In the foreground, a large yellow and red chevron balloon anchors the lower right, while smaller patterned balloons recede gracefully toward the horizon. Clean morning light brings out the vivid contrasts on the nylon panels.