Hot Air Balloon shoot today...which one do I like?

[equilution]

...so I woke up before God this morning (4am) to make it to my buddy's hot air balloon launch site---all in an effort to get some good insider photographs. I'm still working on the bulk of the shots, but I wanted to share this one. I think I'm beyond the 24 hours since my last post.

The early morning sunlight hugged the ground on its way to Sombrero Peak, located in northwest Tucson, my backyard.

The first is organic, save for some sharpening. For the second one, I took some daytime moon shots and layered one over the balloon shot. I'm not sure which one I like better. Does the moon shot look cheesy...like a touristy postcard at a Wal Mart checkout stand?

The last is fairly obvious, and not much more than a snapshot of the monstrous flame used to inflate the massive balloon. Thanks for looking.






Hot...really hot....he actually melted a few panels with that dragon-like spit-fire!

[martha36]

I love the first and third shots. The composition in the first one is spot on. And the heat in the third is so in-your-face. Love it! The jury's out for me on the second - i don't think the moon is cheesy, in and of itself, but the lighting in the photo seems slightly flat. I don't know if it's because of layering (I know nothing about it) or if it's just because I can compare the lighting and colors in the first and second, and they are slightly different. It is kind of cool, though, having the moon in there since it is bigger then the balloon!

[jennie]

Hi Jim! wow! that is early..but you effort was rewarded with these beautiful shots..good insider info on the last one..hmmn..hard to decide on the first two coz they are both beautifull..amazing shot on the daytime moon.. but i think i like the first one better..the eyes just focus on the balloon..floating in that perfect blue sky over the Sombrero Peak..beautiful contrast and interplay of colors..tnx for sharing..

[Chewys Dad]

Hi Jim, I like all three. I think you did a Great job on inserting the moon in the 2nd one. I'm not sure it adds to the shot though. I think the 1st one is your best. You know what they say, "Don't mess with Mother Nature" l.o.l (Like I listen to that advice)
Thanks for sharing these
Michael.

[CaptainNH]

The first one is perfect Jim - don't you just love colourful ballons against a clear blue sky?

The moon in the second doesn't work for me - a great technical job on the merge, but it doesn't quite look "right" to me. I've been staring and pondering for a good 15mins now and I've come to the conclusion that the moon phase isn't quite right and clashes with the lighting of the mountains and balloon. My astronomy knowledge isn't up to much, but I think I was expecting more moon than you used - perhaps a 3/4 moon (whatever the technical term is)?

I love the action caught in the 3rd shot, but I keep wanting to clone the car and powerlines out.

[equilution]

Originally Posted by martha36

I love the first and third shots. The composition in the first one is spot on. And the heat in the third is so in-your-face. Love it! The jury's out for me on the second - i don't think the moon is cheesy, in and of itself, but the lighting in the photo seems slightly flat. I don't know if it's because of layering (I know nothing about it) or if it's just because I can compare the lighting and colors in the first and second, and they are slightly different. It is kind of cool, though, having the moon in there since it is bigger then the balloon!

Thanks, Martha! Yeah, the moon shot was an afterthought, if for nothing else, just to see if I could do it. Good practice, though. I think it does distract from the balloon. Thanks for looking!

Originally Posted by jennie

Hi Jim! wow! that is early..but you effort was rewarded with these beautiful shots..good insider info on the last one..hmmn..hard to decide on the first two coz they are both beautifull..amazing shot on the daytime moon.. but i think i like the first one better..the eyes just focus on the balloon..floating in that perfect blue sky over the Sombrero Peak..beautiful contrast and interplay of colors..tnx for sharing..

Thanks, Jennie. I do like the first better. It rings true... Thanks for commenting!

Originally Posted by Chewys Dad

Hi Jim, I like all three. I think you did a Great job on inserting the moon in the 2nd one. I'm not sure it adds to the shot though. I think the 1st one is your best. You know what they say, "Don't mess with Mother Nature" l.o.l (Like I listen to that advice)
Thanks for sharing these
Michael.

Hi, Michael! See my response to Martha above. I just wanted to see if I could do it. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

Originally Posted by CaptainNH

The first one is perfect Jim - don't you just love colourful ballons against a clear blue sky?

The moon in the second doesn't work for me - a great technical job on the merge, but it doesn't quite look "right" to me. I've been staring and pondering for a good 15mins now and I've come to the conclusion that the moon phase isn't quite right and clashes with the lighting of the mountains and balloon. My astronomy knowledge isn't up to much, but I think I was expecting more moon than you used - perhaps a 3/4 moon (whatever the technical term is)?

I love the action caught in the 3rd shot, but I keep wanting to clone the car and powerlines out.

Thanks, Cap'n! I agree...the moon seems out of place, and it's like a shot you would see on a cheap wire, post-card rack at 7-Eleven!

The third, as I said, was just a snapshot. I just wanted to capture the flame in all its glory!

Thanks everyone for your input!

See you around the hood!

Jim

[dvetter]

Jim excellent set of photos, very colorful and crisp! I really like the 1st one. The 2nd is not cheesy, like it. Well done

[Angelb]

Three excellent shots, well worth rolling out of bed at such an early hour. The colouring in the first shot is perfect. What a perfect day for floating across a cloudless blue sky.

[butch3r]

Dear Jim,
Honestly, I love the first one very much! The balloon stands out of the sky, the cliffs clearly and strongly.
I find out that adding the moon makes the photo quite balanced and less attractive!
Thanks for sharing!
Butch3r

[ZannieGirl49]

Hi Jim,

I just wanted to let you know that you totally love the first one. I mean, the title of your post was "Which One do I Like?". For me, the first one is my favorite. The colors are amazing and the balloon looks so perfect in the sky. The third one is also great, the fire almost jumps out at me. The one with the moon is cool but I think that the size of the moon is what seems off to me, it's pretty close to the size of the balloon. You get some serious points for getting up at oh-dark-thirty to get these shots!