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13th Annual Red, White & Blue Balloon Festival, Letchworth State Park 2014
Previously on ballooning: 2014 13th Annual Letchworth Red, White & Blue Balloon Festival, 2013 Balloon Festivals, ... Third Time was The Charm, 2013 Two Birds with One Stone at Letchworth.
It was a slow start to the 13th annual balloon festival again. The initial three launches were cancelled due to a variety of reasons like wind, the Archery Field being soaked, and a nearby storm clouds on Saturday night.
It's a Go!2014 Letchworth Balloon Festival
However, Sunday 6 AM brought some joy to the ballooning fans. There's always this tense moment of expectations when the pilot briefing ends and the pilots stroll back to their teams. They already know the verdict but a general spectator does not. I must say all of the pilots and crew we ran into and talked to are extremely warm-hearted people always ready to share the info and knowledge they have. On this morning, we did not even have to stop one of them and ask. A few teams sprang to action quickly, the balloons came out of their trailers, and got stretched on the Archery Field grass. In the first photo on the right, you see the CT Ballooning team's balloon ready to get some air.
Right off the bat we noticed there were not that many ballooning teams on the field though. That compared to both last year, and also the night before. Maybe the three cancelled starts discouraged some of them? No idea. We counted about 15 compared to last year's 25.
Balloons Standing Up2014 Letchworth Balloon Festival
This was all around 6 AM on Sunday morning. As last year, we squeezed in a 2-4-1 and caught the sunrise over the Great Bend first before heading for the Archery Field. My timing was a little off though and I did not have as much time to mess with filters as I normally would have. We arrived just as the sun peaked over the gorge. But that will be a topic for another post, back to the balloons here.
Another interesting thing was that the teams were split about half and half between those moving quickly forward towards their launch and those leisurely delaying. That surprised me especially after seeing some in the past not taking off due to the morning calmness being interrupted by wind gradually picking up as the sun rose higher.
After a while, several balloons got enough air blown in that they started rising up and getting ready for the first blasts of the burners. That's what you can see in the second photo. That also shows what always surprises me - how close to one another they set up.
The Goldfish is Up!2014 Letchworth Balloon Festival
It's also fun to try to remember the repeat balloons from the year before and spot the new ones. Not that I will claim that good of a memory but some of them are rather easy to remember, or not to. You can see one of the new ones for the 2014 festival on the right, floating over the road from Archery Field (on the left) over the alley towards the Genesee River gorge on the right. Yes, it's a Goldfish.
That is one of the amazing sights watching balloons in Letchworth. They take off from Archery Field, cross the double tree line, and quickly drop into the gorge to hover there and enjoy the view. Some drop all the way to the river for a splash and dash, others hover above the water. Standing at the launch site, it's a surprising moment seeing it for the first time. You see the balloon rise quickly, clear the trees, and disappear. What happened? Are they all right?
Not all can make this trick. I am not a balloon pilot so I will not speculate but quite a few of the balloons overshoot the gorge and never make it in. Whether it's due to a bad luck with winds or rising and dropping air or bad timing of the descend I do not know. What we did see this year though was very few balloons making it. Most flew over. The Goldfish was one that made it using a careful strategy. The team dragged the balloon to the first tree line and only then let go. As such, the fish never got much elevation and made it look easy dropping in once over the second tree line. It also stayed down at the river the longest, possibly 20 minutes or more, just very slowly drifting down stream as if it were a boat. Eventually, it came up when it reached the point where Genesee River sharply turns around the Great Bend.
Over the Gorge2014 Letchworth Balloon Festival
Not all was lost though for those that did not make it into the immediate gorge. There still was a chance to get lower over the river behind the Great Bend cliff. I was too curious to let go and ran north a bit to see their fate and spotted a few drifting over the river further north. CT Ballooning was one of them.
As last year, even this year some balloons did not launch. There are some air flows over the Archery Field making some spots easier to launch from than others and as last year, one spot proved troublesome with the balloon never rising up enough to allow for the burners to come on. We spoke with a local crew last year and they talked about it as a known factor. Makes you wonder how much these local "secrets" are told or kept. It must be a bummer to finally be given a go on the fourth attempt only to have to pack. I find it strange they do not move the balloon and try from a different spot. I would struggle giving up. Then again, I am not a balloon pilot.
Scouting a Landing Spot2014 Letchworth Balloon Festival
Last year, without planning, we had the idea to try to catch some of the balloons landing and it worked out for us. It was at least as much fun as watching the take offs, if not more. There's a dose of mystery in it. Where will the wind take them? Are they going to find a decent landing spot? Sinc we enjoyed our 2013 balloon chase experience we went for it again. Once on the other side of the gorge and up from the valley we saw many different balloons and headed in their general direction without a clear idea about which one we'd stick with. It's not an exact science since the balloons go straight and in a car one is stuck with the zigzag network of roads. Catching up to and following a balloon chase vehicle does make things easier since they are in touch with their balloon.
After switching back and forth among a few we decided to pursue CT Ballooning again as last year and as we headed in their direction we came upon their chase vehicle. The rest was easier, but still with a surprise. I say easier and not easy since one of the dirt roads we ended up on was very uneven and full of gaping pot holes.
CT Ballooning Landing #22014 Letchworth Balloon Festival
As we were watching the landing of the blue CT Ballooning balloon another balloon approached by almost the same trajectory. It was the black top one in the panoramic photo above on the right. A nice bonus. And that is when a surprise came. After a smooth landing, the chase vehicle crew tried to pull the balloon more into the open away from the bushes but then stopped. And all of a sudden, the balloon was back up in the air! The chase goes on!! … And that is where the rough dirt road came up.
After another 15 minutes or so, it was time for another landing attempt. This time, it was the final one too as the balloon came to rest on a wide open area. I'd like to thank Jim, the CT Ballooning pilot, and their chase vehicle crew for being so friendly and open to share their knowledge every step of the way from launch through landing and packing.
At this point, I don't know what happened with the scheduled Sunday night and Monday morning launches but I will keep trying to find out. I hope they managed at least one more to make it more successful than in 2013 when only one launch worked out. We had fun yet again and I am pretty sure we will be back in 2015!
Have fun balloon chasing!
Equipment Used:
Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, handheld, Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack, Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), Jackery Bar 5600mAh (usually on hand to keep the smart phone going), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2.
Using my links to shop on Amazon.com, whether to buy your equipment or any other merchandise, keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon.com search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Shenandoah: Dark Hollow Falls
Previously from Shenandoah National Park and Shenandoah Valley: The Lonely Tree, The Skyline Drive View in Autumn, The Details or the Wide and Grand?, Trouble with Color.
Dark Hollow Falls PoolShenandoah National Park, Virginia
Today, I'm taking you on a little bit of time travel. You can think of it as traveling back in time since these photographs were taken during the 2013 autumn season in Shenandoah National Park. Or you can think of if as traveling several months forward and get excited about the season of color and start plotting plans for where to see them this year.
No, I do not want to rush the seasons at all. I enjoyed the winter season in Western New York but it was long this year. Spring has been great and the temperatures are finally starting to give signs of summer possibly coming too. So no, fall does not have to come yet, I am perfectly fine with the summer greens!
Hiking the Dark Hollow Falls trail was a great experience, even though it does get more traffic than other areas. If you want fewer people, arrive early. Even with lots of people on the main trail there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy the hike through the woods along the creek and get some people free views and photographs. The creek zigzags through the woods with many areas nicely filled with rocks and with several smaller cascades along the way. I really enjoyed the scenery and spent quite a bit of time at each spot looking for different angles and for details to include or exclude.
The main waterfall was a nice cherry on top of an already beautiful hike. Even there, various angles offered many different ways to present the waterfall. In my waterfall photography, I have become more and more likely to throw the waterfalls into the background and use the foreground to provide context, a sense of place, a sense of uniqueness. Then, to go along, I usually try to find some interesting close ups picking the most interesting features that catch my eye.
In the photo below, I really liked how the tree and waterfall mirrored each other in their shape and how the ferns added a splash of green into the fallen autumn leaves.
Dark Hollow FallsShenandoah National Park, Virginia
Dark Hollow Falls, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Spring and early summer are usually the best waterfalling seasons since water is still mostly plentiful (at least here on the US East Coast). So whether you like waterfalls or just need another reason to go out and enjoy the outdoors, head out-there and have fun!
Equipment Used:
Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Hoya 72mm NXT Circular Polarizing Slim Frame Glass Filter, Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack, SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2.
Using my links to buy your equipment keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Road Trip: Fruita Rodeo
Colorado became the 38th state to join the United States on August 1, 1876. The capital city is Denver. The highest point is Mt. Elbert at 14,433 feet.
Kicking the DustRimrock Rodeo, Fruita, Colorado
Road Trip 2013 - Day 8 - June 18 - Colorado (Previous road trip 2013 posts: Indiana Dunes, De Immigrant, Amana Colonies, Des Moines, Madison County Roads, Bridges of Madison County, White Pole Road, Great Platte River Road Archway Monument, Golden Spike Tower & Union Pacific's Bailey Rail Yard, Loveland Pass, The Resting Day at Powderhorn, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Cimarron, Colorado National Monument)
I've mentioned the 2-4-1 combo idea in my post about the Colorado National Monument, and it really can work like a charm. no matter which entrance to the Monument you choose. In our case, we drove by the site on Route 340 in Fruita, CO. The Rimrock Drive veers of shortly after and you're in for some fantastic views of nature's creations. More on that in the above referenced post though.
Eye to EyeRimrock Rodeo, Fruita, Colorado
While up in the Monument, my 24-85mm was on for most of the day and I suspected that would not be a good choice to get some nice close ups at the rodeo. So I gambled on the 80-400mm and left most of the gear behind so that I would not have to worry about it. I was not sure what to expect. Would most of the action be far or rather close? Would I be stuck not fitting the riders and bulls in a frame if they do get too close?
As the kids opened the event riding sheep I had a good opportunity to practice. And I was glad I went for the long lens as everything was happening on the far right of the arena. At that point there was plenty of light and getting sharp stop action photos was not an issue, which changed as the event progressed, as one would expect. It was amazing to see the little daredevils take on the challenge! Some made it only a few feet, others ran half way across.
Since we did spend all day outside away from civilization, we developed a really well done hunger. The good news was that the rodeo was ready for that too with a good variety of food trucks on both sides of the arena.
Bull HoleRimrock Rodeo, Fruita, Colorado
Then the pros took the stage on the bulls and action was fast and intense. I definitely took advantage of the continuous focus and auto advance modes on the camera, combined with some old-fashioned anticipation. As I've watched one competitor after another, two things happened that worked for me. First, after capturing some decent shots I was more and more free to experiment and not worry about the basics any more. It's always good to get some establishing photos to work from. And second, as I've refreshed my memory of the rodeo rules and watched a few riders try their skills and luck I knew more about what to expect and where and could click the shutter closer to the peak of the action. I started waiting for the bulls or the riders doing something special. I wanted to get more than just documentary photos. I really wanted the intense action to come through.
Head in, Heels to GoRimrock Rodeo, Fruita, Colorado
The moment in the second photo (above on the right) was barely a fraction of a second before it was gone but it felt like a slow motion when it happened. The rider went down and seemed to have exchanged a heart to heart, eye to eye, message with the bull before springing back up and heading for cover while the handlers took care of the raging bull. That was not always so easy either. At one point, a bull had a completely different idea than to go back into the corral and wait for the next rider. He circled the arena and just as he was coming close to the bleachers on the opposite side decided to jump the fence. Despite all of the practice I had gotten thus far I did not expect that and completely missed out on the action, if not the most exciting part of the evening then definitely the most unexpected. As a couple of cowboys went after the bull that disappeared over the horizon in the meantime the fence needed fixing. Clearly, the bull did not need all that much height and used his weight to get over. Makes you wonder, why bother jumping? The repair took a bit and I liked how it was happening next tot he custom builder wanted sign. The bull was captured, nobody got hurt, and that was it for the bull for the night. Apparently, once they get a taste of freedom it's better to let them cool off.
Round the BarrelRimrock Rodeo, Fruita, Colorado
There were a few other disciplines to enjoy as day turned into night, team roping and barrel racing being two of them. Things got more and more challenging photographically as daylight disappeared. The venue had enough light for the participants to compete and for the spectators to enjoy, but not enough for stop action shots. That helped me experiment though. I tried to see how far I could push my camera on the ISO front. I also allowed the shutter to be long enough to try some panning. I had some good experience with panning in the past but did not do too well here. The long lens was less forgiving and I was not using any camera or lens support, it was all completely handheld.
I opened with a question about my doubts about the lens choice for a rodeo. In the end it worked really well, short of a few scenes that developed right in front of me. For example for barrel racing one of the barrels was right in front of me and the 80mm was too much. A fast 50mm f/1.8 would have been perfect for that. Instead, I had to capture the action at the more distant barrels. However, most action was within the 80 - 200mm range of reach.
And look, it's their 20th anniversary this year! Have fun on your summer travels and keep an eye out for a change of scenery.
Sources:
Colorado on 50states.com, Rimrock Rodeo, Fruita RimRock Rodeo Royalty
Equipment Used:
Nikon D600, Nikon 80 - 400mm Nikkor Lens (now replaced with the AF-S version), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack, Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), Jackery Bar 5600mAh (usually o hand to keep the smart phone going), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2.
Using my links to buy your equipment keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
Cherry Blossoms by the History Museum
Path in BloomSpring by Buffalo History Museum
You might also call this Spring at the Museum, Part II. Yes, now I am like Hollywood, coming up with sequels. It would be wrong, however, not to do it in this case. In Part I, I talked about spring, the First Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Buffalo, but did not back all of that up with photographs. Instead, I allowed the perfect calm reflection take over and presented only that single photograph.
In Part II here, I'd like to correct that omission and add couple photographs that show why the morning really was special. Yes, the cherry blossoms had something to do with that.
There was a bit of haze and some clouds around sunrise and the light was rather flat. I have enjoyed my walk around the Mirror Lake and made the best of it. Reflections were wonderful and I tried quite a few different angles to see what worked best.
As I was strolling back along the lake the sun was rising higher and higher and started winning. First, some gentle hints of light, then a full stream of direct light from the east! I loved to see that and decided to reshoot some of the scenes I opened the morning with, with the radically different light. While direct contrasty light is often frowned upon I really felt it made these photos so much more authentic, so much more feeling like I were still there breathing in the fresh cold air!
Through the BlossomsBuffalo History Museum
Buffalo History Museum through Cherry Blossoms, Spring 2014.
Have fun finding your angles!
Equipment Used:
Nikon D600, Nikon 24-85mm Nikkor Lens, Manfrotto tripod (055MF3; replaced by 055CXPRO3 with the convenient Q90 column) and Manfrotto Ball Head (496RC2), Think Tank Speed Demon Waist Pack, Petzl Zipka Plus 2 Headlamp (always in the bag just in case), Jackery Bar 5600mAh (usually o hand to keep the smart phone going), SanDisk Extreme 32GB SD Cards, Nikon Capture NX2.
Using my links to shop on Amazon.com, whether to buy your equipment or any other merchandise, keeps me going and costs you nothing. You can also use the Amazon.com search box in bottom left for anything not mentioned here. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it!
13th Annual Letchworth Red, White & Blue Balloon Festival
13th Annual Letchworth Balloon RallyMay 24 - May 25, 2014
This upcoming 2014 Memorial Day weekend brings two reasons to visit Letchworth State Park. The beautiful natural scenery and opportunities for hiking is one, and the chance to see up to 30 hot air balloons is the other.
Here are my posts from the 2013 rally: Balloon Festivals, ... Third Time was The Charm and Two Birds with One Stone at Letchworth.
The Balloon Federation lists the event only for Saturday and Sunday, however, Letchworth's event calendar lists Friday - Monday, with the schedule matching last year: Friday at 6:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday at both 6 AM and 6:30 PM, and Monday at 6 AM. Feel free to call their number to confirm.
I'd also like to point out that these are hard to plan events. While six launches are possible the weather is ultimately the driving factor due to safety concerns. Very calm conditions are needed with wind speeds in single digits, the less the better. The Go / No Go is decided about 30 - 60 minutes before the scheduled launch. Last year, only the final scheduled launch on Monday morning ended up working. The other three rides I made to Letchworth I ended up enjoying sunrise, sunset, and the part itself. It's a wonderful place to enjoy, balloons or not, whether you like hiking, photography, or just end up stopping at the many overlooks to soak in what the Genesee River carved out.
Have fun balloon chasing!
References:
Letchworth State Park Event Calendar - HotAirBalloon.Com