10-19, Little Guys

I will not lie..... this session was a challenge for me.  The weather was cause for concern with the gusty winds, passing cloud cover and potential for rain.  My little guys, 4 months and just shy of three years, were at completely different ability levels.  The smiley one was immobile, and the last thing the mobile one wanted to do was sit down and smile.  Hmmm..... what's a photographer to do?  Well, talk fast and 'shoot' even faster giving the kids breaks to unwind between scenes.  I think we all had a good time amidst the giggles, and I hope I was able to accurately portray their varying ages and  brotherly bond.  I'm wondering..... will the next session be easier or harder when they are both mobile?! Hahahaha.......

And for some editing fun...... 

10-10, Fiesta Farewell (12 of 12)

Come Sunday, it was time for the Fiesta to end and to bid farewell to our new Fiesta friends.  In just a matter of days, our eyes had been opened to a new world we had never explored.  Sven and I had been able to experience something we never thought possible.  Our kids got to witness an incredible event filled with remarkable people.  This particular crew is a close group of friends who meet up in Albuquerque every year to propagate the fun they had from the year before.  They laugh, they joke, they smile and they care.  It was an amazing experience for us to be honorary members of this group for a weekend.  And as Pat had often told us before, "once you go, you're hooked".  I do hear the truth in those words because I'm already trying to figure out how we can go again next year!  To Pat, Michelle, Leo, Danielle and all of the Albuquerque crew--- THANK YOU!

The traditional champagne toast at the end of a successful weekend of ballooning.

10-10, Monarch Butterfly Balloon (11 of 12)

Danielle's Monarch Butterfly Balloon . . .

10-10, Dragonfly Balloon (10 of 12)

Leo's Dragonfly balloon . . .

10-10, Sven's Flight (9 of 12)

Sven had the good fortune to be invited for a balloon ride the following morning.  He rode in the same balloon with the same pilot as I had the day before.  This was a special ride because it was the first time in many years that the husband and wife pilots flew in the same balloon together (they usually fly their own balloons simultaneously).  With Sven's experience in the sky, I don't think he had the same reservations I had just 24 hours before.  (Emalie, however, had many reservations and was upset to see her daddy get in the balloon.  Thank goodness for Pat who swooped her up and made everything all better!)  How fun that on our anniversary weekend, Sven and I both got such special treatment.  We couldn't have asked for a more wonderful way to celebrate this special weekend.

Emalie was SO happy to see Daddy safely on the ground again.

10-10, Coming Down (8 of 12)

Going up seemed to be the easy part.  I was a little worried how the coming down part would be.  I was given the instructions to bend my knees and hold onto the straps.  I had been previously told stories how the baskets sometimes bounce on the ground and come down on their sides giving the passengers awkward moments trying to get off each other.  The other instruction was to not get out until advised by the pilot.  The last thing you'd want to do is step out of the balloon only to have it take flight again leaving you alone somewhere on the ground.  So, I bent my knees, held onto the strap and did my best not to let me fears get the better of me.  Thankfully, our landing was as gentle as a tap on the brakes at a stoplight.  So gentle, no awkward passenger moments and no being stranded on the ground.  Yes!   The expertise of our pilot and the prevailing winds were a wonderful combination ending a perfect flight.  It was then time for the crews to don their gloves and assist in packing up the balloon.  Thank you, again, pilot and crew, for all of your hard work and allowing me to share in this wonderful experience!

As our crew was doing their best to get the balloon out of the way, others were coming down all around us in quick succession. 

All of Albuquerque is free game when it comes time for the balloons to land.  They landed everywhere..... streets, parks, fields, yards, parking lots, anywhere they could or had to if necessary.  

A poetic landing in a vacant field.

This residential street turned into a balloon parking lot.

The nice family that lived here welcome the balloonists with open arms and yards.

Balloons were simultaneously landing in the front and back yard.

10-10, Flying High (7 of 12)

If you think about it, everyone has their own prospective on things.  The same goes for photography and the Balloon Fiesta.  At the end of the day, we'd compare photos we'd taken of the balloons.  One friend's perspective was to take photos of the people on the ground while sailing up towards the sky.    (I laugh at the story told about a friend of a friend who only took photos of houses because she was thinking of moving to Albuquerque.  I'd like to find a realtor who could top that approach!)  As I look through my photos, my draw is to capture those nearly solitary moments in flight of individual balloons.  I also loved photographing the expressions of the pilots and crew as they passed by.  You know the expression, "lost in your own world"?  That's exactly what it feels like to be up there.  Time almost stands still as the balloon meanders its way the wind.  If only I could bottle that feeling.....