Joanne Maly: January 2018

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Eight tips for photographing your first hot air balloon festival

This article was originally published on Elliot Nahm's website, and is being republished in full here on DPReview with express permission from Elliot.

Ah, you've just received your first camera over the holiday season, and you're itching to use it. Or, perhaps you're just looking for something new to photograph this year. Well, allow me to make a suggestion: You should go photograph a hot air balloon festival!

Why hot air balloons? I personally enjoy their vibrant colors against the sky; it's a pleasure for me to meet the pilots, and their crew; and, last but certainly not least, it's fun to fly in them!

Some of you may be surprised that these festivals have already been happening in the winter. It should come as no surprise, though, that the number of events ramp up as the weather gets warmer. Check out www.hotairballoon.com for information of any events near you.

To be frank, I'm no master of photography, and there are bigger names photographing hot air balloons. However, these tips should still help make your first hot air balloon festival a more photographically enjoyable experience.

Note: these tips apply more for festivals based in the United States. I understand that other countries do some things differently, but many of the tips should still apply.

More days, better chances

I'm going to start with the most important tip of all. Try attending as many days as possible for the best chances of getting great photos. Hot air balloon festivals typically happen for at least two days, usually over a weekend. Larger events can span the entire week. Understandably, this can be difficult to budget time for, but the time isn't just for photos, it's also to account for weather.

To many peoples' dismay, hot air balloons cannot just fly whenever. High winds, rain, smoke, etc. can all prevent mass ascensions (many balloons flying together), and balloon glows (balloons glowing at night) from occurring. Balloon festivals play it very safe, and generally do not fly if winds are above 8 miles per hour (12.9 kph). You may be at an event that only flies once out of their allotted days.

I personally was at the Lake Havasu Balloon Festival & Fair this year when high winds canceled all six flights. Weather happens, and the more days you have, the better your chances of a successful day.

Get close

This tip is in almost every type of photography guide out there, and it still applies to balloons. Get close! I've seen so many people stand way out on the edge of the field using their cameras at the widest focal length possible. Then they pull out their smartphones, and take the same picture. C'mon, folks, you've already put so much money into a camera, why use it in the same pedestrian way as you would with your smartphone?

Get onto that field and get closer to the action.

Photograph the pilots, and the crew. Capture the detail in the balloon fabric. Witness the shadows from inside of the balloons. Do something more than just being an observer. Wide shots from the edge of the field have their place, but recognize that many other people already have that angle covered.

While being up close, be courteous, and follow pilot and crew instructions. I will list some DO NOTs that you need to heed:

Do not step on the balloon fabric. Just play it safe, and don't touch the balloon.
Do not smoke by the balloons. There have been many cases of carelessly tossed cigarettes burning holes into the fabric.
Do not bring pets near the balloons. There have been many cases of claws tearing the fabric.
Do not stand on, or cross, laying ropes. Always go around.
Do not peek inside of the balloon without asking crew and pilot permission first. You may be getting in the way.
Do not get in the way of the crew.
Do not stand right behind the basket when the pilot starts shooting flames. You will get crushed.
Do not be in the flight path during take off. Flight directors, or crew, will try to clear the area—follow their instructions.

I empathize that a list of DO NOTs doesn't give much credence that this is a fun subject to photograph. This is all about safety though, and we should all take safety seriously.

Note: some festivals actually fence observers off from the field. In that case, you need to start planning, and the next tips can help with that.

Find a prominent feature

Is there a body of water, or some cliffs near the launch field? If so, you want to keep an eye on balloons approaching those areas. Many pilots aim for these features, and you can get some of the best shots at these locations.

At bodies of water, balloonists like to perform a "splash-and-dash" in which the pilot will touch the basket to the surface of the water, and just float there. This provides a great chance for you to get a reflection of the balloon on the water.

For cliffs, pilots like to hang around them, and just go up and down them. If a balloon has a seated pilot instead of a basket, you may find the pilot "running" along the face of the cliff. Pilots also like to fly close to the tree line, or land onto hay stacks to flex their skills. So you may find an amusing moment even if there are no significant land features.

Larger balloon festivals have flight directors. These people give the pilots the "okay" before taking off. You'll often find these flight directors wearing a uniform that stands out. Taking a photo of them can provide great contrast to the balloons.

Attend the pilot meeting

As a photographer, understanding the conditions the pilots are flying in can help for planning where you want to be. During this meeting, someone will release the "pibal" (pronounced 'pie-ball'; short for pilot balloon). It's just a typical party balloon, but it's a great indicator for how the winds above are behaving.

If, for example, the winds are blowing south, take a note of what's down there and find a place where you want to be. This information is especially useful if you plan on taking photos away from the launch field. If the mass ascension is canceled... well... go enjoy your breakfast at the nearby Denny's before everyone else floods it.

The pilot meeting is also a good place to find the opportunity to crew for a balloon which is conveniently the next tip.

Crew for a balloon, and get free flights

Volunteer to crew for a balloon, and you may just have a chance to get a free flight out of it. Commercial flights can cost anywhere from $180 USD to $450 USD, so if you can fly for free, you had better take that opportunity. Understand, though, that crewing does not always guarantee a flight. Sometimes the pilot will already have paying passengers, and you may never fly. Still, your chances are pretty decent, and a chance to fly for free is definitely better than none.

While crewing, consider having your camera on a sling so that you can use both hands freely to do your duties. If you spot a moment, take a quick snap of it, and continue your crewing. While pilots are grateful for the help, they won't sign you on again if you don't do what is asked of you.

Another incentive for crewing is free food. Many festivals cater a few meals for pilots and crew. Pilots often have tailgate parties as well. If you earn your pilot's trust, you'll likely be invited to these. Saving money is always good, right?

Fly!!!

Whether you pay for a flight or you get it for free by crewing, flying is always a great place to be for taking pictures. Flying in a hot air balloon is quite the different experience in contrast to helicopters or fixed wing aircraft. Because the balloon moves with the wind, you too are moving with the wind, so you don't really feel it at all. Some passengers find it to be a very odd sensation.

It is tempting to go wide with your shots, just don't go too wide. In my opinion, making balloons super tiny just doesn't look too good. Wide angle lens distortion is heavily pronounced on the balloons on the edges, and sometimes the simple lens profile fix isn't enough to correct it. If the pilot allows for it, bring a telephoto lens as well when you go up.

Note: weight is an issue for ballooning. Sometimes pilots won't accept a camera bag, or second lens on board to keep things as light as possible. Also, having extra objects in the basket can be a hazard.

Attend the balloon glow

Although I greatly prefer the mass ascensions, balloon glows are still necessary to having the full experience. You may find photographing the balloon glows more difficult however.

Wide aperture glass is highly recommended, and higher ISO is required. You can attempt to use a long shutter time but, if there's any breeze, you will have blurry balloons. I personally don't like to cranking up the ISO so, I get close to the light sources (the balloon burners), and use ISO 1600 or less. I also greatly prefer the colors of the balloons during the day than the glow.

And go again...

If you ever want the best photos of anything, you must keep revisiting it. Sometimes we can get lucky with getting a grand slam of a photo on the first try. Between you, and I though, that rarely happens. If you enjoyed your first balloon festival, go to another one, and another one, and then the same festival again the near year.

Check out www.hotairballoon.com for finding out festival information around the world. It's by far the best resource I've come across, and I believe that you too will find it useful.

Whew, what a read, right? Since you've made it to the end, congratulations, I guess. For more examples of balloon photos, you can check out my portfolio, Instagram, and my other blog posts. I hope that you find these tips useful, and take fantastic photos at your first balloon festival!

Elliot Nahm is a Denver, CO-based photographer whose ambition is to be able to travel the world, camera in tow. His two great photographic passions are hot air balloons, and the outdoors. You can see more from Elliot on his website, Instagram, and YouTube channel.

Kodak says over 40,000 investors are interested in its cryptocurrency

In a statement released today, Kodak said more than 40,000 potential investors are interested in the company's recently announced KODAKCoin Initial Coin Offering (ICO). The cryptocurrency was introduced in early January alongside the company's new KODAKOne blockchain-based image rights platform for photographers.

Of course, it's not really Kodak's cryptocurrency, just cryptocurrency with the Kodak name attached, but you can read about all that below before moving on.

Kodak didn't get into cryptocurrency and bitcoin mining, "Kodak" did

Ready to move on? Okay.

The company explains that it is beginning an "accredited investor" phase for KODAKCoin that will verify the status of the investors who have expressed interest in Kodak's cryptocurrency. This won't be a rapid process, though, and Kodak expects the verification phase to take several weeks.

The company explains that an accredited investor status is dependent on the potential investor's income, requiring an individual or couple to have a net worth greater than $1 million or requiring a minimum 2-year history of income exceeding $200k a year ($300k for couples). The ICO will also be available to "select non-US persons."

In short: if you thought (or hoped) this whole Kodak Cryptocurrency thing was just a marketing stunt to help juice the stock and get people talking, it doesn't look that way.

Shutterfly Buys School Photo Company Lifetouch for $825M in Cash

Shutterfly has announced that it has agreed to acquire Lifetouch, the employee-owned photography company best known for being the national leader in school pictures. The purchase price is $825 million in cash.

“Shutterfly and Lifetouch, two undisputed leaders in their respective industries, are both built around the mission of helping customers share life’s joy through photos,” says Shutterfly CEO Christopher North. “The two companies are uniquely well suited for one another, with similar target customers as well as complementary manufacturing capabilities.”

North says the deal will give Shutterfly access to the millions of families who need to order photo products from Lifetouch. In addition to school pictures, Lifetouch also shoots portraits for special events, sports, businesses, churches, and in studios.

Lifetouch was founded by two traveling salesman 82 years ago in 1936 as National School Studios. Eldon Rothgeb and R. Bruce Reinecker opened their own school photo company after raising $500 in funding during the Great Depression. After starting in a rural area in the Upper Midwest, the company grew to cover all 50 states and rebranded as Lifetouch in 1984.

Every year, Lifetouch photographs over 25 million children in the United States on fall picture day, serving over 50,000 schools and 10 million households in the process. In the previous fiscal year, Lifetouch had revenues of $963.9 million and earnings of $111.3 million.

But growth has slowed in recent years, and Lifetouch had been actively looking for a buyer over the past several months.

“Lifetouch essentially had put itself up for sale in recent months, said its CEO, Michael Meek,” reports StarTribune. “He said it wasn’t growing fast enough to generate sufficient cash flow to invest in new technology and in other ways in the business, while cashing out some of its 16,000 employee and former employee owners as they reach retirement age and are eligible to sell their stock back to the company.”

Shutterfly investors, apparently enthusiastic about this acquisition, sent the company’s stock surging nearly 28%, from $53 a day earlier to over $68 at market close today.

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2018, after which Shutterfly will officially be in the school picture business.

Breathe: An Epic 8K Storm Time-Lapse Film in Black-and-White

Mike Olbinski is one of the best in the business at combining time-lapse photography with storm-chasing, and his latest work is yet another jaw-dropping fusion of those two things. Titled Breathe, the 4-minute short-film captures the beauty and fury of thunderstorms in black-and-white 8K.

Olbinski, a wedding photographer based in Scottsdale, Arizona, created the film using storm imagery he shot in 2017 from spring storms in the central plains to monsoon season in the southwest.

“Some are favorites, some are just ones I knew would be amazing in monochrome and others I used because they fit the music so well,” Olbinski writes. “I also went with a wider aspect ratio on these films to give it more of a cinematic feel.

“I used two Canon 5DSR’s along with a Canon 11-24mm, 35mm, 50mm, 135mm and Sigma Art 50mm. Manfrotto tripods. The final product was edited in Lightroom with LR Timelapse, After Effects and Premiere Pro.”

Here are a handful of the gorgeous still frames that went into this film:

You can find more of Olbinski’s work on his website, Facebook, and Vimeo.

Shooting a Magazine Cover with a Smartphone

I recently got a call from a client in Chile asking if I’d like to photograph Alexis Sanchez for the cover of COSAS magazine. Alexis is Chile’s most capped footballer was just transferred from Arsenal to Manchester United. He is also one of his country’s biggest celebrities. COSAS is Chile’s biggest selling lifestyle and celebrity magazine. Obviously, I said yes.

The catch? The entire shoot had to be shot with a smartphone. Why? Because Alexis is a brand ambassador for Huawei, the Chinese telecoms giant.

Note: At this point, I should stress that I have not been paid by Huawei and have not been asked to endorse their products in any way. The phone, a P10 Plus, has an excellent camera but I would have approached the shoot in exactly the same way had I been using any other smartphone and in many cases, I would have expected similar results.

So I accepted the challenge, which I knew wasn’t going to be about image quality – I didn’t doubt the phone would be capable of producing images that could be good enough. Rather it was about planning and executing a photo shoot beyond my comfort zone. I liked and feared in equal measure the idea of not being able to rely on my familiar cameras and instead having to push a smartphone way beyond what it was designed for.

Just like any other shoot, it was going to be about lighting, but in this case especially so. The P10 Plus is capable of shooting raw images and I knew that would be a big help but I also knew I’d have to get the lighting just right and there would be very little room for error.

Plus this was an editorial shoot with a very limited budget, rather than a well-resourced advertising campaign. So no big lighting budget for me, (or even enough for an assistant). So I had to think carefully about what lighting I could use and how to use it most effectively.

There were other challenges too. Like previous shoots with high-profile sportsmen and women, I wasn’t going to get much time with Alexis — in fact, only 10 minutes. And from that, the magazine wanted pictures from at least three different set-ups. I also knew that Alexis doesn’t speak English, which not only meant that it would take longer than normal to establish a rapport with him but also that our conversation would need to go through an interpreter and this would also take time. So I would have to be efficient with the time available.

Then there was the space… or rather the lack of it. The shoot wasn’t going to be in a large, bright studio but in a residential house in south-west London where Alexis was shooting a (much bigger budget) television commercial during the rest of the day. They got all the good spaces. I was allocated a bathroom and two bedrooms for my shoot. The bathroom had no windows, not that it mattered as the shoot was scheduled for late afternoon, in London, in winter… so no natural light in the bedrooms either then.

I was given the phone two days before the shoot so that I could practice with it and learn its settings inside out. I also did loads of tests with the lighting I was going to use – a Rotolight Anova Pro and a series of Limelite Pixel 300W heads.

On the day of the shoot, I arrived with hours to set up, test, check and double-check everything. I ended up creating three mini-studios, one in each of the rooms available to me, and moved the Anova Pro with me as we moved between them.

The shoot itself went really well and despite the language barrier Alexis was a true professional and appeared to take it all in his stride. (From personal experience the same cannot be said of all Premiership footballers). I was definitely nervous, which often helps sharpen the mind, but in any case, it was all over in the blink of an eye.

All that was left was to pack up, go home and start going through the results. And breathe a massive sigh of relief.

The client was really happy with the pictures and ended up running an 8-page spread in the magazine.

I wouldn’t choose to ditch my cameras and shoot many assignments with a smartphone, but I definitely learned a lot from the experience. Doing something that scares you once in a while has its rewards.

About the author: Ben Phillips is a UK-based commercial photographer. The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. You can find more of his work on his website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. This article was also published here.

Image credits: All photographs by Ben Phillips and used with permission

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Shooting a Magazine Cover with a Smartphone was originally posted by proton T2a