Labor Day Lift Off

Every Labor Day weekend (that's the first weekend in September) my home town of Colorado Springs hosts a big balloon festival. This year I went to Saturday evening's balloon glow, and was treated to strange designs like this cool crab.

There are always lots of people here to view the glowing balloons.

It's always fun to look straight up.

And of course, a closeup of the flames is mandatory!

Our World Tuesday

Big Balloon

Taken on Saturday evening, here's a balloon proudly showing off my city's Olympic City designation. The USA's Olympic Training Center is here, as well as the United States Olympic Committee Headquarters, and a future Olympic Museum.

Skywatch Friday

Balloons!

The first weekend of September there's a hot-air balloon festival in Colorado Springs every year. I didn't make it to this year's festival but here a few leftover photos from last year's liftoff.

Skywatch Friday

Favorite Balloons

For Skywatch Friday, here are two of my favorite balloons from last month's balloon festival here in Colorado Springs.

This next one is the old woman who lived in a shoe (an old nursery rhyme) - it was the biggest balloon there as you can tell by looking at the people beneath it.

Reflective Balloons

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Lake Dipping

If the wind is right, the more adventurous balloon pilots try to dip in Memorial Lake shortly after take-off. This first one is very daring - the pilot was strapped in a simple seat hanging below the balloon.

The huge boot succeeded - his basket was dripping water after he dipped. That's some impressive piloting!

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Labor Day Lift Off

Labor Day is celebrated the first Monday in September here in the USA, and for many years there has been a balloon festival in my city over the long weekend (The Colorado Springs Balloon Classic). It looked like last year would be the final one as the organizers chose not to continue it, but fortunately another group stepped in and this year we celebrated the first Labor Day Lift Off!

There were literally dozens of beautiful and unique hot-air balloons lifting off early in the morning.

It's one of my favorite local events every year and I'm glad it's continuing.

Our World Tuesday

Fiery Balloons

For this week's My World Tuesday post, here are the last of my photos from the Balloon Glow at the Colorado Balloon Classic. The first is a close-up of where the fire comes out, the second is looking up into a balloon with the flame.

For more worlds, visit the My World Tuesday web site.

Balloon Glow 2010 (Part 2)

For My World Tuesday, here are some photos from the balloon glow on Sunday night of Memorial Day weekend (September 5).

This is a fun part of my world every year, as it's been held in Colorado Springs the first weekend of September since I've lived here. For other fun and informative photos from around the world, visit the My World Tuesday meme.

Balloon Glow 2010

Each Labor Day weekend, the Colorado Balloon Classic brings together dozens of hot air balloons in Colorado Springs for one of the country's largest balloon festivals. At night, they light up the balloons from the insides with the propane heaters, resulting in a lovely and very unusual scene. These photos were taken on Saturday evening during this balloon glow. We're lucky because it's possible to get right in to where all the balloons are glowing, they don't hold the crowds back.

As this last photograph shows, it's a rather popular event.

I didn't make it to any of the ascensions this year, maybe next year I'll get up early enough to make it there at 7:00 AM for the liftoff next year. But my first ever blog post includes a photo from another year of that, so click on the Balloon label just below this post and that will come up (along with shots from last year's balloon glow).

For more fun and informative photos from around the globe, visit the My World Tuesday meme. It's worth a visit!

Colorado Balloon Classic (Balloon Glow)

Each Labor Day weekend, there's a major balloon festival in Colorado Springs called the Colorado Balloon Classic. Each morning there are over 100 balloons that ascend from the field, and in the evenings is a balloon glow. It's really fun because you can get right into the field with the balloons for an up-close look, and it's free!

Here's a balloon as it starts to inflate. I was close enough to almost touch it, and the picture was taken with a very wide angle lens and flash (the rest are by the light of the balloons and burners).

This is looking right up into a balloon from underneath while the burner is firing.

A balloon behind a tree.

An up-close of a balloon lit from within.

And finally, several balloons.

I don't know if I'll get up early enough to see an ascension this year, but if I do I'll be sure to take some pictures.

First Post!

Welcome to my photography blog. I like to take my camera when I go hiking in the nearby mountains, and occasionally I get a photograph I like. Here are a few from the last couple of months.

On the west side of Colorado Springs is a city park that runs up North Cheyenne Canyon. This contains some of the city's most beautiful scenery, and it probably ranks with the best scenery in any city in America. These first couple of pictures are from that area.

The first photo shows Helen Hunt Falls, an easy to access waterfall in the park. The second was taken from a bridge on the Seven Bridges Trail just above the park. In both cases I was experimenting with a neutral density filter to slow down the exposure and get the curtain effect on the waterfall and stream.

This last one is from the yearly Colorado Balloon Classic, held in Memorial Park in Colorado Springs over Labor Day weekend. Each morning just after sunrise they have a mass balloon ascension, and the riot of color and sound as you're among all these balloons taking off at once is astounding. When the wind is right, the balloons try to dip the basket in the lake right after they take off, and that's what this picture shows.