New Mexico: Gas balloon photos

It would have been easy to miss the gas balloon competition going on at the 2019 Balloon Fiesta, as the weather postponed it for a couple of days. It finally ended up happening at night with a much smaller crowd. After taking photos on the perimeter for a while, I worked my way up to … Continue reading New Mexico: Gas balloon photos

New Mexico: Balloon Fiesta, Day 1

Initially, the morning started off with some clouds, so the pilot briefing didn't take place until 6 a.m. - throwing the entire schedule into disarray. I kept up to date with the Balloon Fiesta app, and they sent out alerts when there were updates. The morning was kind of a mishmash of a Dawn Patrol, … Continue reading New Mexico: Balloon Fiesta, Day 1

New Mexico: Balloon Fiesta competitions

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday offer the best shows at Balloon Fiesta. They combine the launch of hundreds of balloons from the Launch Field with the allure of hundreds more maneuvering to the Launch Field for their chance at prizes and fame, creating a theatrical ebb and flow of color in the sky. Through various … Continue reading New Mexico: Balloon Fiesta competitions

New Mexico: Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta, Part 2

I promised in my last post, New Mexico: Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta, that I'd post the remaining photos from the balloon regatta. Although I pretty much stayed in one place to capture the Lady Jester and Cool Beans balloons, there were still opportunities to catch other hot air balloons that were fairly close. On the … Continue reading New Mexico: Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta, Part 2

New Mexico: Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta

Right after we arrived in Deming, we heard about a balloon regatta in Elephant Butte, which is a roughly 90 minute drive. While other convergence attendees headed to Pancho Villa State Park and Mexico, we got up at 3:30 am and left at 4:30 am to get to Elephant Butte. Sunrise We arrived at Elephant … Continue reading New Mexico: Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta