Photographing a Balloon ClassicRoyce Nowlin brought along his Tamron SP 70-200mm VC, SP 24-70mm VC, and new 28-300mm VC PZD lenses to capture community spirit at a Boise balloon fest. |
Article by Jenn Gidman Images by Royce Nowlin |
Royce Nowlin is constantly honing his photographic craft. In just the last year, the Boise photographer was selected by KelbyOne to attend photography training sessions at PhotoPlus West in Vegas and jump-started plans for a photography blog, as well as continued work toward the art degree he hopes to receive early next year. "I especially love using my camera and lenses to get involved with community service," he says. "I work with a group called Angel Wings, which offers support to people with cancer, and I'm helping to sponsor an event where we're raffling off a four-hour ride in the St. Luke's Children's Hospital balloon to raise money for cancer patients and to offer free mammograms for women." |
The Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic was Royce's latest community-oriented venture in August: Produced by Scott and Laurie Spencer of Lighter Than Air America and Townsquare Media Boise, the balloon fest is designed to be a free, family-focused event, with special attention during "Kids' Day" on kids in need of support and services. "On the day I attended, there was a park full of autistic kids, underprivileged kids, disabled kids—and they were all so incredibly happy to be part of the fest," Royce says. |
He brought along his Tamron SP 70-200mm VC, SP 24-70mm VC, and new 28-300mm VC PZD lenses to capture the excitement and in-air action. "All of these lenses work so well for me—they're all supersharp, and the Vibration Compensation (VC) feature is what saves my butt when I'm trying to get rid of camera shake," he says. "It's the best vibration reduction in the business." |
Royce left his home at 1:30 a.m. to make the drive to the classic and capture all of the pre-event activity. "By 3:30 a.m., the balloon people were already setting up and the media were out and about," he says. Royce was able to take pictures of a few of the balloons deflated on their sides—"I left a few of the people milling about in the frame to show a sense of scale"—as well as the sun coming up behind the balloons. "The glow of the balloons all fired up, with the natural light of the sunrise in the sky behind them at 5:45 in the morning, made this an impressive scene I wanted to capture," he says.
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Before the balloon operators even headed out to light the pilots, there was a "captain's meeting," which Royce attended. "Scott Spencer said to everyone, 'Today the park is full of children. Their first dreams of flight are going to come from what you do for them today. Our job is to encourage those dreams and be uber-kind.' It's amazing how much the Spencers care about these kids and what they do for them through this event. It really touched me." |
Between 35 and 40 balloons were on-site to give kids rides: The balloons were tethered to the ground and would go up about 150 feet or so—the children were even allowed to pull the gas ropes that fed the fuel to the fire. "I was able to show the atmosphere of the balloon fest and also zoom in to capture the expressions of the kids in the balloons," Royce says. "I saw these two little girls riding in one, and the balloon operator was so funny and friendly. The girls were blown away when the balloon roared up into the air, and you could see it in their faces, which is exactly what I was trying to show in my images, whether I included some of the background scenery or blurred it out to really just focus on their faces." |
Royce offers a reminder for photographers who attend well-frequented events like the balloon fest, especially when there are lots of kids around. "Make sure you have replacement insurance on any expensive photography gear," he says. "While I was helping some of the kids into a balloon, another child came and knocked over my tripod and killed the camera and a lens." |
When he got back home, Royce transformed one of the images into an image he now plans on hanging in his home. "I created the image as a five-shot HDR image, then added an oil paint filter to add texture in post-processing," he says. "I think it serves as a really cool, artistic reminder of the great day we all had." |
To see more of Royce Nowlin's work, go to www.lonesomepinephotography.com. Coming soon where viewers can purchase Royce's artwork: http://lonesomepinephotography.shootproof.com. |