This weekend is the annual Gatesway Balloon Festival here in Tulsa and I took the family out for the balloon glow last evening. Boy howdy it was hot and ungodly humid out there.

Nate was ready to go home in about a half hour...


I had the K10D setup on the tripod with the DA 18-250 and handheld the K20D w/ Tam 17-50/2.8.

As a post-mortem, I really need to start using the TvAv mode more often. I shot everything with both cameras in M at ISO400. Had I been thinking, rather than sweating, I would have ended up with a lot more usable shots out of the K20. Changing ISO just never crosses my mind while I'm shooting in M; TvAv would have done it for me.

But I still managed to get some pretty good shots before all three of us melted.
Enjoy, and C&C definitely welcome.

[weatherwise2]

Nice set of pictures. I don't see any major problems with your exposure under the M. I wish they had done this with the balloons in RI a few weeks ago.

[Heinrich Lohmann]

That is a very nice set of photos, thanks for posting them.

Balloons are awesome and you shot them well. thanks for posting.

[roentarre]

These balloons are soooo cool. Great rich colour with vividness

[gawan]

As other said, great series! Nice glowing colours!

[vievetrick]

I hope some day to get shots at a balloon show like this. Very nice job!

[CJSpangler]

very nice - I like the open field for the glow event. I recently went to one in NJ, however, left before the glow event - after seeing these I might stay for it next year :-).

The last picture is very nice

[Venturi]

Thank you!
There's a bit I'd do differently if the universe gave mulligans - some rookie mistakes and all - but I'm pleased overall with the results.

I'm rather fond of the last shot too, Chris. Had the ole noggin' been screwed on better I'd have done a few more of those long exposure shots.