Taking to the skies in a hot air balloon is always a beautiful experience, with incredible views unlike any other. There is nothing quite like floating thousands of feet among the clouds in a wicker basket, while taking in the sights + sounds of the world around you from a whole new perspective. Nature’s beauty surrounds you during your time up, up and away, and the great thing is, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to capture some amazing photos during your hot air ballooning experience. Today, Ken Moinester, Hot Air Expeditions Resident Photographer + Former Flight Crew Member, shares some tips on how you can capture the best photos during your time with us.
1. Use the balloon as a backdrop
Pre-flight, when the balloon is inflated and standing upright, is an excellent time to capture some great photos. Place your subject in front of the balloon, using the balloon as a backdrop, and snap away. Your subject could be the other guests you are flying with, an object, or even our Flight Crew!
2. Include the balloon basket in the photo
While in-flight, when taking a photo of the landscape in front of you, include the side of the hot air balloon basket in the photo as well. This is a beautiful addition that adds some interest and contrast to your photos, and is a photo that can only be taken from a hot air balloon.
3. Don’t forget to look up
The balloon envelope (the large fabric portion of the hot air balloon) is a beautiful part of the hot air balloon itself, as well as the hot air ballooning experience. Don’t forget to look up and take a picture inside of the envelope. You can even capture a photo of the pilot igniting the burner flame above you for an eye-catching addition to your camera roll. This is another unique angle that can only be captured up, up and away on a hot air balloon ride.
4. Use a wide angle lens
Don’t forget to use the wide angle camera setting on your phone, or bring a wide angle camera lens for your DSLR camera! A wide angle camera setting/lens will allow you to capture as much of the beautiful landscape, and your surroundings, as possible during your time among the clouds. When choosing a wide angle lens for your DSLR camera, as a general rule of thumb you’ll want to choose a lens that is between 35mm or 24mm, but refer to the specifics of your camera brand + model to choose the wide angle lens that best suits your needs.
To use a wide angle camera setting on an iPhone/Android:
1. From your home screen, open the camera app
2. Tap 0.5x (iPhone) or select the Ultra Wide Angle Icon (Android) to use the ultra wide angle lens
3. Snap your photo!
*Please note: Almost all newer iPhone/Android models come complete with a wide angle camera setting, but not all models of iPhone/Android come with this lens/setting.
Now that you know all of our secret hot air balloon ride photo taking tips, book a ride and share your photos with us! Tag Hot Air Expeditions or use #HotAirExpeditions when posting to Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. We’d love to see the beautiful photos you create!
