Beyond the Frame: My Goals at the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta
1/160th 232mm 50 ISO Photos of the balloons taken without ground in frame give an etherial feel.
Before leaving for the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta, I set myself two photography goals. I shared them with my mother in a text:
Shoot well-framed, wider shots instead of relying on filling the frame.
Compose images that suggest a world beyond the frame, leaving room for viewers to imagine what they can’t see.
We got up at 3 a.m. to make it to the festival. The weather delayed the launch, and the balloons didn’t rise until after blue hour. But when the sun finally appeared and began lighting the balloons, the wait felt worthwhile. In a remarkably short time, balloon after balloon lifted into the sky.
I started with my traditional zoom lens, focusing on the story unfolding around me. Rather than chase the action, I chose a spot near a balloon and waited for the moments around its launch. Those photographs did a great job of capturing the story of the fiesta while giving the scene room to breathe.
I set up as close as I could get to this family balloon group and got a couple shots of the balloon lifting off.
After most of the balloons had gone up, I switched to a long lens and tried to make more unusual, balanced compositions—images that hinted at space beyond their edges. This is where I felt I pushed myself most successfully. I especially loved the more abstract shots: the negative space, the sense of motion, and the way the frames feel heavier at the bottom and lighter as they rise.
Some of those abstract shots were dizzying to take. The balloons were directly above my head, and I had to look almost straight up to photograph them. The perspective felt strange, but I like that strangeness. It gave the images a feeling I wouldn’t have found by photographing the balloons from a more familiar angle.
I can imagine many of these photographs looking great as large prints, or as a collection of smaller prints displayed together on a wall. They feel especially whimsical to me something I could picture in a child’s room.
I’m also proud of my exposure. It’s satisfying to see how little editing these photos needed. There is one thing I’d change next time: I wish I had used a faster shutter speed. Some of the images have motion blur, so they won’t hold up as well when enlarged. Whoops, but you live and learn.
So, did I meet my goals? I think I did. I made wider photographs instead of always filling the frame, and I looked for compositions that invite the viewer to imagine what lies outside it. The experience reminded me that photographing an event doesn’t always mean following every moment. Sometimes it means choosing a place, waiting, and paying attention to the space around the subject.
