Laura Hollick and I were at it again, reaching for new heights in our latest photo/video collaboration. This time, we took a ride in a hot air balloon, which has been one of Laura’s life-long dreams.
Our flight lasted about an hour and reached about 5,000 feet into the heavens. Our pilot Graham was a steady hand on the burners, which roared like dragons and propelled us skyward. Because your direction of travel is entirely determined by the movement of the wind, and you always need to seek permission to land in someone’s farm field after you’ve landed, flying in a hot air balloon is a whimsical and impractical way to travel. Yet, there’s a charm to it that keeps people heading for the skies in baskets under air-filled bladders.
Here’s the video I made of our experience, told from Laura’s giddy perspective. I shot with a variety of lenses, including Canon 14mm f2.8L, 24-70mm f2.8L and 70-200mm f2.8L. The music is the theme song that I produced for last year’s nü Icon Movie, featuring the beautiful voice of Ariel White.
Be sure to also read Laura’s blog post about our hot air balloon ride to get her side of the story!
Exceptional pictures AND video Kev !
Re: your statement about having to get permission after you’ve landed in the hot air balloon.
Reminds me of an old tradition (at least I think it was) where Hot Air Balloons would always travel with a wicker basket containing wine / champagne / cheeses that would be enjoyed when you landed and shared with the land owner who’s land you landed on.
Ahh yes, we were given the champagne story as part of our balloon experience. Bygone times!