Albuquerque ballon featival: We will be doing an auto tour of Arizona and New Mexico this year and I was wondering about a good location in Albuquerque to get some overview shots of...

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

We will be doing an auto tour of Arizona and New Mexico this year and I was wondering about a good location in Albuquerque to get some overview shots of the ballon festival. I have a D7000 with an 18-200 and a 10-20 for lens choices. Your thoughts.

strawberry36 Loc: San Jose, CA

Buy the tickets and visit the dawn launch in the early morning on the opening week-end and return for the evening glow, which is spectacular.
These 2 events will provide you with hundreds of good shots. When you've visited both events, you've seen it all!
The 2 lenses you've mentioned are perfect and you'll need both, along with some extra batteries.
Have fun!
Bob

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

gvarner wrote:

We will be doing an auto tour of Arizona and New Mexico this year and I was wondering about a good location in Albuquerque to get some overview shots of the ballon festival. I have a D7000 with an 18-200 and a 10-20 for lens choices. Your thoughts.

If your going to be really close, use the 10-20, if your not able to get close, use the 18-200. If you don't know, take both, neither is hard to pack.

mizzee Loc: Boston,Ma

Buy the tickets and go to the dawn liftoff. If you're going to be there, be there! Being on the ground as the balloons are inflated and lifting off is a thrilling experience. Wander around. Take extra memory cards and extra batteries; you'll loose your mind. The Albuquerque balloon festival is why I finally went digital, my husband made me after I shot 42 rolls of film in one day!

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

mizzee wrote:

Buy the tickets and go to the dawn liftoff. If you're going to be there, be there! Being on the ground as the balloons are inflated and lifting off is a thrilling experience. Wander around. Take extra memory cards and extra batteries; you'll loose your mind. The Albuquerque balloon festival is why I finally went digital, my husband made me after I shot 42 rolls of film in one day!

Quote:

after I shot 42 rolls of film

There went the beer budget!!

nj53 Loc: Canon City, Colorado

i don't have an answer to an overlook location. if you could work a deal w/a balloon owner that would be neat. couple of general suggestions: use the shuttle bus system; well worth it to avoid the parking/traffic hassle. the field where they launch is huge, so walk around a lot to get different angles. follow the wind! they let you roam anywhere but stay out of the way

dleebrick Loc: Indian Land, South Carolina

nj53 wrote:

i don't have an answer to an overlook location. if you could work a deal w/a balloon owner that would be neat. couple of general suggestions: use the shuttle bus system; well worth it to avoid the parking/traffic hassle. the field where they launch is huge, so walk around a lot to get different angles. follow the wind! they let you roam anywhere but stay out of the way

Absolutely use the shuttle bus system. There's likely to be a parking lot close to where you're staying and it saves you all the headaches of the massive traffic during the festival.

cdayton

I was there many years ago with a D50 and 18-200 that was perfectly adequate. Obviously, get on the field but check the schedule for the special launch of the novelty balloons - If I were there for a single day, that would be it.

ledSouth

Find the main location where they will land. It's north of I-40 and east of I-25. The balloons will come right to you!

pdsilen Loc: Roswell, New Mexico

Make lodging reservations EARLY EARLY EARLY!!! And get to the Balloon Fiesta Park even earlier. Imagine New Years Eve in Times Square, New York on steroids.

Wanda Krack Loc: Tennessee, USA

Something that is not said yet is that if you have a decent sky area where you are staying, within the city, you will have also a good chance of catching some of the balloons as they fly around the city. Of course, the best is from the park. Fireworks the last night are good also.

Petifoger

Up in a Balloon. There are plenty of local Balloon ride companies that will take you up. And going to the Fiesta Grounds is amazing when 400 Ballons go up at dawn at the same time.

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

When is this festival. I always see pics and rave reviews but have never attended.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

JimBart wrote:

When is this festival. I always see pics and rave reviews but have never attended.

Early October. I think it starts the 5th this year

Petifoger

Usually the first two week ends in October and the days between.