A few weeks ago, the National Hot Air Ballooning Championships took place in Ballymahon, Co Longford ... at least they were supposed to! That week it seemed to rain non-stop and flights were postponed on a regular basis, so I decided not to go there. Then one evening on my way home from Dublin, they came to me. A group of about ten balloons sailed north from Ballymahon, cutting across the N4 between Edgewordstown and Ballinalack and landed in nearby fields. Needless to say, it was quite a sight and I was able to take a few shots. I came across the photos tonight, nothing exceptional - I'm blaming my poor vantage point and the failing evening light, I was forced to shoot into the sun. Rather than bury them on a hard-drive I thought I'd put one up since it was the first time I'd ever seen balloons close up.
Photo: Cropped from a portrait format shot. Processed in ACR with WB and Levels adjustment. ISO 100. 1/1000 @ f/2.8
