Journeys›Photograph

A Few Days in Albuquerque for the Balloon Fiesta

·Sandoval County, New Mexico·#travel#autumn#hot-air-balloons#new-mexico#albuquerque#balloon-fiesta
A vibrant sunset with orange and pink clouds above dark silhouettes of adobe buildings and mountains.

I flew into New Mexico in early October of 2018. The first thing I noticed was the light. The sunsets that first evening were incredible, casting a warm orange and pink glow over the adobe-style buildings and the mountains on the horizon. The air was clear and the landscape felt vast.

The reason for the trip was the annual hot air balloon festival. I had seen photos, but it's different in person. One morning, the sky was just completely filled with them. Hundreds of balloons ascending against the clouds over the high desert landscape. Some were just dots in the distance, while others were unique shapes and bright colors.

Most of my pictures of the main event were taken from the car. We were driving along the highway, and the sky was just a constant spectacle. You'd see them rise over the treeline and then drift across the open space. It was a strange and impressive sight, seeing all that color and activity hanging silently in the sky while normal highway traffic moved below.

A vibrant sunset with orange and purple clouds over adobe buildings and distant mountains.Golden sunset beams through trees over mountains, with dark clouds filling the sky above.Many hot air balloons dot a golden sunset sky with dark clouds over a treeline and field.Distant mountains beneath a colorful cloudy sky, overlooking fields, a winding path, and a green lawn at sunset.Numerous colorful hot air balloons float among power lines in a cloudy sky above a desert landscape and a road.Hundreds of colorful hot air balloons float in a cloudy sky above a highway and distant landscape.Many colorful hot air balloons float in a cloudy blue sky above a highway with an "EXIT 35 MPH" sign.Hundreds of colorful hot air balloons float across a cloudy blue sky above a highway and distant landscape.

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