As photographers we’ve all been there; planning the perfect outing, visualizing the images we want to capture, and then the unexpected happens. Planning is important to make sure we are equipped for the day. But being tied to a set of expectations can lead to disappointment when circumstances beyond our control take over. Flexibility is also important to the creative flow, or a concept my wife introduced me to we call – ‘looking for the shimmer’.
This year was the 40th Anniversary of the Hot Air Jubilee at the Ella Sharp Park in Jackson, Michigan. Being an aviation enthusiast I’m really surprised I had never attended or even paid attention to the event, so this was the year for me! But as with many photography journeys, not everything goes to plan.
I’ve watched balloons flying in many areas of the country but never really planned an actual photo shoot; most of the time I was lucky to even have a camera with me. I believe it is probably the purest form of flight we can achieve. Just the pilot, a balloon, and the elements of nature. Unlike most aviation that relies on powered flight creating thrust to achieve lift and directional control, the balloon is basically at the whim of the weather gods.
Understanding the vagaries of ballooning, I watched the weather reports and planned my trip to Jackson, about an hour west. The Jubilee had scheduled launches at 7pm and a night glow launch at dusk. The day looked great, at least from the weather reports, and it was a beautiful drive. But as I neared Jackson around 3pm, the sky grew darker and as I hit the city limits it opened up with torrential rains. Needless to say, I had picked the one day of the 3 day festival when the weather failed to cooperate; so on to plan B.
The sky eventually cleared, but weather updates showed significant storm activity in surrounding areas that posed a safety threat to the flights. The balloon teams were anxiously waiting in place on the launch field. However, due to weather conditions, this is as close as they ever came to a launch this evening!
Plan B
Fortunately, along with the star attraction of the balloon flights, the festival also included music, a massive hot-rod show, and most importantly since it was into dinner time, a large number of food trucks. No balloon flights to capture, but I still had a great time wandering among the cars at the show, reminiscing about vehicles from my earlier years and admiring the wonderful artistry the restorers had put into them; something I could relate to as a buddy and I spent a summer in high school combing through junk yards for parts and rebuilding a ‘55 Chevy.
Below are a few images I captured from the hot-rod show. And of course the Chicago style hotdogs were pretty darn tasty too!
I went into the day with pretty strong expectations for aviation photography. But the weather did not deter me from seeing other possibilities. Of course I’m already working on expectations for next year and hoping for actual balloons in the air! If you enjoyed this Journal entry, please drop me a comment below, feel free to share with your friends, and visit my website Terrance Alexander Photography.
Terrance Alexander