Sierra Sublime Blog

The Sierra is a magical place. You can say it is sublime. To truly get the most from this magical place if you are there a lot and you meander through it slowly. I have the luxury of doing both and this blog is designed to visually share my adventures.

Lake Havasu Balloon Festival

Night Glow during Civil Twilight

Night Glow during Civil Twilight

We attended my first ever balloon festival.  Now we have ridden in a balloon before but never been to a balloon festival. People I know who have attended these events have all raved about them.  I have seen pictures from other folks and the scenes they captured were stunning.  Some friends invited us to go and we were excited when the date finally came around.  Heading to the event I had high expectations and a little bit of uncertainty on how well I would capture the scenes with my photography.  

The Havasu Balloon Festival event was both organized and chaotic at the same time. Weather dictates a lot on the "if" and "where" the event unfolds.  

  • Too windy and the balloons don't fly. That is what happened Friday morning and Saturday afternoon
  • Wind direction determines if the balloons launch from the balloon staging area or from someplace else.  This happened Sunday morning as the balloons took off from all over the place.

The event itself was also very laid back.  I had purchased our tickets and parking pass online and was going to pick them up at Will Call.  You reach the place you pay for parking before you can reach Will Call.  So in parking line we were wondering how that would play out.  In the end it was very laid back and trusting.  We got to the gentleman who was collecting the parking fee and we asked how we could get the pass we bought online.   He said just go ahead and park, go to will call, and put the tag on your car and waived us on.   Asking an additional question if we would get towed while at Will Call he said maybe but he had not seen a tow truck so far at the event.  Just for precaution my wife stayed in the car while I got the parking pass.

The event is very laid back in another way.  I have heard other balloon festivals restrict how close you can get to the balloons while they are inflating.  Makes sense as it gives the teams room to work.  Here there were no restrictions.  You could walk up right next to the balloons.  In fact, many of teams asked folks to come closer and see what they were doing.  That was very cool.

From a photographic angle trying a balloon festival is challenging.  You have scenes where the balloons are far away and you want a telephoto and the next moment they are right next to you and pushing the limits of your wide angle lens.  Trying to us HDR is challenging as the balloons were moving a rapid clip.  But overall I was pleased with the images I captured and have a better understanding when I go again.  Take a look below at some of the images I captured.  Let me know what you think.

The flame lit up the bystanders and you could feel the heat from a distance!

The flame lit up the bystanders and you could feel the heat from a distance!

The balloon named Outlaw drifts by overhead

The balloon named Outlaw drifts by overhead

Aurora Borealis stands out in a big sky!

Aurora Borealis stands out in a big sky!

Perfect splash down!

Perfect splash down!

A Flicker is where all the balloons light up simultaneously! It is quite a sight...

A Flicker is where all the balloons light up simultaneously! It is quite a sight...

Can't keep my eyes from the circling skyTongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I - Pink Floyd perfect description for these tethered balloons! 

Can't keep my eyes from the circling sky
Tongue-tied and twisted, just an earth-bound misfit, I - Pink Floyd perfect description for these tethered balloons! 

The flame of the Spirit of St Louis entertains the crowd

The flame of the Spirit of St Louis entertains the crowd

Elevation II is the center of attention as it lifts off from a splash down

Elevation II is the center of attention as it lifts off from a splash down

Flame blast into the air as a balloon is being launched!

Flame blast into the air as a balloon is being launched!

The sky and balloon are competing to see who can produce the best colors!

The sky and balloon are competing to see who can produce the best colors!

The Elevation II performing for the crowd and making a colorful reflection

The Elevation II performing for the crowd and making a colorful reflection

Hope you enjoyed the images and maybe we see you next year at the event!

2016 Calendars

Last year I published calendars for Los Angeles and Italy.  I had so much success I am publishing three calendars this year:

  • Sierra - The Mountains are calling and I must go!
  • California
  • Lighthouses

All have wonderful color images that will provide enjoyment throughout the year.  They make great gifts. Especially if you have kids far away you can give them a taste of home.

Read More

See Less Enjoy More

Vicki and I have the benefit of being up in the Sierra a fair bit.  That has taught us a lesson that many do not understand. There is great benefit and joy by taking the time to really know and enjoy one place instead of trying to see twenty.  We see so many vacationers jump out of their cars, take a quick look around, take a selfie, jump back into the car, and move on.  These are the folks Jimmy Buffett sings about in his song “Cowboy in the Jungle”:

The're tryin' to drink all the punches
They all may lose their lunches
Tryin' to cram lost years into five or six days
Seems that blind ambition erased their intuition

I believe that you can get way more out of a trip if you actually do less and soak in more of what you do see.  We went to Italy with some friends, we purposely did not try to see all of Italy.  We picked two cities and really got to experience them at an intimate level.  We took the time to wander the streets, shop at the local supermarket, and talk to the locals.  It made our trip so much richer.

My wife and I enjoy doing this when we go to the Sierra.  A lot of times we will bring a picnic and a bottle of wine and just sit by a stream or a lake and just soak it all in.  On our last trip, over the 4th of July, fate played its hand and “forced” us to stay in one place longer than we normally would.  We are so glad it did.  This day will remain special in our memory for years and years.

We were having a picnic at Lake Tenaya in Yosemite late afternoon.   It was gorgeous as the afternoon thunderstorm clouds in the distance were incredible.  

The puppies had gone in the lake and we went to get a towel out of the car to dry them off.  Without thinking we locked both sets of keys in the car. Oh and by the way there was no cell service so no AAA.  A lot of people would have been so stressed out they would have stopped noticing the beauty that was occurring around them.  Now don’t get me wrong, there was stress that afternoon.  Especially when it was after 7, getting dark, and the ranger gate on Highway 120 was closed.  Deep down though we knew we were in Yosemite; the rangers are great and it was the 4th of July weekend so there was probably a zillion people in the park. Eventually, just as it was getting dark,  a couple off duty employees who had been working the gate drove 15 miles out of their way to tell us they had gotten our message and a ranger would be by in a bit.    

In the midst of this crisis Mother Nature gave us an incredible multi-act play she calls a sunset.  The clouds and the lake completely changed their appearance every twenty minutes.  Everyone who stopped was stunned by the beauty, but we were the only ones that got to see the whole play.  Take a look and see if you agree with me that hanging around was worth every minute! 

Act I - Storm Clouds and Wind

Act II - Golden Hour

Act III - Still Waters

Act IV - The Encore

 

I think you will find this is not an isolated incident.  So remember Jimmy Buffett was right; cram less and enjoy more!

Roll with the punches
Play all of your hunches
Make the best of whatever came your way
What you lack in ambition
You make up with intuition
Plowing straight ahead come what may

One note that will make my fellow photographers smile and their significant others roll their eyes.  More than one these images were taken with the camera on a tripod by the lake with me triggering the camera with my remote while I was standing on Highway 120 trying to flag a ranger down.   When I thought the clouds or the color had changed I would snap another series.

 

Some Things Age With Grace

It was a Dodger game on a warm evening early in May and they recognized the fact that Vin had been broadcasting since before most of the folks in the stadium had been born.  

In this image there are two icons that have aged gracefully and become part of the culture of Los Angeles and Baseball.  Dodger Stadium, the third oldest baseball stadium, and Vin Scully, the longest serving baseball broadcaster.  Both have become beloved icons of Baseball and Los Angeles.

As the song goes “I love LA.”

Welcome to the Website Launch

I am pleased to announce the launch of my brand new website! After months of hard work and dedication, I am delighted to officially announce the launch on May 15, 2015. The new site launch is available and the URL is www.bob-kent-photography.com

My goal with this new website is to provide landscape images intended to motivate you to get out into nature and experience the wonder first hand.  If you personally experience  nature you will come to understand the need to protect it for future generations. 

We hope you find the new website with a fresh look, easy to access information, and place to purchase my fine art landscapes.  

For any questions, suggestions, feedback or comments, please email me

Bob Kent

Valley of Fire - Arizona

Valley of Fire - Arizona