How to Photograph Hot Air Balloons Like a Pro (Even If You’re Not One)

How to Photograph Hot Air Balloons Like a Pro (Even If You’re Not One)

Hot air balloon photography might seem intimidating at first, but here’s the truth: you don’t need a camera that costs more than your car to capture stunning balloon shots.

I’ve been chasing balloons with my camera for years now, and I’ll tell you exactly what works.

The magic happens during those beautiful early morning hours or around dusk, when the light is soft and the winds are calm. You’ll want fast shutter speeds and higher ISO settings to nail those sharp, well-exposed images that make people stop scrolling.

Let me walk you through everything I’ve learned the hard way so you don’t have to.

When Should You Actually Show Up for Hot Air Balloon Photography?

Here’s what nobody tells you: timing is absolutely everything.

Fall and spring are your best friends when it comes to balloon photography. The temperatures are mild, the winds behave themselves, and the conditions are just about perfect.

Early morning is where the real action happens. Balloons launch just after sunrise when the winds are calm and that golden light wraps around everything like butter.

I remember my first balloon festival. I showed up at 9 AM thinking I was early. Guess what? I’d missed everything. The balloons were already specks in the sky.

Don’t make my mistake.

If you’re heading to a festival, launches typically happen shortly after sunrise and sometimes again before sunset. Set your alarm, grab your coffee travel mug, and get there early.

Weather Conditions That’ll Make or Break Your Shoot

Balloons are divas about weather, and for good reason.

Avoid these conditions like the plague:

• Any precipitation whatsoever
• Winds greater than 9 mph
• Stormy or unstable conditions

If the weather’s bad, the balloons won’t launch. Period.

Clear skies and low light in early mornings mean you’re dealing with challenging lighting. You’ll need higher ISO settings and wider apertures, but we’ll get to that.

Camera Settings That Actually Work for Hot Air Balloon Photography

Let’s talk technical without getting boring about it.

For Balloons in the Air

When those balloons are floating overhead, here’s your starting point:

Shutter speed: 1/160 to 1/320 second

• Go faster when balloons zoom overhead
• You need this speed to freeze the motion and keep everything sharp

ISO: Start at 1600 in early morning

• Gradually reduce it as the sun comes up
• Don’t be afraid of higher ISO—noise is better than blur

Aperture: f/4 to f/5.6

• Gives you enough depth of field for general shots
• Adjust based on how much light you’re working with

I used to obsess over keeping my ISO low. Then I realized that a slightly grainy sharp photo beats a blurry “clean” photo every single time.

For Balloon Glows (The Nighttime Magic)

Balloon glows are when tethered balloons light up at night like giant lanterns. They’re absolutely spectacular.

Here’s what works:

Aperture: f/4 to f/6
Shutter speed: 200 or faster
ISO: Around 1000 (keep it below 2000 to minimize noise)

A sturdy camera tripod becomes your best friend during balloon glows.

The Lenses You Actually Need (Not 47 Different Ones)

You don’t need a camera bag that weighs more than a small child.

Bring two lenses and you’re golden:

Wide-Angle (18-70mm)

This is your workhorse when you’re standing close to inflating or grounded balloons. You can capture the entire balloon or get multiple balloons in a single frame.

Perfect for those interior shots when the balloon is still lying on its side.

Telephoto (70-300mm)

This gives you flexibility for distant shots and helps you compose multiple balloons at different heights.

When balloons are scattered across the sky, this telephoto zoom lens lets you pick and choose your composition.

I alternate between these two lenses constantly. Keep them both accessible because you won’t have time to dig through your bag when the action starts.

The Four Best Photography Opportunities You Can’t Miss

Cold Inflate Phase (The Fan Inflation)

This is when the crew uses fans to initially inflate the balloon while it’s lying on its side.

What makes this special:

• The interior of the balloon reveals spectacular colors
• Perfect symmetry and lines
• Unique perspective most people never see

Get down low—I mean kneeling or even lying on the ground. Shoot from a position where you can see straight into the balloon’s opening toward the crown.

The patterns inside are absolutely mesmerizing.

Hot Inflate Phase (When Things Heat Up)

This is when the pilot fires up the burner to heat the air inside the balloon.

Here’s your money shot:

Position yourself directly behind the pilot and capture those orange and blue flames shooting toward the balloon’s crown.

The contrast between the cool morning air and those roaring flames is pure magic.

You’ll want to protect your camera lens with a UV filter during this phase—things get smoky and debris can fly around.

Mass Ascension (The Main Event)

Once those balloons are airborne, strategy matters.

Position yourself where pilots will fly directly toward you. This lets you capture multiple balloons at varying heights and distances in a single frame.

Look for patterns in the sky:

• Arcs
• Triangles
• Lines formed by the balloons