---

In 2010 I took picture of balloons from the ground while attending the International Balloon Festival in New Mexico, but in 2011 I changed my perspective by taking a balloon ride. In that evening thirteen balloons were ascending at the same time. You might wonder why my photos show one balloon only. First, the balloons spread out, and thus even if I capture many of them in one frame, they would appear as tiny dots only. Second, one pilot and 13 passengers were cramped inside the balloon basket, and the basket are partitioned into three compartments. Under this condition, I could not walk around the basket to find the ideal angle. Rather, I was confined to a corner and photographed whatever I could see from my position. I brought four lenses to the trip, and needless to say, there was no room for me to change lenses. Nevertheless, it is an eye-opening experience and a great opportunity for inexpensive "aerial" photography.

---