At The Crack Of Dawn...Balloons Rising In The Yarra Valley

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
How the hell do you post up a "ride-report" about a sunrise and not drown in a sea of pics, where each one is a "Jeezaz!! Look at THAT!!" shot?

Out of nearly 300, there's a 130 left of which I just can't throw out any more!! :bang::bang:

It couldn't have turned out any more perfect, even though we finished up being at the wrong place at the wrong time for the actual "Balloons"-bit of the affair...

The blurp on the website promised some spectacle....

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...and here's how it turned out for us.

A 3.15 wakeup for a 4.45 arrival in Yarra Glen, crawling through the thick fog of the Yarra Flood Plains around Coldstream.

Setting up on the ridge above Yarra Glen after letting the 4WD's and trailers with the balloon-baskets and gear get away in town...


The very, very first bit of the New Day....

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....and the cameras are struggling, turning all grainy..
There just isn't enough light around for a decent shot...and the flash only paints up the nearest object.


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VEEERY slowly things are coming around....


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Early visitor on the ridge


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The little Fuji-camera is popping the rivets to come up with this


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No sun on the valley-floor yet....


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Going for a stroll....Mt. Dandenong's comm-towers in the background



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Sloooowly, colour and definition creep in....


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....and HURRAY!!...there they are!!.....right across the valley.
Balloons creeping out of the rolling paddocks. Again, the cameras are straining.




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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
The faintest bit of sunlight on the fog-banks...


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...she's ready to pounce!!


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BANG!!!



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Again, the Fuji-sensor is groaning, this time with the massive amount of light hammering the lens.



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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Don't know about others... but this stuff makes me go gooey in the knees and funny in head and heart... time for a diversion.
The track coming up looks pretty sweet, too!!


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Can't keep my eyes off that sun for long, though... :glu:glu



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Dreamtime...



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glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Goodie and the Fuji found another spin on it...it's bloody mind blowing what a $190 camera (and the right operator) can come up with...given a little peace and...time :doh::doh::glu:glu


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nev

Super Térrarist
Some really great shots there guys. Love the shadows on the fog in that last one ..

(but check out the different shadow angles. Studio lighting. They faked the balloon landings).:bs
 

glitch

Mapping the next ride...
Staff member
Some really great shots there guys. Love the shadows on the fog in that last one ..

(but check out the different shadow angles. Studio lighting. They faked the balloon landings).:bs


:D


I just don't know what to post and what to leave out....if anyone traces the pic-numbers, just punch in the number you want at the end of the URL and you'll get all those pics that I uploaded, but didn't link+display in the thread.


What an incredible morning it turned out to be...and then the chase to try and trace/ guess the balloons' flightpaths by trying to match it to the mental map of the Yarra Vly road network and arrive at a closeby point for the landings. :doh::bs




Plenty more to come yet...and not just heart-tearing sunrises!!
 

nosoh

Getting the hang of it
awesome pics!!!
spewing i missed this, i was keen to come along but wasn't paying enough attention here.
damn...
 
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