Balloon Classic Invitational 2012 7/20-7/22

If you like photographing Hot Air Balloons then you might want to check out the Balloon Classic Invitational taking place in North Canton Ohio from 7-20 - 7-22. This is one of the largest balloon fests in the area, I think there's going to be about  75 Balloons

I plan on going Friday evening and to all the Balloon events on Saturday, during the day I may also check out the Football Hall of Fame.  If you see me, come up and say hello! I look just like the guy on the right of this blog ------------------> LOL

You can see a slideshow of the photos I took in 2010 and 2011 in the slideshow link below

Balloon Classic Invitational Slideshow


NOTE: Access on the field is not allowed except for pilots and crews, but you should still be able to get some good photos.





Click the photo to see more photos!

BALLOON CLASSIC ACTIVITIES:  Hot air balloons fly best in less than 8 mph winds, and the weather must be almost perfect for these beautiful balloons to take to the skies. Pilots are briefed on weather before each and every flight; flights may be delayed or cancelled due to weather conditions.

Helpful hints:  If you’re an early bird, come check out the morning flights!  For evening flights, traffic is especially heavy, so plan ahead.

TIMES ARE TENTATIVE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE, SO CHECK BACK PERIODICALLY. . .

FRIDAY, JULY 20

5:00 AM: Dawn Patrol

6:30 AM: Media Flight

5:30 PM: Activities begin at the Balloon Classic

6:30 PM: Balloon Launch

9:30 PM: Night Glow

SATURDAY, JULY 21

6:30 AM: Balloon Launch

5:30 PM: Activities begin at the Balloon Classic

6:30 PM: Balloon Launch

SUNDAY, JULY 22

6:30 AM: Balloon Launch

JACKSON-BELDEN FOOD FEST ACTIVITIES:

FRIDAY, JULY 20

4:00 PM:  Activities begin at the Food Fest

4:00 - 5:45 PM: Brighter Side Band

6:00 - 8:45 PM: Wild West Band

9:00 - 11:30 PM: Buckle Down Band

SATURDAY, JULY 21

4:00 PM:  Activities begin at the Food Fest

5:00 - 6:45 PM: Messy Face Band

7:00 - 8:45 PM: OFHUMAN Band

9:00 - 10:00 PM: Downplay Band

10:00 - 10:30 PM: Fireworks

10:30 - 11:30 PM: Downplay Band

At both venues, there are also awide variety of food and beverage vendors, as well as family activities such as a playground of inflatables and balloon education area.

Here are some of my Balloon Photography Tips

Balloon Photo Tips:

1. See which way the wind is blowing then position yourself so the balloons will fly toward you.

2. Look for colors, shapes and patterns





















3. Use people as scale to show how large the Balloons are











4. Show the crew at work











5. And of course show them in the air!!!











More balloon photos here: Hot Air Balloons

Here's the address and a Google Map

Kent State University Stark Campus &
Stark State College of Technology
6000 - 6200 Frank Road NW
North Canton, Ohio 44720

Convenient parking available
Enter public parking lots off Frank Road,
and pay only $5.00 per vehicle after 3:00 PM

For those with a GPS here are the Coordinates in the Decimal Degree format

LAT N 40.867810
Long W 81.441656

Click on the Camera Icon to get directions from your location.


View Balloon Classic Invitational - Canton in a larger map

Veterans Memorial Bridge Tour 7/7/2012

Here's another great Photo Op over the Memorial Day weekend - a self guided tour of the Veterans Memorial Bridge (aka Detroit Superior Bridge) The bottom part of this bridge was used for Trolley traffic over the Cuyahoga River in the Flats. I've done the tour about 3 or 4 times and its a great place to photograph Cleveland history. They'll have displays of old trolley cars and you can even see the old tracks in the ground. You can also get some great views of the Flats from the bridge. So if your looking for something different to shoot on Saturday July 7th check out the Veterans Memorial Bridge.

When: Saturday, July 7th, 2012

Times: Open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Location: Northeast Corner of W. 25th Street &

Detroit Avenue, at the west end of the bridge.

FREE parking is available at the County Engineer’s

Bridge Garage, which is located at the tour’s entrance.

Cost: FREE

Other:
 No reservations

 Self guided tour with volunteers on hand

to answer questions

 Wheelchair & stroller accessible

 Cameras are welcome

 Attractions include films, trolley displays,

streetcar, and a unique view of the area

Click on the Camera Icon below to get directions from your location to the Bridge

View Veterans Memorial Bridge Tour in a larger map

GPS Coordinates of the Parking Lot:
Latitude: 41.4923313

Longitude: -81.7061913

More Photos here: Veterans Memorial Bridge Photos