2024 RIverton Rendezvouz

August 10, 2024 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

I attended the Riverton Rendezvous on July 19th through the 21st. Andy, the balloon meister had been entreating me to go for the past four years. This year I figured that I should give it a try.

The rally went off well. They got to fly two of three days, and I got to meet more balloon people. What about the pictures? Well, unexpectedly, I became an impromptu crew chief. That position required me to be more hands on with the balloon and I didn’t get many chances to make photos. Now, this wasn’t a bad thing; ballooning is fun. However, I don’t have much to show afterward.

Will I go again next year? Maybe. Just like me going to Driggs, ID for the Teton Valley Balloon Rally, going to Riverton, WY, is a long drive. About 12.5 hours from Albuquerque. Doing these long drives for two events in one month was… tiring. I don’t know if I can do it again. I will have to give this more thought.

Anyway, check out the eight pictures I got.

2024 Angel Fire and Driggs

July 10, 2024 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

I went to Balloons Over Angel Fire and Teton Valley Balloon Rally in June and July. Great rallies in smaller tourist towns. If you can afford the travel and lodging, you’re in for a good time. The locations look fabulous. The pilots love coming to these smaller but tightly knit events. And there be hot balloons. Everything you could want for a fun weekend event is there.

Hasselblad X1Dii-50c Video Review

March 24, 2024 by Elliot Nahm in gear

Hey, everyone, long time no blog as usual. This time I have made a little video expressing my thoughts on the Hasselblad X1Dii-50c, a camera I’ve had since late 2020. I would normally write about the video itself but… I don’t feel like doing that.

2023 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

October 15, 2023 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

This past week was the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Nine days of hot air ballooning with over 500 balloons participating. I must open with that this year’s Fiesta went very well especially compared to last year. Just two mass ascensions and one balloon glow weren’t possible due to high winds. So, most of the event was able to proceed rather smoothly.

2023 White Sands Balloon Invitational

September 19, 2023 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

This past weekend, Alamogordo hosted the 2023 White Sands Balloon Invitational. I participated on the Saturday and Sunday of the event. Unlike previous years, the event took place in White Sands National Park on Saturday rather than Sunday. This is the main appeal of the event, but it comes with many challenges for flying.

2022 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

November 24, 2022 by Elliot Nahm

Uh… ha. I uploaded the pictures first with the intention of writing something to go along with the photos. But, here we are near the end of November and I had totally forgotten that I never published this. So, no write up here. Just photos.

2022 Teton Valley Balloon Rally

July 05, 2022 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

The Teton Valley Balloon Rally (TVBR) was held this past Fourth of July holiday weekend - wait, hold up, two blog posts within seven day? What happened to the real Elliot? I’m still alive, or, at least I think I am. The fourteen hour drive one-way to and from really does a number on the body.

2022 Rio Grande Classic

June 29, 2022 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

During Memorial Day Weekend, I covered the Rio Grande Classic hosted by the local hot air ballooning club, Top Gun Ballooning. The past two years had been canceled thanks to the COVID pandemic so it was nice to see familiar faces again.

2021 Red Rock Balloon Rally

January 14, 2022 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

Hello, friends, I finally edited the photos that I made during the 2021 Red Rock Balloon Rally. I met many friends that I hadn’t seen in a long while, and I met another for the first time (we only conversed on Instagram). I really enjoy this balloon festival, and it’s my favorite thus far. The location is beautiful, and the community around the event puts together a great tailgate party.

2021 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

December 10, 2021 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

Okay, it is December 9th, two months after the Balloon Fiesta and I still haven’t published this blog post yet. I’ll keep this short.

2021 Teton Valley Balloon Rally

July 05, 2021 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

So this past 4th of July weekend, I made a little road trip to Driggs, Idaho for their 40th Teton Valley Balloon Rally. Situated in the Teton Valley with a clear view of Grand Teton itself, this was an event that I knew I couldn’t miss! Oh, and when I say “little road trip”, I mean that it was a absolute pain in the butt to drive each way. Seriously, sitting down for around 15 hours each way doesn’t feel good. It was worth it though!

2021 Rio Grande Classic

June 01, 2021 by Elliot Nahm

This past Memorial Day Weekend was when the Rio Grande Classic competition took place. Hosted by the Top Gun Ballooning Club, around 30 pilots participated in demonstrating their skills for some prizes. I was there to photograph the event as a volunteer along with another photographer who also was a judge.

Another corporate head shot shoot at the same Best Buy

March 28, 2021 by Elliot Nahm in Portraits

About a year later, I have done a second photo shoot at my workplace, Best Buy. This year has been difficult for the retail world, and I thought it would raise morale to do a photo shoot. Many of my peers have never seen, or haven’t seen in a long time, each others’ faces. There was opportunity to be able to have some fun, and get some much needed photography practice in.

The Fiesta That Didn't Happen

February 14, 2021 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

Alright, I almost never published these images. This event occurred way back in October, 2020 in place of the well renown Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. Damn pandemic… While it was neat that balloons still flew, we all know that it was nothing close to the usual spectacle.

Making stock-style photos while at home

March 28, 2020 by Elliot Nahm

Most of my photography takes place outdoors with hot air ballooning, and hiking. Only recently have I put money into getting lighting equipment to start creating my own images wherever the demand is. I’ve only used the lights for the head shots and nothing else. Now with all of this extra time, I may as well try something new.

My first corporate head shot attempt

February 26, 2020 by Elliot Nahm in Portraits

Earlier this month I had the opportunity to photograph many-many people as my first attempt to make corporate head shot photos. With the cooperation of the local Best Buy (where I also work at), I was able to setup a low-stakes photoshoot for the store. I say “low-stakes” because I wasn’t charging, and if anything went wrong there wouldn’t be any lawsuits filed against me.

Taking my first head shot portraits

January 27, 2020 by Elliot Nahm

The avenue of people photography that I wish to pursue is the “Corporate Head-shot”. Compared to other types of people photography, I feel like that I have the most control with this. The lighting and look can be easily reproduced; I only have to represent the person, note beautify them; and the hope is that businesses will be repeat clients. But first, I need to start practicing!

2019 Red Rock Balloon Rally

December 19, 2019 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

This balloon festival became my favorite when I first experienced it in 2017. The large red rocks flanking the launch sites makes for a good photography experience. Add some observers on top of the rocks, and there’s a great sense of scale of how large the hot air balloons and the rocks are. The Red Rock Balloon Rally also has the added benefit of being one of the largest balloon rallies in the United States. The website used to state that the festival was the second largest balloon rally but, I guess it is no longer… There really is no contest here; the Red Rock Balloon Rally is the most visually stunning festival in the southwest.

September Happened

November 04, 2019 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

Two hot air balloon festivals occurred in September: The White Sands Balloon Invitational (WSBI), and the Elephant Butte Balloon Regatta (EBBR). I went with high hopes to both of them, and photographically came up short. Don’t get me wrong though, these were still fun to attend.

The 2019 Albuquerque Internation Balloon Fiesta

October 28, 2019 by Elliot Nahm in Balloons

The Balloon Fiesta began on October 5th, and ended on the 13th - plus one more day for crewing. Ten grueling days of photography, balloon crewing, and work. For those who had been observing my posts on Instagram, the theme was all about fatigue. I just had to make it to the end. Being on my feet for about 14 hours a day; working a 40 hour work week at my full-time job plus more. After the events, my feet were actually hurting for another three days.