People Behind the Event

Hot Air Jubilee - Jackson, MI

Hot air jubilees, including the annual one in my hometown, are great for photography material. The colors, the shapes, the ambition.

But it’s hard not to fall into cliché. If you’ve seen one soaring balloon, you’ve probably seen them all. And unless you have an in-basket view, there’s only so much you can do from the ground.

It’s why I like focusing on the people behind the event – who puts these things together? What are their jobs? Is there any struggle?

Or, what if you took the colors away? And just focused on the shapes? Hence, this shot from just before sunset.