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Annular Solar Eclipse

Sunday 20-May-2012.  A solar eclipse passed directly over Albuquerque an hour before sunset.  There were viewing parties all over the city.  We headed out to the west edge of the city, along the top of Nine Mile Hill, expecting to have a quiet evening with a few coworkers.  We weren’t anticipating hundreds upon hundreds of cars lined up along the barb wire fence.  Some people had high-powered telescopes, others had pinhole cameras made from boxes of cream cheese.  I was armed with my Nikkor 70-300mm lens and a Variable Neutral Density filter.

There are plenty more photos, but for now, here is the money shot.

Albuquerque Double Rainbow

I took this photo back when the whole “Double Rainbow” video was going viral.

Night Glow

Hot air balloons can only be so exciting to those left on the ground, so the event coordinators plan as many interesting spectacles as possible. The vendors selling cheap trinkets and overpriced “food” from their makeshift stalls are thankful.

One of the popular events is the Night Glow, where the balloons inflate with their burning propane tanks and light up like ornaments. The hissing of nearly a thousand gas tanks is just as much a part of the experience as the visual.

Special Shapes – The Bueno Balloon

Despite their infinite combinations of colors and patterns, teardrop-shaped balloons lose the attention of the audience to the Special Shapes balloons. Bees, Witches, Dragons – if someone has the creativity to imagine a shape and the know-how (and financial backing) to put it together, you’ll see it a the Balloon Fiesta.

This particular balloon is one of which many Albuquerque natives are proud. Bueno Foods parades its famous Chile Ristra through the skies of the town. The Ristra is a decorative element seen all over the state – dried chiles are strung up to soak up the sun, presumably to be taken down and cooked (although most I’ve seen have gathered far too much dust and mold).

Kokopelli

This balloon bears a very traditional icon seen everywhere in the Southwest. Kokopelli, an iconic figure in Native American mythology, represents an entire gamut of concepts, from music to fertility.

Spiral Balloon

Colors and patterns abound. Many balloons have the logos of their corporate sponsors emblazoned across their surface, while others opt for a more traditional approach.

Dawn Patrol

Another event with more of a practical purpose is the Dawn Patrol. A series of balloons are sent up an hour before dawn to test wind conditions at various altitudes. Hot air balloons are incredibly sensitive to changes in the weather, and sending a thousand into the air – surrounded by 10,000 spectators – requires a few precautions.

Kushal Marvels at the Weather

Labor day falls at the end of New Mexico’s “Monsoon Season,” where the weather is fickle and entirely unpredictable. We were cruising along with the windows down one minute, then the next we were kicking the wipers up to full blast to see through the cloudburst that was overtaking us.

The weather made for some great lighting, though. Would that I had a waterproof camera, I would have captured the shot of the sun illuminating each raindrop from behind as they poured down on the glistening pine forest.

The Valles Caldera

Continuing northwards, we find ourselves at the Valles Caldera. This was the site of the Toledo Eruption, many many millenia ago. This volcanic eruption, they say, had 600 times the explosive power of Mount Saint Helens. It blew the top off this mountain, leaving a crater over 13 miles wide and scattering volcanic ash as far as Lubbock, Texas.

Elephant Butte Lake

The horizontal emphases in this shot seem almost planned. The water, the wide stretches of land, the clouds…

The stillness of the photograph belies the rapidly changing weather. It was quite windy here (as evidenced by the rippling water) and weather systems moved in and out, tossing thunderstorms all around the countryside.