~SO HAPPY TOGETHER~ ACBP - Story-Telling

© Debbie E. Payne

~SO HAPPY TOGETHER~   ACBP - Story-Telling

Uploaded: August 30, 2008 21:33:31

Description

This was taken Labor Day weekend at the annual Colorado Balloon Festival in Colorado Springs, CO. The conditions for both ballooners and photographers were absolutely perfect - blue skies, calm waters and light breezes!
For ACBP exam: No story-telling series of this amazing Balloon Festival would be complete without an image of many colorful ballccns lining up across the lake with perfect reflections, still water and bright blue skies. Set-Up: Tripod, f/7, ISO 100 and 1/250 of a second.

Exif: F Number: 7.1, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/250 seconds, Flash: did not fire, compulsory flash mode, ISO: 100, White balance: Auto white balance, FocalLength: 26.00 mm, Model: Canon EOS 40D

Comments

Irene Colling level-classic August 30, 2008

What a perfect title for this photo. I love everything about the image. Good composition, great color and nice detail.

It's a happy photo!

NOw I have that song in my head. #989297

Sue C. Cole August 30, 2008

Outstanding!:) #6390245

Esther R. Tinz August 31, 2008

Wow!!!!! This is sure to be a winner. Love the colors and the sharpness. ~ Esther #6390765

Debbie E. Payne August 31, 2008

I dragged Martin down there again today and it was a totally different day. We will soon see which photos are better but my money is on Saturday's shots. There was more blue in the sky; less clouds than today. Still I think I got some different shot. It is a wonderful place to shoot. And here's a question for all of you. I was approached as I was taking pics and this lady who didn't bring any camera equipment wanted to buy one of my photos. She took my name and number - the one time I didn't have a BP card. Any idea how much to charge for a print. And I'm assuming that I would be printing it off and sending it to her. Any wags on an amount? #6391550

Sherry McClead August 31, 2008

Wow I would have loved to been there... if you ever get the chance... go before light... I have seen shots of the glowing ballons while they are being filled... and to have that reflected across the water... oh it would be a great capture.
Sherrybear :} #6391632

Sue C. Cole August 31, 2008

Debbie, this is surely a fine arts type of photograph, if would depend on what size the lady would want. I sell my fine arts; a 13x19 double matted to a 20x24 frame for $120.00 to $160.00 not matted for $90.00 to $120.00 depending on the uniqueness of the image. I hope this helps of course this is in the Seattle area. You might check your area galleries to see how much the prints are selling for, but remember in the galleries there is always a markup of normally 40 percent for the gallery. #6391732

Debbie E. Payne August 31, 2008

Sue - I am blown away! I have a hard time believing that something of mine could actually go for that much. I suspect she just wants a photo; but who knows? If she only wants a photo, I am thinking that I should find out what she wants, order it for her at an independent printers (not Walmart) and charge a couple of times more plus shipping and handling and send it to her. Yes....no....I'm stumped! #6392002

Laura E. Swan level-classic August 31, 2008

OH LOVELY and I detect some CALIFORNIA mountains in the back ground. Is this Napa Valley? Off of 101 maybe? Anyway I agree whole heartedly! A HAPPY PHOTO and VERY professional looking. Go for it "Dellen" and allow yourself to be an Artist. Offer to frame it and follow Sue's guide! FOR SURE! HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOUR WORK. WE DO! You deserve it!!! :) -Laura #6392739

Debbie E. Payne August 31, 2008

Nope -- this is Pikes Peak and the Front Range which parallels I-25 all the way from Denver past Colorado Springs. This happens, basically in our backyard. Takes about 15 minutes to drive to this site. They are having a Balloon Glo tonight but these old folks we are , plus being sick will stay home and watch a movie. Glo photos are too iffy. Have it have a tripod and in the crowd, that is difficult.

My, I think that is a lot of money but then the frames and double mats really add up, I know! At one both Martin and I took frame and matt class at the Air Force Academy. Maybe we need to again. #6392862

Sue C. Cole August 31, 2008

Debbie, I know it's a lot of money, however; you work very hard to accomplish your art, you put a lot of time and talent into one shot, you have put a lot of money into your equipment along with educating yourself in order to accomplish this type of shot. Your shots are not a point and shoot they are Fine Arts, check your local galleries, you could also check a few online galleries in your areas. When she calls you for a piece of your ART WORK let her know your are an award winning photographer and lead her to your website where she can be "awe struck" by all your finalist and EP on better photos. That should show her your art is worthy of the price tag. Don't doubt yourself. This is a real piece of art. You can also give her options of a smaller print for a smaller price tag. For sure go to a professional printing for fine arts and make sure you sign your art. If she only wants a photo then she should have brought her camera but lucky her she would run-up-on a proffessional photographer. If she doesn't want to spend that much money then you are out nothing:) Good Luck! #6393156

Aimee C. Eisaman September 01, 2008

I took a quick peek at all of the shots you have posted in your gallery and they are amazing! I even made my husband come and look at them! This photo here is one of my favorites! A sure fire winner in my eyes! I love the color and the reflections are just awesome! Personally I would have taken a tad off the top and the right hand side to balance it as it looks like it has more empty space on the right side than the left and for the top as well!

As for charging.....you got me there girl! I still have not figured out what I will charge if anyone hires me to do portraits! I know one thing though...I will not be doing the framing....I will be selling prints only! My mother in law owns a framing shop so I will send them her way, but most people for portraits will just grab a premade one somewhere. I just know from being around her business that doing the framing or being in charge of it would make things ultra complicated. People tell you exactly what they want and then come to pick it up and they don't like it even when you told them you thought it would look nice a different way! Where I live a print wouldn't go for much. I say find out what it would cost to have it printed in the size they want and then mark it up a certain percentage. I figure when I take my kids to the studio they charge between $15 and $20 for a sheet which essentially is an 8X10. If you have the time check out local galleries.....pictures like you have here are art work and they should be treated as such, but like others have said it depends on where you live! Where I live if you can't eat it or put it in your gas tank...people just aren't buying it! Hence why my MIL shut her art gallery down and now just does framing! Too bad I couldn't have been into photography to get my name out there easily when she had it!

Wishing you the best in this!!! #6394610

Angela C. French September 01, 2008

OMG - I want to order a copy of this! PERFECT! You have a money shot here!

As for charging - who knows, depends on your area. Denver is not cheap! Let me tell you though, I got a bunch of mine printed for a local fair photo contest, and I got them printed at Costco. Yeah, $2.99 for an 11x14! The paper is great, and if you have any issue, they will reprint!! Much better than any prints I have had made at Wal Mart or Target. When I get my business up and running - I will use Costco, hands down! #6394870

M.Christine Duncan September 01, 2008

Firstly... AMAZING! This is a winner m'dear!
Secondly, Sue's right! Charge roughly about the norm for the area. In a matted print I'd have it up around 100$ for a 20x24 gallery print size... but find out if maybe she just wants like an 8x10... then you'd ask about 40.00!
And whatever you do... go with a top printer, it's vital for quality, there's no substitute for when the image begins to age.... #6395475

Debbie E. Payne September 01, 2008

This has all been very helpful, ladies. Part of me wants her to call and another part of me doesn't. I am more in agreement of an 8X10 for around 40.00. And this 8x12 could easily be cropped to an 8x10 with little degradation. As I was taking the shots I was trying to keep the balloons well within the parameters of an 8x10 - except for the verticals with full reflections - most of those could not be made into the shorter prints.

Sue, your advice was excellent. I think, "Gone are the days of "giving photos away". It was much easier but doesn't pay for the lenses and camera bodies... Images by Dellen...Fine Art Photography. has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?? #6395550

Sue C. Cole September 01, 2008

Yes, Debbie "images by Dellen" "Fine Art Photography" sound wonderful. Go for it, you got it now flaunt it. You know my email I am here anytime you just want to talk.:) #6395818

Aimee C. Eisaman September 01, 2008

Yes I've always liked that professional name for you work! #6396465

Laura E. Swan level-classic September 01, 2008

Yep. Dellen is a winner. It stands out. #6396478

Adam CD Caron September 18, 2008

I cant wait to see this as a photo of the day. this has to be one of the coolest hot air balloons shots I have seen. #6472664

Debbie E. Payne September 18, 2008

You know Adam, that is a distinction that in the nearly three years in BP that I have never gotten. Thank you, Adam for what I would consider the supreme compliment. That would be my dream. I wonder how they pick them. Would they have picked it on the day it was entered? I entered this in the balloon contest the Gazette is holding for the festival this year along with four others. In the several years I have entered I have never even gotten an HM. But you should see the poor qualilty (IMO) of most of the winners over the last couple of years. If I can navigate there I will enter the link so you can see what I mean. This was really an amazing year for the balloons. #6472756

Debbie E. Payne September 18, 2008

Here is the link to the HomePage. Tell me what you think.

http://www.balloonclassic.com/
#6472773

M.Christine Duncan September 18, 2008

Debbie, I had a shot of Lupins make POTD and I still don't know how they decided but it wasn't the day I submitted it... it several months later! LOL so it's still a mystery to me!
I'm thrilled to see this get it's EP girl!!! Congrats!!! It's just so wonderful! #6472776

Debbie E. Payne September 18, 2008

Here's just a fun one I did last year - I'm calling it "Balloons on High". #6472791

Debbie E. Payne September 18, 2008

And thank you Sue, Aimee, Laura and Christine for your comments. I can't figure out why sometimes we get the notices about additions to our threads and sometimes we don't.

All I want to do is one day (or one year) get the Grand Prize so we can take a balloon ride because that is the grand prize. I'll probably just break down and do it on my own - I think it only costs around $200. For a thrill of a lifetime, that isn't too steep. Balloon rides in Crested Butte are somewhere in the $500 vicinity so I won't be flying over CB or Napa Valley in CA where I am sure the cost probably exceeds $700. #6472815

Sherry McClead September 18, 2008

Congrats on the EP!!

Sherrybear :} #6472844

Debbie E. Payne September 18, 2008

Christine -- Quick question. When you got the POTD, did BP notify you of it or did you just find out by seeing the tag on your image one day, or find out when someone else congratulated you on it? Just curious. #6472900

Aimee C. Eisaman September 24, 2008

Whoooohoooo....way to go on the EP! #6505389

Irene Colling level-classic September 24, 2008

Congrats on the EP Debbie.

I'm glad this one got the judges approval because it gave me a chance to read the photo selling dialogue.

I once had a photo someone wanted to buy and I gave a very modest price. They changed their mind and didn't want it anymore. Few people I know will spend money on art.

#6506241

Laura E. Swan level-classic September 24, 2008

See! The judges love it too! COOL! Congrats Lady! #6506280

Debbie E. Payne September 24, 2008

I'm printing Red Abstraction tonight -- Hope my friend, the art teacher, likes it!! I think you need people who know about art to buy art. I just would never think that anyone I know well would buy from me, simply because of a credibility issue. Why is that, I wonder???

But the lady at the Balloon Festival didnt' ever call me back. She probably wanted only a photo and maybe went back the next day with her camera.


#6507211

Laura E. Swan level-classic September 24, 2008

Well it's an amazing shot. Too bad you have no way of contacting the hot air balloon riders/owners here. THEY would sure want to buy a print! If I were in one of them I'd sure pay you. $65.00 + even! Depending on the frame you chose. :)

-Laura #6507227

Sue C. Cole September 24, 2008

Congrats Debbie, another one well deserved:) #6507532

Sirsendu Gayen September 29, 2008

Absolutely superb image with great color ,composition and details.The reflection in water is superb.The title exactly match with the image. #6528252

Debbie E. Payne September 29, 2008

Again, Sirsendu. Thank you for taking time to visit my gallery and comment. It is really appreciated. I almost like titling my images as much as I do making them! #6529819

JudyAnn Rector level-classic December 02, 2008

Beautiful image and the colors simply radiate! #6841083

Debbie E. Payne December 02, 2008

Thank you JudyAnn! This is a re-submit from a couple of months back because I thought it might fit well with December's theme and get a little bit further along. Thank you for looking! You have a wonderful gallery. #6841641

Aimee C. Eisaman December 08, 2008

This shot just pulls me in everytime I look at it! Awesome! :~) #6869379

Irene Colling level-classic December 09, 2008

Now I am singing "So Happy Together" in my head again. la la la la...

So happy you got an EP on this wonderful photo. #6872174

Laura E. Swan level-classic December 09, 2008

....nobody but you, for all my liiiiiiiiiiife ... Oh. Sorry! Got carried away! Congrats on the EP! :)

This colorful shot always brings back memories of when we were all first discussing this image! COOL! -Laura #6873817

Debbie E. Payne December 09, 2008

I just wish I knew if it is in the running for this month; because it has the designation on it from before, it is impossible to tell. They say some people just resubmit the original image so it is assigned a different number. But then you'd have two images the same in your gallery. I suppose you could suppress the one with the tag until the end of that month's contest and if it didn't go any further you could simply throw one away and if the image made it to Finalist you could throw away the EP one. Does that even make sense? #6873845

Laura E. Swan level-classic December 09, 2008

Don't ask me. I save EVERYTHING. I still have my 7th grade GYM SHOES! Ha!

The threads are ALL precious to me because of everything BP'ers write. I guess when our BP galleries get to maximum we could get more serious..even print them out B4 deleting? Until hen I say SAVE. All are precious! :) -Laura #6873881

Corinne M. Thompson December 15, 2008

A beautiful capture! #6897075

Debbie E. Payne December 15, 2008

Thank you, Corinne. Browsed through your gallery this evening. Loved all your leaf photos. I go absolutely bonkers over fall color and leaves. Now that there is snow on the ground I will concentrate on macros. #6897150

Jeanine M. Bailey January 21, 2009

CONGRATS Debbie on a BEAUTIFUL FINALIST!! :) #7063423

M.Christine Duncan January 21, 2009

Awesome image Debbie.... I knew we'd see this with a big tag under it!!! Congrats m'dear! #7063687

Debbie E. Payne January 21, 2009

Thank you, Jeannine and Christine - This one IS proof that you can re-submit your EP in a different month or a different theme and make it go further. Had gotten an EP on this one a while back and decided that I thought it could do better in a different month and I am happy to say, I got lucky!!!! #7064494

Laura E. Swan level-classic January 21, 2009

Well, well, well! What have we here? The Photo that just keeps on getting! HA! Huge congrats on your finalist Debbie!!! -Laura :) #7065640

Adam CD Caron January 21, 2009

Congrats this is such a great photo #7065765

Usman M. Bajwa level-classic January 21, 2009

Lovely MT entry. Congrats on getting the Silver Medal.

UB. #7065820

Esther R. Tinz January 22, 2009

Looking back at the discussion thread - I see that I wrote it was sure to be a winner - and lo and behold - it is.
A Most Beautiful photo and well deserving of the silver medal. Congratulations Debbie!! - Esther #7066551

Ulysses A. Villamin January 22, 2009

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! #7067717

Debbra Bailey January 22, 2009

Absolutely stunning. wow - congrats! #7068215

Sam Britt January 22, 2009

Congratulations Debbie! #7068461

Sam Britt January 22, 2009

Congratulations Debbie! #7068462

Aimee C. Eisaman January 22, 2009

Congrats on a stunning finalist Debbie! :~) #7068684

Eugenio Diaz January 24, 2009

SUPERB!! Huge congratulations on your GORGEOUS finalist!
WTG!!!
FANTASTIC image!!! #7079601

Linda Blair January 25, 2009

So beautiful and colorful....congratulations!!!!!! #7083884

Christine Lobsinger level-classic May 21, 2009

Debbie I have been inside your fantastic gallery of work and you have so so many beautiful creations!!! I really love this one with it's very happy title.. your picture and caption go very well together!!
An interesting thread too my dear'
A Huge Congrats on your Winner!!
Christine
SMILING
PS have you ever thought of sending your images to a postcard manufacturer or do your own up?? #7545604

Susan M. Reynolds level-classic January 03, 2010

What a wonderful photo, it's clarity, composition, color...STUNNING! A well-deserved finalist.
I'd agree with Sue C. on pricing your work. Art is subjective, but it is still very valuable. As Sue C. stated, it's not only your talent and time involved, there is also the price your equipment and any training you've received, never mind your years of experience. Anything worth value has a price tag....and yes, I would also agree that what you can charge also depends largely on where you are located geographically. Hope that helps....and I have to say again this is a stunningly, beautiful photo! Congratulations again on reaching the finalist position!
#8267374

Debbie E. Payne January 03, 2010

Thank you, Susan. I've been thinking about you lately. When will they notify their winner in that contest you told us about. I did my comments/voting at the last minute. Hope they got in there. I was very impressed with your video.

This is one of my favorite photos of the Balloon Festival. Only half a year until the next one. Some years are way better than others. Last year the weather didn't play along as well as the year this one was taken. It's always "potluck". #8267466

Sue C. Cole January 03, 2010

Hi Debbie, It's funny I have been wondering how things are going with you lately and wala this photograph appears. I hope all is going well with you and I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year. #8267480

Debbie E. Payne January 03, 2010

Sue, I've been thinking about you as well. Went to your gallery not long ago and noticed that there were mostly shots of back when you were still in Phellos. I'll bet you have been so busy with your business venture with your daughter that you don't have much time for BP anymore. I am no closer to making money with my photography than I was the last time I "talked" to you. Either I am a lousy saleswoman, or it's the economy and the people I've targeted. Because I've sold a couple of good-sized prints and quite a few greeting cards, I know that what I'm putting out there is good, but I am just not running across any opportunities. I am convinced that the only way to make money is to do portraiture and I pretty much suck at anything not natural light.

If any of you who may be reading this thread ever gets a few spare minutes, go to my gallery and look at the "A Few of My Favorite Things" album. I have begun this year-long project photographing the things I have that are important to me and why they are important. It won't be long before we will retire and will have to get rid of a lot of things that we really don't need but still love and my plan is to capture those treasures and make the connections to what is really important about them: the people who gave them to me or are connected to me in some way because of them. I've managed three days, so far. Wish me luck. I'd love to hear what you think. #8267507

Laura E. Swan level-classic January 03, 2010

I love it when this one rolls back around!

Photobucket

TO YOU AND YOURS DEBBIE!!!

-Laura :D #8267557


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