Balloons and Filters

I'm headed to Albuquerque this weekend to watch some friends in the
balloon festival. I'm going to take some fast film for the dawn and
twilite launches, and probably 400 speed film for the midday stuff,
but I'm curious about filters. What sorts of filters would really make
the balloons stand out against the kind of clear blue sky that one
expects to see out in the Southwest? Any recommendations for cloudy
weather?

Thanks,
Dave K.

David wrote:

I'm headed to Albuquerque this weekend to watch some friends in the
balloon festival. I'm going to take some fast film for the dawn and
twilite launches, and probably 400 speed film for the midday stuff,
but I'm curious about filters. What sorts of filters would really make
the balloons stand out against the kind of clear blue sky that one
expects to see out in the Southwest?

Polariser.

Any recommendations for cloudy weather?

Use a more saturated film, such as Kodak Elite Color UC 400.

It will give punchy colours even on grey days.

"David" wrote

I'm headed to Albuquerque

Be sure to turn left.

this weekend to watch some friends in the balloon festival. I'm
going to take some fast film for the dawn and twilite launches, and
probably 400 speed film for the midday stuff

400 _is_ high speed, isn't it? If it were me I would use 100 for everything
and use a tripod if needed. Balloons don't move fast and it's not like you
run around a balloon floating in the sky looking for the best vantage point.

but I'm curious about filters. What sorts of filters would really make
the balloons stand out against the kind of clear blue sky that one
expects to see out in the Southwest?

1) Polarizer - works best at ~90 degrees to the sun
2) UV blocker, jury is out on what works best. B+W UV 415 is
the best specified. A 'haze' filter will work better than a 'UV
protector' a la Ritz -- they are different.
3) Warming filter can help with pictures not taken at sun-up/down
(actually a nap works best and saves film...) and can take some of
the blue out of high-altitude shadows, 81A is common
4) A didi enhancing filter sometimes, somewhere, though I have
found neither the time nor where.

Don't get your hopes up. A polarizer will produce the most
effect but only at certain angles, luckily those are also
photogenic angles.

Any recommendations for cloudy weather?

Find a good bar?

The same filters work in cloudy weather -- though the
polarizer will only work to remove some specular reflection.

Cloudy weather is pretty blue and so a warming filter does
help. Clouds pass a lot more UV than visible so ditto a UV blocker.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Darkroom Automation: F-Stop Timers, Enlarging Meters
http://www.darkroomautomation.com/index.htm
n o lindan at ix dot netcom dot com

Thanks gents. I appreciate the suggestions.