Hot Air Balloon Photography Tips: How to Get Great Photos on Your Flight

The best hot air balloon photography tips fit on a sticky note: shoot early, shoot wide, keep your phone on a strap, and put the screen down now and then. You do not need a pro camera. A modern phone is plenty.

We fly out of Sonoma Skypark every morning, so we have watched thousands of first-timers try to photograph a flight. The ones who come home happy with their pictures all did a few of the same things. Here they are.

Start with what the rules allow

A few basics from our pre-flight page and FAQ shape everything else:

• Phone or camera on a neck strap. We ask you to bring one. You will be standing in a basket with your hands busy, and a dropped phone does not come back up from a vineyard.
• No camera bags, backpacks or purses aboard. Whatever you shoot with has to hang on you. Lock the bag in your car.
• No selfie sticks on join-in flights. Shared baskets are tight, and a stick swinging around is a hazard to your neighbor. Use your arm.
• No food or drink aboard. The champagne comes after landing.

That list is short on purpose. One camera, one strap, one free hand. Our full packing list covers the rest.

What kind of camera works best for balloon photos?

The one you will actually hold. For most people that is a phone. Here is how the options compare in a basket:

• Phone. Light, fast to raise, and the wide lens is exactly right for a basket full of people and a landscape that goes on for miles.
• Compact or mirrorless camera. Great if you already shoot with one. Pick a single wide or standard zoom lens and leave the lens bag at home. You cannot swap lenses with a burner firing overhead.
• Action camera. Good for video of the whole basket reacting. Wear it on a strap or wrist mount that cannot come loose.

Whatever you pick, charge it the night before. Cold mornings drain batteries faster than you expect, so keep your phone in an inside pocket until you need it.

Hot air balloon photography tips for your phone

These small habits make a bigger difference than any app:

1. Wipe the lens. A thumbprint on the glass turns a sunrise into a smear. Do it in the parking lot, with a soft shirt hem.
2. Use the wide lens for the basket and the main lens for the view. Wide shots of your group look great. Zoom for other balloons in the distance.
3. Tap the sky, then slide the exposure down a touch. At sunrise, phones tend to brighten shadows and blow out the glow. A slightly darker exposure keeps the color.
4. Turn the flash off. It does nothing at this distance and only reflects off the basket.
5. Shoot bursts or Live Photo when the burner fires. The flame lights the inside of the balloon, and the best frame is rarely the first one.
6. Turn on a grid. Keeping the horizon level makes every landscape look more professional.

Where to stand in the basket

You do not get a seat. You get a spot at the edge, and the pilot will place passengers for weight and balance, which is an FAA requirement. Within that, you have more room to move than you think. Our post on basket size and space explains how the layout works.

A few practical points:

• Your best shots of the landscape are across from where you stand. Turn around, since the view behind you is usually the better one.
• Ask your pilot before you move. Your pilot will tell you when to hold on and when you can move.
• Be kind to your neighbors. Share the edge, rotate when asked, and keep your elbows in.

If the basket matters to you, a private flight for two or four puts the whole edge at your disposal. Join-in flights share a basket with other guests.

How to take photos from a hot air balloon: the timeline

A flight has a rhythm, and each part gives you a different picture.

On the field

The most colorful pictures often happen before you leave the ground. Balloons are laid out, fans inflate the envelope, and the burner glows against the dark. Check-in at Skypark is at 6:15 a.m. through November and about 7:00 a.m. in December and January, and your reservation confirmation has your exact time. Take a few shots of the inflation, then put the phone away.

The climb

The ground drops away slowly, with almost no sense of motion. This is a good moment for a video clip. Hold the phone steady, pan slowly, and let the other balloons drift through the frame.

Cruising

This is the long, quiet middle of a 45 to 60 minute flight. Shoot the big views: vineyard rows, oak-dotted hills, and ridgelines on clear mornings. See where we fly for the landscape you can expect. Our guide on seeing San Francisco from a Sonoma balloon explains when the distant skyline shows up.

Landing and the toast

Stow the phone for the landing itself. Your pilot will tell you how to stand, and both hands belong on the basket. Afterward, the champagne toast is a classic photo with the crew, your group and the balloon. For a look at what happens in that last stretch, see where hot air balloons land.

The shots most people forget

• Your shadow. Early light throws a long balloon shadow across the vineyards. It is one of the best shots of the flight.
• The burner and the glowing envelope. Shoot up, with the flame in frame, for a warm, almost molten color.
• Hands on the basket edge. A close crop of a couple holding on or a kid pointing says more than another wide view.
• Your pilot at work. Photograph the person flying you. It makes a good keepsake.
• Other balloons at your altitude. Nothing looks more like a postcard than a second balloon below you over a green hill.

Put the phone down

This is the tip that guests thank us for most. Take your photos in the first ten minutes of the cruise, and then spend a while doing nothing. Balloons drift with the wind, so the ride is calm and quiet. A flight that you only watched through a screen is one you will not remember as well as the photos suggest.

If you want the memory and the pictures, ask a travel companion to be the photographer for a stretch and trade halfway. Or record one long video clip, then leave the phone in your pocket.

Dress for good photos, too

Bright solid colors photograph well against green fields and blue sky, and so do warm layers you can pull on and off. Skip hats that cover your face and loose scarves that blow around. Closed-toe shoes are required. Our first-timer mistakes post has the full list.

Quick answers

Can I bring a drone or a tripod?

Plan on neither. Photography in the basket is done by hand, on a strap, with the gear that fits on you. If you have an unusual setup in mind, call us at 707-819-9223 before your flight.

Will my photos get blurry?

Not from the flight itself. The basket moves smoothly with the air. Blur usually comes from a dirty lens, low light, or a shaky hand during the climb. Hold with both hands and brace your elbows on your body.

What is the best time of day for balloon photos?

Sunrise, and that is the only time we fly. The low sun gives warm color and long shadows, and the air is usually calm.

Can I get professional photos of my flight?

Call us at 707-819-9223 before you book and ask what is possible for your date and group.

The bottom line

Clean lens, wide shots, strap on, flash off. Take your best pictures in the first stretch of the cruise, then look up and enjoy the rest. The best photo from a balloon ride is usually the one you take with your own eyes. Ready to try it? The how to book page walks through the steps, and every flight includes a champagne toast.