Inside the Basket - Doug Hinebaugh, Photographer and Social Media Manager

November 19, 2024

Each year, Balloon Fiesta welcomes and works with members of the media during the event from all media platforms including broadcast, print, photography and digital media. These members embark on the exciting challenge of showcasing the vibrant colors, dynamic movements, and magical moments that define this iconic event.

In this edition of Inside the Basket, we hear from Doug Hinebaugh, a photographer and social media manager. Doug shares his experience at the 52^nd Balloon Fiesta and provides insights for guests and photographers planning to attend next year’s Balloon Fiesta.

1. Give a brief overview of yourself and how you came to attend the 52nd Balloon Fiesta.

My name is Doug Hinebaugh and I’m a photographer, social media manager, and local advocate from Toledo, Ohio. I honestly did not have much firsthand experience with hot air balloons in my life until this past summer. But once I finally got up close to some in Findlay, Ohio at the Flag City Balloon Festival, I was hooked! As luck would have it, the 10-day Southwest Road Trip my girlfriend Kristen and I had planned for October ending in Albuquerque just happened to coincide with the Balloon Fiesta. Then we found out that our good Toledo friend Brennan and his team would also be there and would be flying! So even after 7 days of the desert with stops in 4 National Parks and 1 Monument, we knew deep down that the best part of the trip still awaited us in ABQ. And Fiesta truly delivered!

2. What is your favorite part about attending Balloon Fiesta?

We were honestly overwhelmed by the energy we could feel as soon as we hit the field in the dark and started encountering fellow Fiestagoers enjoying the predawn drone show. Watching the teams getting prepared for launch and then taking off into the sky was exhilarating and everyone seemed to be having fun from the jump. If I had to pick one favorite part though, it was learning about the traditions behind the post-flight champagne toasts and the Balloonist’s Prayer. I’d never considered what laypeople like me might’ve thought in the late 1700s had I seen a balloon landing in my farm field, and I think the Frenchmen raising a toast with their unsuspecting hosts is such a wonderful way to celebrate a safe flight. Seeing Brennan and his Team Leader Jordan’s crew partake in the tradition that afternoon just made my entire day.

3. Can you tell the story of your favorite Balloon Fiesta photo you’ve taken?

I always have trouble picking just one favorite. I love what I do and think that I’m pretty good at taking photos. So I tend to like a LOT of my own photos and I came back home to Toledo with dozens of favorites from this year’s Balloon Fiesta. But having to pick just one for ‘Inside the Basket’ meant finding one that told a complete story in my estimation and just made me smile. The Fiesta field marshalls, lovingly called “Zebras,” kept us all entertained while keeping the launches coming and stood out to me as a highlight of the entire festival. The photo that I chose and included with my interview not only includes the colorful balloons that are iconic to Fiesta, but one of those high-spirited Zebras giving the GO to an eager flight team as they lifted off of terra firma for the clear blue skies over Albuquerque.

4. What tips do you have for guests and photographers planning to attend next year’s Balloon Fiesta?

My number one tip would be to bring some zoom along. And to use the entire field! Most of our early morning was spent up next to(and then under) the balloons and, while those shots were fun with a wider lens, they didn’t give many clues as to scale of the balloons in relation to the environment. It was really when I got some distance away and zoomed those subjects back in that the mountains and crowds lent some context to my compositions. It was then when my balloon photos finally found a story to tell. A 70-200mm lens on a full frame body will be your best friend at Fiesta. Bon Chance!

5. Of the many balloons at Balloon Fiesta, which is your favorite?

Like plenty of my Fiestagoers I’m sure, the shaped balloons stole my heart and added a rewarding whimsy to what was already a visually outrageous scene. I’d never imagined 500- 600 balloons in the sky at one time before we first looked up the Balloon Fiesta. So you could’ve knocked me over with a feather when I saw a square gingerbread house hovering over the field. While that and the animals like the pig and elephant were tons of fun, I’d have to say that I enjoyed the Duke City cement mixer balloon the most. The engineering that must’ve gone into it to make that wildly complex shape fly gets my gears turning and we weren’t the only ones praising it out loud.