Behind the Scenes

Taking a look behind the scenes of some of the photo shoots, in the Dragon and Elf Twins Balloon Adventure...

La Cloche Mountains

 I had bought a package of 'Helium Quality' balloons at Walmart, and there were there most (nine) red ones in the package, so those were what I was going to use for the twin's Hot Air Balloon. When I first designed the upper frame for the balloon, and we took it out for a test flight, the balloon was not tied down, so it blew off, and popped when it hit the ground. So I had to figure out a way to tie the balloon to the frame so it wouldn't blow away.  Then the first balloon I blew up on our trip just started to shrink almost immediately.  Same with the second one. What was going on?  At this rate the nine red balloons were not going to last an entire trip.

So I blew up a third balloon and we headed outside for the first photos.  The balloon basket had a wooden disk underneath, into which a long dowel fit. Jan would hold the balloon up by the dowel so I could take my photos...

Then after we got home I would remove the dowel in PhotoShop....

After we continued on our way, there was suddenly a bang in the back of the RV. The balloon had popped.  With it being so cold outside, and just a bit above freezing, the balloon had expanded when it went back into the warmer RV after the photo shoot. And I'd forgotten to loosen the string that was holding the balloon into the frame. So it popped. From then on I would need to remember to always loosen the string.

Serpent River

I was in considerable pain at the time, and knew I'd only be able to set up scenes on picnic tables during this trip. Fortunately, since we'd been up north here many times in the past, I knew exactly where to find picnic tables. So the first place we stopped was at the picnic area along the Trans Canada Hwy in Serpent River.

A few leaves scattered on the table would help blend the table top into the background....

More Flying

We stopped in several scenic locations to take more 'flying' photos. I wanted it to look like the dragons were flying onside....

But Jan only has two hands....so sometimes I'd hold a dragon as well...

Flying scene at Sinclair Cove - the same photo before and after PhotoShop...

At the waterfalls, before and after PhotoShop...

Rabbit Blanket Campground

There was one night as we were passing back through Lake Superior Provincial Park, that I really wanted to stay at a proper campsite so I could take my time with some 'camping' photos. I was in a lot of pain at the time and couldn't get down on the ground to take photos, so everything needed to be set up on picnic tables, so it was a more convenient height for taking photos.

Some pine needles scattered throughout the tiny campsite, help tie it into the forest background..

Losing Teddy

Towards the end of the trip I started to get more creative.  I'd taken enough simple 'flying' shots, and came up with a short storyline.  So first thing one morning we headed over to the Kilarney lighthouse.  I was planning on having Emily drop her bear, so needed Jan to hold the balloon higher up. That way I could shoot from below to give the impression of a great height with the twins looking down over the edge of the basket...

Then the final scene a little lower, when Saphira retrieves the bear....

the Last Campsite

Yes, you guessed it, I forgot to loosen the string on the balloon, so another one had popped.

But I'm not one to waste an opportunity, so used the pieces for some photos...

That evening I was hoping for a glorious sunset, and set up their campsite on the picnic table,

 with everyone waiting and watching for the sun to go down....

I even had a tiny battery-operated lantern...

Unfortunately it was a cloudless sky, so not the most exciting sunset, but they didn't really care. 
​It was all about the experience anyways.