Perfect for Proposals, Engagement, Family Portraits & More!
Mini Session Portraits with Balloons!
This famous Albuquerque event is the most photographed in the world. Need a professional photographer to cover your adventure? Look no further!
Monday-Thursday Morning Ascension Package
Best Selling and most popular photography package
Hang out with us and watch the launch during any one of the Festival's weekdays. Your adventure begins by meeting us at 5:30AM at a predetermined checkpoint at the balloon park itself. Avoiding the traffic and gridlock, we ride the shuttle through its own route and entrance to the park. We'll hang out, grab some breakfast, and get ready for Dawn Patrol launch which will take weather readings for Mass Ascension. As the sun starts to come up, the balloons will begin inflating. If the Go-For-Launch is given, ascension will begin at 7am. For the next hour, you will be immersed in colorful shapes in every direction. Ascension will last approximately 1.5 hours.
- 2.5 hours at the Balloon Park
- No photo download limits
- Online Proof Gallery
- Optional Printing Access
- 1-2 Week Processing
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- In order to meet us at the Park at 5:30AM, you will need to give yourself at least 2 hours travel time from your home or hotel. Anticipate gridlocked traffic and long lines at the gates.
- The Fiesta charges for parking and only takes cash.
- We will do a team meeting via Zoom the day before to go over the details.
Only $145 / Slot
ONLY 4 SLOTS PER DAY
Meeting Time: 5:30AM
Approx. End Time: 8:00AM
Parking Location:
Balloon Fiesta Park, 9401 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113
Weekday Balloon Glow Package
Don't Miss it!
The most anticipated event each day, the Balloon Glow is an exciting after dark experience where the balloons of the Fiesta light up the night sky! We will arrive by 4:30pm at the designated checkpoint. You will have 1 hour to grab some food and explore before the Glow begins. At 5:30pm we will meet back up and start towards locations for photography to begin. At 6pm, the balloons inflate and for approximately 1 hour, these orbs of light will twinkle and awe you. The night will end with the spectacular fireworks show!
- 2.5 hours at the Balloon Park
- No photo download limits
- Online Proof Gallery
- Optional Printing Access
- 1-2 Week Processing
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- We will do a team meeting via Zoom the day before to go over the details
SOLD OUT!
ONLY 4 SLOTS PER DAY
Meeting Time: 4:30PM
Approx. End Time: 7:00PM
Parking Location:
Balloon Fiesta Park, 9401 Balloon Fiesta Pkwy NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113
Friday, Saturday, Sunday Morning Mass Ascension Package
VIP Balloon Photography Package
Hang out with us and watch the launch during any one of the Festival's weekdays. Your adventure begins by meeting us at 3:45AM by meeting us at Coronado Mall Park & Ride. Avoiding the traffic and gridlock, we ride the shuttle through its own route and entrance to the park. Shuttles depart at 4AM on the dot so please don't be late. We hang out and have breakfast until Dawn Patrol launches to take weather readings for Mass Ascension. As the sun starts to come up, the balloons will begin inflating. If the Go-For-Launch is given, ascension will begin at 7am. For the next hour, you will be immersed in colorful shapes in every direction. Ascension will last approximately 1.5 hours. Afterwards we will depart the park the same way we came.
- 2.5 hours at the Balloon Park
- Up to 2 People Fiesta Admission Included
- Up to 2 People Park & Ride Fare Included
- No photo download limits
- Online Proof Gallery
- Optional Printing Access
- 1-2 Week Processing
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- We will do a team meeting via Zoom the day before to go over the details
sold out!
ONLY 4 SLOTS PER DAY
Client Arrival Time: 3:45AM
Approx. End Time: 8:00AM
Parking Location:
Coronado Center Mall, 6600 Menaul Blvd NE Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87110
Weekend Balloon Glow Package
VIP BALLOON GLOW PACKAGE
The most anticipated event each day, the Balloon Glow is an exciting after dark experience where the balloons of the Fiesta light up the night sky! Join us for an all evening experience beginning at 4pm when we meet at the official Park & Ride location. Avoiding the traffic and gridlock, we ride the shuttle through its own route and into its own entrance to the park. We will arrive by 5pm you have 1 hour to grab some food and explore before the Glow begins. At 6pm, the balloons inflate and for approximately 1 hour, these orbs of light will twinkle and awe you. The night will end with the spectacular fireworks show!
- 2.5 hours at the Balloon Park
- Up to 2 People Fiesta Admission Included
- Up to 2 People Park & Ride Fare Included
- No photo download limits
- Online Proof Gallery
- Optional Printing Access
- 1-2 Week Processing
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- In order to meet us at the Park at 4:30PM, you will need to give yourself at least 2 hours travel time from your home or hotel. Anticipate gridlocked traffic and long lines at the gates.
- The Fiesta charges for parking and only takes cash.
- We will do a team meeting via Zoom the day before to go over the details
SOLD OUT!
ONLY 4 SLOTS PER DAY
Package Start Time: 5:00PM
Approx. End Time: 7:30PM
Parking Location:
Coronado Center Mall, 6600 Menaul Blvd NE Suite 1, Albuquerque, NM 87110
How It Works
Additional Information
Slot 'Mini' Sessions. As a 30 year veteran of the Balloon Festival, Ponic Photography brings you an exclusive experience by providing "Mini" Photography Sessions at the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. Our approach is simple, providing each client with affordable yet breathtaking photography from the most photographed event in the world. Each day of the Fiesta is divided into a Day Team. Each team consists of four couples. These four couples attend the fiesta together! In the three hours we have, we rotate through each couple so that each will get equal photography time! By booking up to four couples per day, we can lower the cost of the session making it affordable to all. We have you arrive early enough so you don't miss a thing!
How Long Is Your Session? Contrary to myth, the Festival is not a fast event, it takes all morning or all evening. You simply cannot show up last minute. It takes a couple hours just to get in the event followed by a lot of waiting for the balloons to launch. Overall, anticipate at least 3-4 hours total. If you are not prepared, you can literally miss the balloons entirely by getting stuck in traffic or the Fiesta's long lines. We've seen it time and time again. We pledge to make your experience as easy as possible and have done all the planning and prep work for you. All you need to do is arrive on-time and follow our lead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach us via chat or ponicphotography@gmail.com if you cannot find an answer to your question.
The balloons launch only in the mornings. Mass Ascension is at 7AM every morning of the Fiesta's nine scheduled days. The evening Balloon Glow is a static display, not a launch. There are no launches after 7am except for private balloon rides.
The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta is not a fast event, it takes all morning or all evening. You simply cannot show up last minute and expect to get in. Most of that time you are waiting either in line or in traffic. On average, it takes approximately 2 hours to enter the Fiesta. Security clearance, bag checks, traffic jams and long lines are expected. Our start times have been carefully designed after years of trial and error. It is very common for traffic to completely gridlock in the hours before launch.
Dates are first come first serve. We cannot guarantee an available slot in the event of a missed session. In order to remain on schedule for the benefit of all clients, our sessions begin at the posted times on the dot.
You should give yourself at least full hours from the moment of leaving your home or hotel to arriving at our checkpoint. Anticipate gridlocked traffic, long lines at the gate, and a hug mass of people to work through while in the park itself.
In order to adhere to our event schedule, all clients should arrive no later than 3:45am at their Park & Ride location for the mornings and 4:45pm in the evenings. If you miss this departure time, it will be your responsibility to travel to the Fiesta on your own and meet us.
Yes you can. To book us exclusively, you will want to purchase all four available slots for either the morning or the evening. Dates and slots are first come first serve and we tend to book up at least two months in advance.
We unfortunately cannot offer refunds in the event of a balloon ascension or glow cancelation. This is due to the fact that events are not officially canceled until the last possible moment, long after we've already arrived at the park. The "Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta" reserves the right to either delay or cancel a day's events at the last moment without warning. 98% of all cancelations are weather related. If it raining, windy or foggy, the balloons will not launch.
It's going to be cold. VERY COLD. The average pre-dawn temperature at the park is at least 40 degrees or lower and it will remain that cold until after sunrise and after the balloons have launched. We recommend dressing accordingly with heavy coats, long pants and comfortable, warm boots or shoes.
Unfortunately Fiesta policy expressly prohibits crowd control of any kind for both safety and attendee benefit. We will do our best to minimize others in your shots but we cannot guarantee it.
As of 2023, Park & Ride no longer runs on Monday-Thursday and is only available on Friday-Sunday.
Copyright © 2023 Ponic Photography - All Rights Reserved.
Ponic Photography seeks to serve all potential clients. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, age, height, weight, physical or mental ability, veteran status, military obligations, or marital status.
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