This image was taken during "mass inflation" at the New Jersey Festival of Ballooning. This festival is held in the town of Readington, NJ every summer on the last weekend of July. It was my first time ever at a balloon festival and I got access to the launch field. This allowed me to watch the process of preparing, inflating and launching the hot air balloons in close proximity. Here is one of the pilots and a crew member getting their balloon ready for the early morning launch.