On my last day in my hometown before leaving for college, I woke up before sunrise to photograph the 2019 Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic. Sunlight shone through the trees and the morning dew dissipated. Everyone's attention was on the dozens of colorful hot air balloons simultaneously inflating around the park. I walked in the middle of it all—meandering between other sleepy onlookers and the swelling balloons. Roars of flame heated the air. In my wandering, my attention became fixated on the shadows of a couple splayed against the vibrant envelope of an inflating balloon. The yellow fabric seemed to breathe, ripples dancing in the morning sun. There they stood—the shadows of their admiration framed amidst a patchwork quilt of color. I took the picture. Moments later, their shadows met the grass as the balloon lifted into the sky. "Looking Up" was included in my debut photo book, "Between Places" (2020).