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Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Fireworks (Advanced Editing IV)
Collection: Favorites - Ribbons
Camera: Canon EOS-20D
Lens: Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM
Location: Nashville, TN
Date: Jul 4, 2006
Aperture: f/9.0
ISO: 800
Shutter: 1/2
Date Uploaded: Jul 5, 2006

Thanks to some inside connections, I was able to shoot from the rooftop of the Gaylord Entertainment Center tower (the Nashville Arena). I was the only photographer up there. ;-D

I started shooting at 10mm with the intention of showing the entire city skyline, but the fireworks were so small in comparison that I had to zoom in anyway. Oh well.

I'm a little nervous about this one since the only monitor I have available is my laptop, and it's REALLY hard to tell if the color and brightness are correct on a laptop (although it IS calibrated). As a result, processing was pretty basic- Neat Image, levels, USM & HSL. A little Dodge & Burn and spot saturation, too.

Post-challenge- Wow! I certainly didn't expect a 7.4 score here, but I'll admit the the first words out of my mouth after getting up on the roof were, "Oh, this isn't even fair!" Thanks for the votes and comments everyone!

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 159
Avg (all users): 7.4249
Avg (commenters): 8.6111
Avg (participants): 7.0519
Avg (non-participants): 7.6090
Views since voting: 25906
Views during voting: 605
Votes: 233
Comments: 68
Favorites: 22 (view)


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AuthorThread
07/19/2006 04:32:10 AM
no complaiints and deserved top 3 regardless of personal feelings...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/18/2006 06:58:57 AM
Congrats on the first place! Excellent work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/16/2006 06:12:47 PM
great shot...very impressive.
i'm going to college in nashville this fall, and i recognized the bellsouth tower immediately.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/15/2006 05:51:54 PM
Congrats..Love that blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/14/2006 12:23:29 PM
Well you are just racking them up this year.
Nice Shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 11:28:38 PM
I had a feeling this one would get top honors! Very appropriate! It's just aMAZING!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 11:18:43 PM
I work for BellSouth also (If you couldn't tell by my name). I'll show this to every one at the office. Congrats on the blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 09:27:06 PM
Very cool shot. I work for Bellsouth and enjoyed seeing the "Bat Building".
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 04:46:56 PM
The Bell South tower does it for me. Gives size and height to the exploding firework. And the street colors down below glow very well. Then again you did pick a very good time to take a fireworks shot with the blue above and showers below. Once again excellent capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 02:46:48 PM
Congratulations, Excellent shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:27:01 PM
Yay...the Batman building! I've lived in Nashville all my life...this really showcases downtown nicely! Do you live in the Nashville area, too? My hubby and kids and I live in Franklin...are you familiar with that area?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:06:38 PM
Shannon ! great picture. Congrats on the blue. That's one for the 20D team, keep it up you are the anchor :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:48:09 PM
Thought about contacting Bellsouth's advertising department with this photo?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 11:36:52 AM
Awesome Shannon! Congratulations on another great picture and score!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 09:47:34 AM
You said it right: "This isn't even fair!" Congrats on your newest ribbon, you insider, you...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 09:35:56 AM
I pass the bat tower many many times a year, but it has never looked so good. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 08:57:41 AM
Congratulations.
Excellent planning and execution.
Nince one.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 08:56:44 AM
One of my top picks for the challenge. Great capture and composition. Congrats again!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 08:53:32 AM
Congrats on the blue. Very well deserved - what an awesome opportunity for shooting fireworks.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 07:59:00 AM
Excellent shot to preserve history as well. (The sign on that building wil l read AT&T soon...)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 07:54:57 AM
What an excellent shot! I actually saw that fireworks show, only I was a bit farther away on top of the Science Adventure Center building through a "connection" also!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 07:10:11 AM
You da man. Congrats!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 05:51:45 AM
Oh crap, just realized that with this ribbon you once again pulled ahead of me in the ribbon race this year, I guess I´ll just have to get another one to equal you :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 05:49:49 AM
Congrats dude, this is the way fireworks shots are supposed to be, have an interesting settings and overflowing with colors, nice work. I didn´t vote cause of the stinking flu I had all week, just didn´t have the energy but would have given this a 10.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:58:32 AM
Alright Shannon, way to carry the team!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:52:42 AM
WTG Shannon! Congrats on your well deserved blue!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:32:14 AM
What do you do for an oncore,you've had a great week, congratulatioons.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:28:42 AM
Fantastic blue flower shot. Congratulations.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:23:33 AM
Congratulations Shannon! You are on a roll! Nice fireworks scene, too!

add: just noticed that the firework looks kinda like a blue ribbon... coincidence, or a subtle cue for voters' subconsience? :)

Message edited by author 2006-07-13 01:37:06.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:15:43 AM
Man I hate you. :P I had a similar plan but we got some electrical storms over Austin that night and well I just chickened out. Not that I would have created anything close to this. Congrats on yet another ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 01:03:19 AM
Congratulations on winning the blue ribbon with this stunning shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:59:46 AM
Not a 1, nor a 2 or even a 3 in the scores.
Congrats Shannon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:12:31 AM
Woohoo! You da man Shannon! Congrats on another ribbon :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:11:48 AM
What were you doing in NashVegas? I recognized the city right away. GREAT SHOT! Congratulations!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:11:08 AM
yet another ribbon Shannon...are you bribing the voters? Excellent work and a great image my friend
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:09:45 AM
Congratulations! What a view. An excellent capture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:08:57 AM
Hey, congrats, Shannon! Two on top, that's great!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:08:36 AM
Congrats on another one! No trickery? No peanuts? No rodents who wouldn't behave? Great job as usual.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:08:22 AM
CONGRATS! It's beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:07:52 AM
Ha, great one shannon. Like I said, it was over 7 minutes into the challenge...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:07:34 AM
Congrats Shannonon first place.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:07:25 AM
Congrats! I KNEW this was yours because you said you were going to Nashville to see fireworks. AMaZingG as always!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/13/2006 12:06:24 AM
Fan-frigging-tastic! Another reason you're one of my favorite photogs.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
07/12/2006 09:30:39 PM
exelent
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/12/2006 05:07:01 PM
Great! I love Nashville, but I've not been able to be there for fireworks. Great capture. It is so well balanced.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/12/2006 10:30:54 AM
Nashville, TN has a wonderful fireworks show. This shot appears to have been taken from an upper level of the Gaylord Entertainment Center. Great shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/11/2006 07:42:23 PM
This would have been fantastic if it weren't for the overpowering Bell South building. Cropping immediately to the right of that building would in my opinion improve the photo a great deal. Still very good though.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/11/2006 05:03:09 PM
This is very nice! Not sure I would have included as much of the street, but it does add some character to the shot.
TC
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/11/2006 04:12:13 PM
Really good capture of the big blue burst. The city lights add to the picture. Unfortunately the big building has the name (advertising?) on top of it.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/11/2006 03:56:37 PM
oooooooh!!! I love this!!! Great Photo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/09/2006 11:42:17 PM
now that is very cool! Is that in Nash, TN? 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 08:34:59 PM
Beautiful!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 07:30:17 PM
great framing. you're in my top 5 for this challenge.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 05:40:56 PM
eeeeaaaasy ribbon winner. very nicely done. my favorite by far, and i'm sure you're getting many of the same comments.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 03:13:04 PM
great photo
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 01:39:59 PM
WOW! Nice one! Love the blues and the city. It's a wonderful display!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 11:22:13 AM
Yikes!! Ribbon photo if I ever saw one!!!! Congratulations! This is beeeeeeeeeautiful ! ! ! !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 09:08:23 AM
love the city lights with this! great job!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/07/2006 08:54:08 AM
I really like this one the best.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 06:57:08 PM
Very well captured... could see this in a glossy magazine promo for the city...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 03:45:41 PM
0-2 Meets Challenge: 2
0-3 Technical Merit: 3
0-3 Creativity: 2
0-2 Biased Wow Factor: 2
Total = 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 12:03:41 PM
That's awesome
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 11:10:59 AM
Most of the City ones i did not find to apealing....this one on the other hand is Wonderful.... Very Well done Colors...Crop...well balanced... i like how the traffic is backed up... need to but some talk bubbles down there lol.... GREAT Shot!! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 08:50:04 AM
this is one of the better ones...well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 06:42:56 AM
Bet most people haven't this view of Nashville, nice capture, composition and color-9-
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 12:28:01 AM
Well done...very pretty
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 12:08:32 AM
ya, 7 minutes in, I declare you the winner...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
07/06/2006 12:07:24 AM
Good Lord Poster material--

This is just jaw-dropping--
10
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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