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Fireworks 2009
Fireworks 2009
banmorn


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Fireworks III (Advanced Editing)
Collection: Challenges 2009
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS for Nikon
Location: Camden, NJ
Date: Jan 1, 2009
Aperture: f/ 16
ISO: 200
Shutter: 5 seconds
Galleries: Cityscape, Urban
Date Uploaded: Jan 1, 2009

 OMG! It was #$)%*($ COLD!!!!!!!!!

Bev and I had a very nice New Year's Eve dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. Sweet Potate and Leek soup...YUMMY! That I will have again! We left the restaurant before 11:00 PM and drove over to the Camden Water Walk in NJ. I wanted a different POV from last year so we went further south below the NJ Aguarium and above the Battleship New Jersey. I found a nice little corner at the edge of the walkway to the battleship. Very little distraction, sight wise. And then....

The wind...oh my. It just chilled me to the bone and then to the marrow. Piercing! I had two shirts, a sweatshirt, scarf and a Cathart winter coat with hood and gloves and I was about as cold as I have ever been. And the wind just kept at it, blowing over the water and making what we were told as 16° feel like 0°. I set the tripod up but left the camera in the bag until the fireworks started. At one point while waiting for the start, I had turned for some reason and the wind blew over the tripod. Thank goodness the camera was not on it.

I could really barely function once the fireworks started. I had the first 20 or so exposures on manual focus before I realized it. The wind was blowing straight at the camera an in my face and was just unbearable. This is the only passable image I got and you can see the effects of the wind during the 5 second exposure on the cityscape under the fireworks.

I took 65 exposures and left half way through. The wind just kept up and I had to go with something I got. I just could not take it anymore. And I was not the only one. People were leaving from where I was in droves.

I found Bev in the car and went in and watched the rest of the show out of the wind and cold and sitting on my hands to try to warm them up. Just a miserable experience.

Post:
Camerera Raw adjustments in PSElements 6.0.
Crop two times.
Power Retouche Dynamic Range Compressor.
Layer adjustments for levels, brightness/contrast and hue/saturation.
Curves adjustment.
Adjust sharpness.
Remove color cast.
Resize.
USM.

Statistics Voting Breakdown (your vote is highlighted in red)
Place: 5 out of 42
Avg (all users): 6.8272
Avg (commenters): 7.8750
Avg (participants): 6.8636
Avg (non-participants): 6.8235
Views since voting: 1625
Views during voting: 697
Votes: 243
Comments: 15
Favorites: 4 (view)
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AuthorThread
MemberLydiaToo
 Canon EOS-40D 		01/09/2009 01:24:16 PM
Beautiful shot. Congrats on your HM!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
MemberSandyP
 Canon EOS-5D 		01/09/2009 10:58:46 AM
This is beautiful, Robert! Congratulations!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
Registered Userlandon1013
 Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT 		01/09/2009 04:35:16 AM
One of my personal favorites of the contest.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Memberandrewt
 Nikon D3 		01/09/2009 03:21:51 AM
Congrats on the HM Robert, glad you had a great dinner before you had to endure the cold!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
MemberCJinCA
 Canon EOS-40D 		01/09/2009 12:29:27 AM
Congrats on a top 5 finish - the colors are so beautiful in this!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
MemberHawkeyeLonewolf
 Samsung GX-10 		01/08/2009 09:17:59 PM
One of the tops this challenge - 7
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Memberscooter97
 Canon EOS-40D 		01/08/2009 08:38:33 PM
Nice colorful display. Nicely captured. I think the left part of the image doesn't do much for the overall appeal of the picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Memberthe99
 Sony DSLR-A100K 		01/08/2009 11:41:15 AM
perfect shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Memberkenna718
 Canon EOS-20D 		01/07/2009 06:35:35 PM
i wish I was at this display!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Registered Userjohngrif
 Leica M8 		01/06/2009 03:58:54 PM
i love the colors and how you framed this shot. very well done
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Memberriversong
 Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi 		01/03/2009 05:07:14 AM
Beautiful!!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Registered Userbspolk 01/02/2009 01:56:55 PM
I like this. I'd say this is 4th place.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Membertanguera
 Nikon D90 		01/02/2009 12:56:37 PM
Incredible colors! Where is this?
  Photographer found comment helpful.
Registered Userfmalan
 Nikon D80 		01/02/2009 06:32:41 AM
Nice RGB!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
MemberLadyK
 Canon EOS-5D Mark II 		01/02/2009 12:53:48 AM
wow, did you mess with the colors here? this is fantastic. i like how the city is out of focus, makes one completely focus on the fireworks themselves.
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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