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Firsty


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Fireworks II (Advanced Editing V*)
Camera: Nikon D200
Lens: Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Nikon
Location: Sydney Australia
Date: Dec 31, 2006
Aperture: f 8
ISO: 100
Shutter: 8 seconds
Galleries: Sky
Date Uploaded: Dec 31, 2006

thanks for the Blue ribbon :)
sorry about the title I was not expecting to win, it was all I could come up with that wasn't to long

Taken in Sydney at the Midnight fireworks display and was originally entered in the December free study challenge because of the time difference allowed it in there but then I saw the fireworks speed challenge so I moved it here
even though the shutter was 8 sec the exposure was about 4 sec as I held my hand in front of the lens till after the initial burst so the centers didn't blow out and that is why the small burst has a blown center as it happened after I moved my hand then I covered the lens when I thought I had enough light exposed
raw edit with rawshooter pro :
lowered color temp and raised tint to enhance the blues (back to what I saw on the night)
Increased shadow contrast +52 (to darken background)
lowered highlight contrast -24 (to fix bright city lights)
boosted saturation +29 and vibrance +8 (thats what you do for fireworks)
straighten and crop
export as tiff
edits with PS2 :
boosted saturation +14
lowered brightness -3
increased contrast +5
burnt using shadow setting to further darken sky and background
used sponge tool to saturate fire works only
lite sharpen
resize
output sharpen
add border
change color profile for web
save for web

there was to much detail in the shot so had to keep the size down to 680 square even then I could only save at about 70% quality

Statistics
Place: 1 out of 74
Avg (all users): 7.8225
Avg (commenters): 8.4516
Avg (participants): 7.3415
Avg (non-participants): 7.9263
Views since voting: 17073
Views during voting: 510
Votes: 231
Comments: 66
Favorites: 28 (view)


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AuthorThread
01/15/2007 01:18:25 PM
am really fasinated by ur work,i av tried something similar.U did well, pls send me some material on how to use my nikon8700 effectivly.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/13/2007 07:19:19 PM
Wonderful image, congrats on your ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 09:24:09 PM
Congrats on the blue ribbon and the monster score!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 07:26:14 PM
Beautiful shot - Congrats on the blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 06:59:47 PM
Wow, a Sydney postcard.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 02:09:02 PM
Well done Firsty. Very nice colourful shot. Your processing has given it a very professional look. Congrats on another high score and BLUE ribbon.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:09:34 PM
Complimenting blues to go with your ribbon :) This is absolutely FABULOUS!

Congratulations on receiving top honors for this stunning photo!!!

  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 11:54:47 AM
Congrat's on your blue with this amazing shot!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 10:01:49 AM
The colors are great on this beautiful photo. Congratulations on winning the blue ribbon!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 09:48:00 AM
It's amazing to me that others would think yours should have been the red versus the blue. Hands down this is the best! Beautifully done.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 09:15:16 AM
This is, quite possibly, my favorite fireworks shot ever. Congrats on your blue, which is well-deserved! :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 09:09:13 AM
COngrats. I thought I'd find this challenge boring and I was pleasantly surprised.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 07:54:31 AM
And Blue it is!! Congratulations on your Ribbon with this fantastic burst of Blue!! Amazing work!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 07:50:37 AM
Congratulations on winning. A wonderful image and I find your write-up on how you took the photo with your hand in front of the lens very useful. Thank you for that.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 07:50:01 AM
I can't believe people are telling you that 2nd place is better than yours.
It may be the case and it may not.
Everyone has their opinions and are entitled to air them.
I just think it's bad manners to do so like that.

Anyway, excellent shot and congratulations.

edit: spelling

Message edited by author 2007-01-09 07:50:44.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 07:48:31 AM
Nice one Keith, great score.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 06:52:56 AM
I reckon this is a good photo but not as good as the "second place" winner.

Message edited by author 2007-01-09 06:54:22.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 05:20:53 AM
Guess congratulations are in order, even though for me personally I think the order of ribbons should be reversed in this challenge but that´s also saying a lot, I don´t give out many 8 scores and I still think this is ribbon worthy :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 03:31:30 AM
Congrats Keith! Nice juxtaposition of title and ribbon :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 03:27:01 AM
Congratulations on your blue ! ;) and what a well composed name too :D
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 02:57:20 AM
Congrats Keith! Striking image!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 02:05:15 AM
Congrats. What a score. Only 9 votes under 6? Impressive.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:47:13 AM
Beautiful mate
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:36:20 AM
Sydney is always the best...so is Se7endip...
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:36:09 AM
Almost preternaturally crisp. I had a feeling this would do well, though I expected the yellow ribbon to actually be the winner over the both of us. Congrats on blue!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:30:31 AM
Fantastic shot, Keith and so aptly named ;-) Congrats on your blue.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:28:48 AM
Nice one mate !
Sorry i missed you in the office today !
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:20:06 AM
Keith.....Congratulations on the "blue" ribbon, as you so deserved it, with this image.....
I loved it and gave you a "10".
I love Sydney night or day, so you will always be a "winner" in my eyes, with shots like this.....
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:13:15 AM
wow. fantastic shot and score. Congrats.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:11:09 AM
Originally posted by Pug-H:

Congratulations, mate. I reckon Sydney puts on the best fireworks show in the world.


Totally agree...I haven't seen them forst hand, but the TV pictures are always spectacular...thanks for capturing a great image! congrats on the blue...go Siderni
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/09/2007 12:04:19 AM
Congratulations, mate. I reckon Sydney puts on the best fireworks show in the world.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 Comments Made During the Challenge
01/08/2007 10:32:40 PM
Probably. (Though Larus will give a you a run for your money.) ;>þ
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/08/2007 05:06:48 PM
Great capture and I even like the blue in the border
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/08/2007 02:27:24 PM
Wonderful composition and colors!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/08/2007 09:21:31 AM
terrific! 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/08/2007 01:50:55 AM
booming 10
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/07/2007 07:33:19 PM
I love the colors. Good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/07/2007 06:14:16 PM
Ouch, now I know why mine is doing poorly.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/07/2007 10:01:27 AM
Great shot, all the same colours, it works really well, and even the city lights are sharp. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/06/2007 03:45:48 PM
Fantastic shot, far the best I have seen yet.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/05/2007 09:09:48 PM
This is a pretty good shot, well exposed fireworks and interesting backround. Only to nitpick, the building that is "peeping" into the shot in the lower left corner I could do without. One of the best in the challenge, 8 from me.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/04/2007 01:57:39 PM
Rich colors in the fireworks, and very nice composition as well. Great photo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/04/2007 12:41:51 PM
Spectacular!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/04/2007 03:36:15 AM
Beautiful capture!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/03/2007 10:52:32 PM
Nice composition, and restrained use of colour. Setting the black level high enough to eliminate any detail other than sources of light works well. And I like the way you've matched the frame with the colour of the star bursts - nice touch.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/03/2007 08:20:05 PM
Lovely! Possibly would have skipped on the blue border but very nice work. Back to bump youup to 8.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/03/2007 07:06:54 AM
IMO the border really detracts from this shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/03/2007 01:04:43 AM
GREAT SHOT - Only gripe would be the effect of the white bridge making it look like a sloping horizon. Still does not effect my score for this great image - 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 10:12:28 PM
and beautiful shades of it, too... << 9 >>
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 08:51:51 PM
THE BEST IN THIS CHALLENGE. Blue in the photo and a blue ribbon in your future. "10"
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 07:12:50 PM
Lovely :-)))
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 04:27:34 PM
Can't decide if I'd prefer the border in the orangeish color in the center of the bursts. But anyway, even if I did prefer that, it's so much of a nitpick. This is a beautiful image.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 04:21:52 PM
Beautiful colors. Them border compliments it nicely.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 04:14:09 PM
And that folks, is a photo of fireworks, just the way it should be done. Loads of color, definition, and crispy focus. Beautiful job. The light is often so bright that a lot of fireworks go "hot" in photos, but these are saturated with rich color. Nice editing work. Small "dead" spot in the top left but that's all part of shooting fireworks. Like the framing as well. 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 02:35:40 PM
Nice capture!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 02:03:33 PM
absolutely stunning! i love the use of the border to reinforce the theme
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 01:55:57 PM
Very very nice!!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 11:59:24 AM
close to perfection, even blue border works well. had just cloned out or cropped off the lights at left border.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 11:04:11 AM
THis one just JUMPS off of the page. What a beautiful display.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 10:27:15 AM
Great shot
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 09:09:41 AM
this is a great photo.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 09:07:03 AM
Nice image, it's sharp and colorful. I would have cloned or cropped out the one bright light at the bottom and two to the left, it distracts a little. Maybe a little less contrast would help also. Otherwise good image, 7 from me. Happy new year and good luck!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 08:29:20 AM
Nice photo!
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 06:04:10 AM
Very nice cityscape capture great work on framing those :)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 05:23:29 AM
Beautiful.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
01/02/2007 12:09:11 AM
AMAZING! the thin blue border is a perfect match for the colors of the fireworks. amazing timing, since with this many fireworks going off at once it is likely there were only a few moments in the entire show where something like this was possible, and you luckily caught it!!! (BTW, i'm biased towards images with beautiful representation of the color blue, but regardless this is a great image!)
  Photographer found comment helpful.


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