Thursday, July 7, 2011

Patriotism

I've seen some amazing fireworks shots, so I'm a little shy about sharing mine.  But I am trying to live by the idea that my excitement about my photos should be based on my own improvement and not other's skill level; with that in mind, I really like how my photos turned out.  I did not have a tripod and I left my 28-55mm at home (oops), so all are 50mm, f/16, ISO 100.  I used the bulb feature on the camera for the first time, just holding it down until I thought the photos was "done" (meaning the exposure ranged from 1.7 seconds to 7 seconds).  Did you know you cannot see through your view finder when your shutter is open?  Kind of obvious when I think about it, but not something I thought about before.  So I framed the photo with my right eye, pushed down the shutter button, watched the fireworks with my left eye, and lifted my finger from the button when the burst seemed "done"--all while holding the camera as still as possible.  A tripod and remote release is definitely on my wish list, but while it seems like a silly way to watch fireworks, I had a blast.  Okay, enough chat.  Here is my Patriotic post:

Freedom Rings (by Jill Lemming)
Starry skies, and moonlit nights,
such beauty in our land...
we're so thankful for these blessings,
that come from God's own hand.
The right to vote, to have a choice,
In a nation proud and strong-
and on this Independence day,
we sing our Freedom Song.
We salute our flag so proudly,
and thank God for the chance to say...
"there's no country we love better,
than the good ol' USA!"
Today we'll gather together,
with our family and our friends...

giving thanks to our Heavenly Father
for the blessings that He sends.
Thank you, Lord, for America,
a place where we can pray...

we give You all the glory,
on this Independence day.
Linking with Live and Love Outloud and Project Alicia for their Crazy Days of Summer Summer Photo Challenge.  Be sure to check out the other Patriotic posts!  

(I think I should add that we were at a friend's house on a very small lake.  The barge the lake house owners paid to have a show had technical difficulties not very far in, but the neighbors and home owners apparently went all out on their own spending, too.  There were some lovely, lovely fireworks.)

Crazy Days of Summer
Photobucket

22 comments:

Annie @ mama dweeb said...

those are AMAZING!! I took mine with my Canon Rebel's kit lens, no tripod and I took pics of my BIL shooting off fireworks he bought. So your pics totally kicked mine's butt!!

Seriously, you attended a beautiful show. I bet it was amazing in person!

Margaret said...

Those are fantastic shots! I'm so glad you posted them. I almost didn't shoot fireworks this year, but I did...and glad I did. Looks like it was a good show!

Kristi {at} Live and Love...Out Loud said...

You took these without a tripod?!? They're awesome and they're also difficult to pull off when you're not using a tripod. I love the second-to-the-last shot and the pic of the flags. Great job! (You were nervous for nothing. lol)
I'm so glad that you've continued to join Alicia and I for the Crazy Days of Summer Photo Challenge each week! Your firework pics were great, but I'm a little afraid to see what you come up with next week when we move on to our new theme, critters. Eek! lol Have a great day! :)

Stasha said...

Wow,amazing shots of fireworks. I tried and failed. Will learn. I absolutely love the flags photo. Great edit!

4 Lettre Words said...

Your fireworks are amazing! LOVE the 4th shot.

Light Trigger said...

fireworks shots are not easy to accomplish...I can't imagine doing it without a tripod. I think you did a great work. Fireworks are so colorful!

Susan said...

AMAMZING captures! I love the colors!!! Great job keeping steady without a tri-pod too. I think it’s great that although the fireworks barge had some issues, the neighbors pitched in and created an amazing show for you instead.

Anonymous said...

What awesome photos. You did a great job!

Ashley Sisk said...

Your fireworks turned out incredible - I need to try the bulb feature. I've never known what to do with it.

Unknown said...

I LOVE them! I think they are great!!! I didn't take any photos mainly because I am not a fan of fireworks and there are so many trees around my house I couldn't see any clear areas to take them.

Alyssa S. said...

Your pics made me feel like I was there. I loved one of them so much I pinned it to my Pinterest board :)

Reena said...

Those were outstanding shots!!! Love the flag treatment!

Danyelle said...

These are fantastic! Oh my! What does bulb mode on the camera look like/ how would I know if I have it? I get what you mean about being nervous about posting your pictures though and comparing your shots to everyone else's. I just try to compare my pictures to my past pictures and hope for improvement.

Kim said...

WOW! These are just stunning photographs! How lucky you are to have been in the right spot at the right time. :)

Have a great weekend.

~ Noelle said...

thanks so much for your sweet comment!
your pictures are awesome!!!
i only wish i could attempt to score one at least half as good as these :)

Gina Kleinworth said...

Those fireworks are FANTASTIC- Oh how I love each one!

Anonymous said...

Those are spectacular photos! However, I think the first one was my favorite because it looks almost like a flower with a stem...

Unknown said...

These are incredible! You did a fabulous job! Love the flag photo!

aimee said...

WOW! These are amazing photos! Excellent job! Thanks for sharing! :)

Scott said...

Great series of shots. Very nice fireworks.

Kristin said...

Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your sweet comments about my Top 5. I've enjoyed looking through your photos as well. You have a wonderful eye and I like how you explain some of your thought processes and editing techniques. There is so much we can all learn from each other, so thank you for sharing. I look forward to seeing more of your work.
http://gruenehouse.blogspot.com

alicia said...

Fabulous fireworks shots! But I especially love that sixth one of the flags. Great work. Thanks for joining Kristi and I!