Happy New Year - 2011

This was almost too easy to create from the pictures I shot last night. It doesn't, however, detract from my good wishes to all of you for a fine new year.

This is the set up. I had gone down to the park (upriver but within sight of Auditorium Shores) about 9 o'clock only to find that the park closes at 10 o'clock. Since the fireworks didn't start till 10:15, I had to find a new spot to set up. I was not interested in getting in the middle of the crowds.

Remembering back to 1983, when we lived in south Austin, I decided that if I could find Barton Creek Mall after all these years I should have an acceptable viewpoint. I did and there were only a couple cars ahead of me, parked at the edge of the lot. Unfortunately, the closer you get to the edge of a lot the more effective the trees in the foreground are in blocking your view. So I retired upslope towards the mall where I could see over both the trees and the cars in the foreground. A satisfactory solution to my way of thinking.

I had two other problems, which I pretty much had to accept. The first was that the fireworks display was cut way back because of the economy. In fact, it was only saved at the last minute when the city of Austin agreed to foot the bill. So it looks rather anemic by previous standards, but it allowed me to get out and experiment a little with my camera.

The second problem wasn't particularly serious either, but required fortitude on the part of the photographer and a certain amount of luck as well. I've been bragging recently about our un-Christmas-like weather - the blue skies and 75° temperatures? Well, just for New Year's Eve the temperature dropped to 38° and the wind picked up to about 20 mph. So, by the time I'd been sitting beside the truck for an hour and a half in that cold wind, I was predisposed to dismiss the fireworks display and head for the barn. Additionally, the wind blew the camera around, even on the tripod, and messed up a fair number of the shots.

I kept thinking they must be setting all the good stuff for the finale, but in the end - when I couldn't find the trigger on my camera any longer - I packed it in, thinking that (if I had to) I could combine several of the individually lame explosions after-the-fact to give Austin the fireworks display she deserves. (See my New Year's Card, at top.)