Independence Day 2011

It's my first summer in Chambana which means I had a whole new place to take 4th of July pictures.  The opportunity is a double edged sword.  There are new things to photograph that I haven't seen before which could lead to great pictures, but the downside is the exact same thing...I haven't photographed these things before.  I don't know the ins and outs, like where a good spot to watch the fireworks is, or what the parade route is going to be.  So the day turned into quite the adventure, but indeed a fun one.  I found out that our yard gets invaded by the general public since we live right on the route and I also found out that traffic in Champaign after the fireworks show is ten times worse than Springfield.  All taken in stride I got some fun photos and learned quite a bit, maybe it will come in handy next year, maybe not.  Maybe next year I'll be in Chicago, who knows.  What I do know, is that practice makes perfect...or better at the very least.[slideshow]Photos Copyright: JD Maloney