Our view of the Monticello fireworks was a little less than stellar. I was pumped about shooting some fireworks. I had my tripod, fresh battery in my camera, cable release… the only thing missing was a view near the park where they were being launched.
I definitely didn’t plan for that many people in the area… or else we would have left much, much earlier. Oh well… I guess now we know for next year.
As mopey and frustrated as I was that night, it probably turned out to be better that we weren’t closer since some shells went off in the crowd.
From the News-Gazette article online:
Witnesses said the accident occurred roughly halfway through the fireworks display, and that two different shells strayed into the crowd.
William Mehnert told a reporter at the scene that he saw a shell fall toward the crowd and explode about 8 feet above the ground, but could not tell if anyone was injured from that burst.
Kristie Lovitt said she was sitting at the edge of a pond or small lake when she saw a shell rise over the water, fall behind her in the crowd, and hit the ground before exploding. Steve Towner of Monticello said he saw that shell explode and watched as a female fell to the ground, clutching her ears.
I face a lot of crazy stuff with my job… (tornadoes, fire, crime, baseball players, etc.) but I have a habit of going into mild shock when there are explosions/ gunpowder involved. If you know me very well you know why.
I guess I can live with the three streetlights, one pair of parking lot lights, SUV, minivan and motor home in my fireworks photo if it means staying safe…














This has nothing to do with the fireworks but I saw in your little my space blurb that Stephen was researching compost bins. How very green (or brown) of you. Are you going to get a barrell to collect rain water too?
Sorry it is Facebook not My Space
More than likely, yes. Just for use in the garden and yard though. Maybe I should just move to Urbana…