Repeating yesterday's experiment with sparklers, I added a strong side light and shortened the exposure time considerably. Then I tried out a new (to me) photoshop technique for reducing shine & hotspots - let me know if you want me to share the link to the instructional video. Totally pleased with how this turned out compared to the original (posted as Jan 16, 2013)
Note to self: now I'm thinking next time I take a photo of a sparkler, the exposure could be just a little bit longer to get a little more light flare. Or does the exposure need to be even shorter? Hmm...?
