The city of Alcoa, TN holds a yearly Freedom Fest, which is really a 4th of July thing they move to the nearest Saturday. This year I went with the girls, Mom and Cicelie to the all day event. I managed to snap over 600 photos (thank the Lord for digital cameras, eh?) and have uploaded a select few (~300) to my flickr account.
The first set, Freedom Fest, is of the day's events. We started out with a close up look at a TN Guard Helicopter (sorry, even though I was in the Air Force I have no knack for remembering aircraft model numbers) and a Hummer. Then we took the girls to the kids area, which was huge this year. Inflated rides were everywhere, and many local companies (some not so local like WalMart) provided free craft areas for the kids including painting, drawing, and face painting. Local bands played and featured younger (preteen) talent, which was nice even if the kids weren't always on key. (or scared to death)
The next set is the fireworks. Alcoa had an impressive display: 7,000 rounds in 25 minutes all timed to music. This was my first time trying to photo fireworks, but technology saved the day. I used burst mode with shutter priority, meaning I only needed to set a desired shutter speed and the camera did the rest. The hardest part was just getting the camera aimed in time to capture the explosion.
The last set is the belly dancers. Hmmm... you've clicked the link and come back haven't you? Yes, it was quite the surprise to see belly dancers preform at Freedom Fest in East TN. The crowd didn't really know what to do, being confronted with sexuality and alternate cultures at the same time can trouble a redneck. The show must go on, and these ladies preformed well... and gave me an interesting "subject" to shoot. Afterward, while exchanging emails with the ladies so they can see the photos I took, Cicelie popped up next to me. She claimed interest in taking lessons, and that was her only reason for coming over.
Rachel wants to start a new dance craze - the Cat Dance. So to help her, it's now your job (Internet Traveler) to forward the video link to all your friends. And, should you decide to video yourself doing the Cat Dance, send me the link!
Posted By Mike On Monday, July 03, 2006
Filed under life photos |
Comments (1)
Lisa Miller
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Friday, June 29, 2007
11:03:09 PM
Just moved back to Knoxville, After 5 yrs. Please tell me, if U know, When Freedom Fest will be this year since the 4th is right in the middle of the week. The nearest Saturday doesn't help this dumb blonde. Thanks
please email answer to nashsmomma@aim.com
