Not much that needs to be added to Designer's comments...he's summarized the main areas that make this shot less than stellar.It is a good start, yes, agreed. And yes, the over-exposure hurts, quite a bit. It's often quite surprising just how bright close-range lighted devices (fireworks, flashlights, tiki torches, etc) can be when allowed to register in a timed exposure...the ISO level and the lens f/stop play huge parts in just how the lighted objects are rendered. Many people are surprised that they tend to OVER-expose fireworks shows, for example, by using too high an ISO, and too wide an f/stop.