The Fourth of July always marks a fun time of year for me.  Long warm days, family picnics, and fireworks!  Just about every town nearby has their own version of the day’s final celebration.  I have always loved when they light up the sky and the surrounding areas giving a glimpse of those watching nearby.  Back when I was growing up, my family would visit a nearby friend’s lakeside cottage on the fourth.  All the kids would play in the water all day.  Fishing, swimming, boating and sailing.  We never slowed down!  As the sky started to darken late in the day, we would gather the families together and head out on a boat or two to watch the nighttime festivities.  When the sky finally did light up with the first flash, we would see for the first time just how many boats were on the lake doing the same thing we were.  It was always a sight to behold and now that I am enjoying photography so much, I look forward every year to my attempts at capturing similar views in this annual showcase of pyrotechnics.

Waterbury, CT Fireworks – 4th of July, 2009

10 plus hours of driving didn’t stop me from going out to photograph the Waterbury Fourth of July fireworks in 2009.  I was driving my family back home from Disney World when I realized we might make it home in time for the show.  We had just spent the week in Disney, where I took over 2000 photos (I did eventually pair them down to 600 when all done).  Some of those were of the spectacular light show at Epcot (pictured right).  I actually ran all the way out to our car to get my tripod before it started. That was quite the distance, but I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get the shots I wanted without it.   Photographing fireworks is a lot like capturing waterfalls. Use a long exposure and let the light travel across the sensor. They are a little trickier because they go off in different locations, but are usually within some invisible border that you can rely on for most of the photos.  Some will be missed, but there will be more keepers too.  Be patient and watch the first few sets before deciding on the best composition. The way the fireworks light the ground below changes the scene dramatically from how it looked just before dark so be prepared to move.   Once set; snap away while varying the shutter speed and timing. Each image will be completely unique. 

I added four more images from the Waterbury Fireworks on the Facebook Page.  Check them out here

Tomorrow?  No idea yet!  Check back to see what I choose.