Fireworks

We went out for dinner at the lake yesterday to celebrate Canada Day and my birthday, both. Knowing we'd be walking the boardwalk, I made the hard decision of choosing one of my lighter lenses for my camera (a prime lens) and leaving my tripod at home.

There were many times throughout the evening I wished I would have brought this lens or that lens. This was good for me because it forced me to do the best with what I had. Before the daylight disappeared I focused on the point where I knew the fireworks would be shot from and stayed put. I also made sure to set my shutter speed to "bulb" so I could control exactly how long the shutter would be open for, based on the variable length of the displays. Next, I set things up so I had a greater depth of field.

Once the fireworks began I made sure to keep my camera as steady as I could; handheld is limited (I hold my breath until a moment or two after I release the shutter). I left the shutter open from the beginning of the fireworks' pop to the end of its trails. This created beautiful and unique fireworks shots for me, even with a bit of camera shake.

Not everything will always be perfect. We won't have all the gear, the right gear or the right lighting. But that is when we are pushed beyond what we know. And that is a good thing, a very good thing.

I included red, white and blue shots so both Canada Day and Independence Day are represented!

Canada Day Approaches

As we approach Canada Day (and also Independence Day for my friends south of the border), our thoughts turn to celebrations and outdoor fun! This shot, taken at the Navy Pier in Chicago was taken right around this time of year a few years back.  Though not Canadian content, it has Canadian colours and was taken by a Canadian girl!

Trying to compose images that will evoke feelings or create moods is probably not the right way to go about things. Instead, I am learning to take pictures of scenes that stir something inside me right there and then. More often than not, that will translate well into print.

Rather than trying to manufacture emotion, let's show that which resonates within us.

Learning to Shoot Fireworks on Canada Day

We went to The Forks in Winnipeg yesterday and caught the Canada Day festivities. I loved the live bands (well, most of them), dinner on the patio, wandering through the grounds full of happy and some very interesting and unique people, looking at the kiosks,  and of course the fireworks at the end of the night.

Though not new to photography, this was the first time I've been out intentionally shooting fireworks. I learned a bunch with this shoot and look forward to my next opportunity to implement what I've learned from the mistakes I made and improve on some of the things I got right. My location was prime and I will set up in the same place again, though maybe a few feet closer to the water. Including the river in my shots turned out well for me. The lit up boats and reflection added a lot of interest. My tripod and remote switch were necessities to stop camera shake in the low lighting. A faster lens and shutter speed stopped the action fairly well but next time I will keep it open for longer to include the initial burst right to the end of the movement of the fireworks in one shot. This makes for beautifully smooth images that show off the movement and action of each display. A wide angle lens would also be helpful.

Having exposed my learning curve, I will now show you a few of my shots.

Going backwards in the day, the people lined up against the railing on the Esplanade Riel and listened to the buskers play their tunes as they waited for the fireworks to begin.

What a great way to spend Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day, my friends! I took this shot a couple of years back from a revolving rooftop restaurant here in Winnipeg. We were situated right in front of a window facing the fireworks over at The Forks when the turning stopped to take in the show. To this day, those were the best seats ever for viewing the fireworks. Too bad the restaurant is no longer in business. That would be a do-over.

What about you? Where are your best-seats-ever for fireworks viewing?

Celebrate!

There is a whole lot of celebrating going on these days: Father's Day, Graduations, Canada Day, the Fourth of July for our fine friends in the south and a couple of weddings coming up in the near future.

As I was walking the trail over the lunch hour today, this time with my grown-up kids alongside me, I happened upon this, whatever this is. I couldn't resist moving into the brush to take some shots. Who needs fireworks when we have this kind of excitement and celebration wrapped up in greenery? If you know what this is, comment below; I'd love to know too.