Fireworks

I believed that ‘ephemeral’ was a word that was something to do with ghosts – I don’t know where I picked that up from. However, Tina from the ‘Travels and Trifles’ blog, set me right with this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge around the word ‘Ephemeral’ which she explains means “lasting for a very short time”.

Well, in the UK, we’re approaching the 5th November – Guy Fawke’s Night – and a firework’s active life definitely lasts a very short time, so that set me on the road to this post of pyrotechnics.

Two friends and myself set off last year to a nearby council run show on 5th November 2024 – hundreds of people in attendance – and that’s when I took the lead image and next two below.

I’ve only gone for firework photography once before last year and that was back on 5th November 2014. I was taken aback when reviewing the old photos. Those old firework displays were so much bigger and better, more complex. Plus, my viewpoint that night was across the loch in the local park, giving the extra effect of the reflections. Much better images IMHO.

So, in taking all these images a tripod is in use; Using a sensitivity of ISO100 and an aperture of around f8, the exposure/brightness of the image is determined. The shutter speed is always quite long – and all these are between 3 sec and 10 sec. Taking pictures of fireworks is like capturing light trails; so the longer the exposure time the bigger and more complex the pattern captured becomes.

I think every photographer should have a shot at firework photography – it’s good fun. But I have to say that I’m not really a big fan of fireworks themselves. There are still injuries recorded every year, they really can scare animals and no one mentions the added pollution resulting from these massive displays, especially when they take place all over a country on the same night.

So there you see it’s not just the fireworks display that is ephemeral, but my interest seems to be a bit ephemeral also.

There are so many interpretations of this challenge titled ‘Ephemeral’. If you wish to follow that trail, best to start with Tina’s Challenge post by following this link HERE. Thanks, Tina!

18 thoughts on “Fireworks”

  2. Your pictures are beautiful. We are impressed. Seeing your pictures makes us understand why fireworks was seen as an art already since the 16th century.

    Thanks for sharing
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

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  3. Perfect choice for the week James, and so beautifully captured! We have an annual set of huge fireworks here on Kiawah on July 4th. 3 different organizations each have their displays one after another. It’s pretty crazy! The best I’ve ever seen though was at Disney and there they do it over water as well which as you’ve clearly shown is the best!! Really wonderfully done although I agree with you about the downside as well.

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  6. Lovely shots!
    It’s been quieter around here this year, we’ll see tomorrow night, I suppose. Where do you go for yours? Since Glasgow Councill stopped ours, there’s nothing to see apart from people’s own in their back gardens…

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    1. Our council has stopped it too, it was getting too big an event with about two thousand folk turning up. So instead they’ve put on a light show at the castle park nearer Xmas and charge people to see it. But last year the show we went to was in Kilwinning.

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