Independence Day Photos

Happy birthday, again, America. Across our nation this weekend, citizens are venturing out to their respective city parks and other locations to catch firework shows. Despite the heat and humidity, we did the same. The following were some of my favorite shots from the July 3 celebration in Chatham, Illinois. Click any photo to view larger versions.

The last photo is one of my favorites because of a new technique I picked up this year from Creative Live. If you view the photo on my SmugMug gallery, click the Photo Info button that appears when you move your mouse to the right side of the photo. You'll see that the photo has an exposure time of 31 seconds. Most firework photos are two to five second exposures. The technique I learned involves using a black card to block the lens while taking a long exposure. When the firework explodes, move the card away. Move it back again and wait for the next firework. You can "stack" fireworks into one photo using this method. Many thanks to Creative Live and John Cornicello for putting on this free Photographing Fireworks workshop where I learned this trick.