Like hundreds of photographers in the U.S. today, I went out this evening to shoot fireworks celebrating the 4th of July. After looking through the 50 or 60 shots I took, I've realized a couple of things:
- shooting fireworks isn't as easy at it looks and...
- ...this photoblog has been really, really good at helping me become a better photographer
I do have a few shots that I like and that I will be posting this week. I browsed around the 'net earlier today to get some tips - use a tripod, 4 to 5 second exposures, f8 or so... The tips for the most part seemed to be good. But even with a tripod, about half my shots are on the blurry side from camera shake. In hindsight, I think I was trying to take too many shots and thus was probably moving the camera in anticipation of the next shot. Next time, I think I'll slow down a bit and be more deliberate and considered.
What surprised me tonight was how enjoyable it was. I had tons of fun similar to the day I went to shoot the Bolder Boulder. Both times, I was putting myself in a situation where I had to think a bit harder about what I was doing with my camera. In both cases, my shots didn't, for the most part, turn out the way I had envisioned. And in both cases, this turned out to be an absolutely fantastic lesson.
Anyway, today's shot was taken from a lawn on the campus of the University of Colorado in Boulder. The actual fireworks are are shot from behind the stadium which is located perhaps 5 minutes by foot from where I stood.
