Happy Fourth of July!

I haven’t gone to see fireworks in several years, and I have never tried to take photos of them. It’s always just been one of those things I like to experience, and unless they’re really well done, I just don’t love looking at photos of fireworks. Around here, there’s no water to reflect, or spectacular skyline, or anything like that. It’s sort of a humble show at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, lighting up the area downtown around the Durham Performing Arts Center and American Tobacco.

But people and times change, and I have a three and a half year old now, and thought it might be fun to watch the fireworks with him, see them through his eyes, revel in the splendor and the color. I figured if I was going to be out there, I might as well take along the camera so I’d have some material for a blog post, and next year could maybe post a tutorial on shooting killer fireworks shots and have some material to put in there. So I jumped on the bandwagon, and here were the keepers.

We are much obliged to the folks who kindly let us sit on the tailgate of their pickup and offered us water. And to the nice guy with the 5D mark II with whom I chatted–I’m sorry I neglected to get your name, and I hope you stop by here and say hello. I’m easily distracted by my family, but it was nice to talk.