The queues and the traffic chaos is tiresome, so I park some distance away and walk up along a small stream. You can't actually get in this way, the huge fire looks small on the horizon, but you are really, really close to the firework launching area....perhaps too close.
Trying to get a good photo offered a dilemma, a long exposure and get streaks of colour, or a fast shutter speed and capture the action.
I locked the focus, compromised on the shutter and set up the white balance as best I could. In the end I was happy to get anything, (quite fast things fireworks!)
This years display concentrated on variety and shape rather than the usual shock and awe.
Pretty, but where's the big bangs?!
There were some really unusual ones...
These reminded me of palm trees.
The display got more raucous. They had just been building up to the bigger stuff.
I wasn't where I should have been, and as the sparks showered ever closer this became more apparent. I made a mental note of the direction to take towards the stream should it be needed.
Some of the bangs shook your innards. One particularly big explosion sent a visible shock wave out across the grass towards me and my camera shut itself down. The 'shock protection' on the hard drive had decided enough was enough and had saved itself by switching itself off. It came back on with little fuss but I had missed the opportunity of photographing the best of the display.
In a flurry of sparks and bangs it was over. I switched the camera off and prepared for home. It was then that, through the gloom of firework smoke a low flying passenger jet banked sharply, its underbelly illuminated golden in the glow of the fire. Why is it the best shots turn up after you switch the camera off?!.....
