Braving the crowds (and insane traffic) in Hoboken, I had a good view of magnificent 4th of July fireworks display on the Hudson River, overlooking New York. From this viewpoint, Manhattan is to my right, and barely visible on the edge of the frame. I wanted to include the reflections in the water as well, since the surreal blend of colors helped anchor the intricate fireworks.
The photography technique is simplicity itself - a slow shutter speed, a low ISO and a medium aperture. In terms of photo gear - a tripod and remote release for the camera. Your Read more inside...
Generally, you wouldn't use flash to photography fireworks. But when you have someone in the foreground, then it becomes useful to have your subject lit up with flash, to balance them with the background (the fireworks display.)
Photographing people with fireworks in the background, is just an application of the technique known as dragging the shutter. I had the couple in an area where there wasn't much ambient light, so that I could light them mostly with flash. The strobe was a Quantum T2 with an umbrella, used in manual.
My flash exposure Read more inside...
