Happy 4th of July!~Thunder on The Mountain, Vulcan Park, AL

Hope everyone had a safe 4th of July. This year, I photographed, Thunder on The Mountain at Vulcan Park.

Vulcan stands 56 feet tall, from toe to spear point, upon a 124-foot pedestal rising to a height of 180 feet and weighs 101,200 pounds. Vulcan is the largest cast iron statue in the world and the largest metal statue ever made in the United States.
http://www.visitvulcan.com/index.html

It was a great show. ISO 100/ f.16/ 2-3 sec open shutter

Vulcan, Thunder on the Mountain, July 4th, 2012

I like this shot, it shows you the actual set up and what I had to work with. The light on the left, right and wires.

Finale

Firework Photography- 4th of July

How to Photograph Fireworks.

You will need :
Camera with creative modes/Manual settings/Dslr
Tripod
Flash Light
Shutter Release Chord
A Great View

Sometimes you have to scout a good parking/viewing area, set up in the light if possible.

Set camera to Manual Mode, rotate the jog dial to "bulb" reads in the info screen.

Control aperture here as well.

When you click the shutter to release it will hold open for the burst of fireworks till you release it. I recommend a 3-5 sec exposure. Longer for Finale.

With out a shutter release chord, if you have a timer, use that to get your hands off the camera, but still use a tripod!

Cant wait to see everyone's photos! Be Good, Be Safe.

Happy 4th of July