Moon/fireworks +repost

Gallery: Man & NaturePosted July 5, 2012192 views6 comments

The extreme drought in central Kansas forced many counties/cities to ban fireworks. Ellinwood is a small town, which allowed fireworks within the city limits. I made the short trip over, expecting to just photograph the public display, and try and teach my 12 year old a few things about firework photography. She got her standard fireworks shots, though it was an experience teaching her the timing with the remote release :). The big surprise of the night was the rise of the full moon (I hadn't checked moonrise time), and it rose into position near the grain elevators. There were enough private fireworks in the area to catch a few bursts. I was set up about a mile outside of town. I can't wait for 2015 to try this again :). 7D, ISO 400, f/11, 1 sec, 259mm, remote release, cropped from top and right.

Comments

6 comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on July 5, 2012 at 7:50 PM

Nice photo Rob. I was surprised they would let fireworks so close to grain elevators. seen a couple of them burn, not a nice sight. Maybe it is just the way the photo looks. Thanks for sharing.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by Angela Classen on July 5, 2012 at 10:23 PM

Whoa, Rob, that is very cool! I've never been able to successfully shoot either the moon or fireworks, so I'm impressed. My only suggestions would be to either crop the streetlights off the bottom or clone them out somehow. To me they are distracting from the incredible display above. I do like the vague shape of the grain elevators included in the shot and like your comp.

Registered on June 13, 2007, 434 Posts, 2742 Comments

Comment posted by Rob Graham on July 5, 2012 at 11:40 PM

John, part of the closeness is an illusion. I would guess that there is at least a couple blocks, maybe more, between where they are firing the fireworks and the grain elevator.

Angela, thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't considered cropping off the highway, but here is such a crop.

Registered on August 22, 2006, 842 Posts, 2824 Comments

Comment posted by John Tobias on July 6, 2012 at 8:38 AM

Rob, can't decide which image I like best. Both are very good. Thanks for the info on the location.

Registered on September 12, 2009, 2120 Posts, 6455 Comments

Comment posted by R.Bill Moser on July 6, 2012 at 8:57 AM

I'd prefer the repost because your first version has too much empty space for me.

Registered on January 29, 2010, 285 Posts, 4281 Comments

Comment posted by Craig Myers on July 9, 2012 at 4:56 PM

I like your original notion to ground the fireworks with the town, but there just aren't enough details on the left to carry this out. For that reason, I like the cropped version better. Very difficult to detect the elevators in the small version, so I'm glad there is a larger version. The fireworks just can't compete with that killer moon.

Registered on September 1, 2008, 85 Posts, 757 Comments