The Finally, Part 1

Independence Day fireworks over Lake Union in Seattle

Independence Day fireworks over Lake Union in Seattle

The process for getting these shots has been talked about in other posts, but this is shot with twin Hasselblads outfitted with 150mm lenses and separated by 40 feet. They are taken from the roof of a building owned by one of my best friends, and I have the roof to myself. That’s helpful because the cameras are tethered by a wired remote and I wouldn’t want someone tripping over a cord and killing 2 Hasselblads. That wouldn’t do.

The cameras are aimed into the sky during the day. This usually works out well, but last year I got burned. The cameras were aimed normally high but the fireworks were set off abnormally low. So I got almost nothing. This year I’m planning to shoot with a wider lens to capture more of the entire scene, and I’m in the process of running tests on those lenses to see if they match.

A Fine Bouquet

AFineBouquet_L as Smart Object-1One of my favorite fireworks shots, especially for the fineness of the light trails, and the color. I shared this image with someone who told me it made her feel like she was on top of the magic castle at Disneyland — one of my all-time favorite responses to a 3D slide.

Shot with twin Hasselblad 500Cs sporting 150mm lenses. Approximately 40 foot separation (based on the half mile distance between me and the fireworks, and the fact that we don’t discern any details behind the firworks — otherwise the 40 foot separation would be a problem).