I decided to try something different this year while watching the fireworks. Rather than just taking pictures of what was really there, I thought it would be more fun to add more of a display. I recalled an article in a magazine on painting with light. The general idea is that in a dark setting, leave your shutter open for extended periods, and by moving the light around you can paint the scene or object being photographed. A tripod is required for the effect

If you look at the pictures below this is what a normal fireworks display would look like, at a small park. I purposely left the street lights in the frame to give reference points to what I am doing.






Now lets have some fun! By starting at one end of the frame, the fireworks go off one at a time, slowly move the camera to adjust where you want the next firework to explode in the frame. Below is my first attempt at moving both up and down and left to right. (follow the street light trails at the bottom of the picture as a reference to what how the camera was moved.)





Finally, after getting the hang of it, lets make it look like you are at a full blown professional display! By leaving the shutter open for 15 seconds. It allows the camera to capture the several different fireworks. Now just move a little after each one goes off.





Wild effects with different fireworks.





Try it yourself and have fun!