Firework Display @ Blackheath

[RockNGoalStar]

Some fireworks for you from the display at Blackheath tonight. Also a shot of my wife trying to spell out her name in sparklers!









Thanks for viewing

[binsurf]

Great shots! I love the colours and the clarity. Sharpness is difficult with evening shots like these and slow shutters. 15 seconds? The last shot with the church is great. I personally have nothing to critique about these.

[Bobobird]

Lovely shot Tommy. Light painting one is pretty awesome too.

Fireworks do look much better with a good foreground don't they.

[Donald]

Good ones, Tommy. Gettign the fireworks, along with good lighting on the church - well done.

[Mark von Kanel]

Great images Tommy, just a little too much black space at the top of them for my taste ( but then i always was one for a tight crop.)

[RockNGoalStar]

Thanks guys! I was lucky because, as the fireworks were being set off the other side of the church, most of the anticipated 100,000 spectators were on the other side of it. There were only a handful of people who were ever blocking the view of the church for me.

It's the first time I've ever really shot fireworks where I've had a decent subject to work with as foreground interest. When I heard they were holding a display up on Blackheath I immediately knew I wanted to get this church in the shot. I got there early, found out where the fireworks were being set off, then looked for where I wanted to set up my tripod, then went to the pub with my wife and had a few pints while we waited for the start of the show!

Was a good night

[Coinneachmhor]

Great work Tommy. Tried fireworks for the first time last night and have nothing to compare to your images.

[Ollokot]

Hi Tommy,
Excellent

[Tony M]

Hi Tommy,

Thanks for posting these. I used to live in Greenwich and walked up to the heath to see the fireworks every year. That was before I started photography as a hobby, so I have no photos as souvenirs. Including the church was very effective; I especially like the second photo with the street lamp.

Tony

[tbob]

A toss up for me between the second and last images of the fireworks and church. I think the last would win if you crop a little tighter to remove the space on the left and right and the street light Too bad really about the street light being where it is. Maybe you could convince the local government to move it in the interest of future photographers.

Is that a star trail in the second image? Looks too prismatic.

[tbob]

I posted at the same time as Tony above. We have a difference of opinion on the street light. It truly is a matter of personal aesthetics and I could be convinced either way on various days.

[Dave Humphries]

Congratulations on scouting the location and getting some good captures.

The third is my favourite, but I do feel it looks better with some perspective correction and the removal of the bright light to right. If you'd like to see what I mean, have a look here.

If you'd like that posted here let me know, but I thought I'd keep it out of the thread as I hadn't asked first.

Well done,

[arith]

You noticed how many people lived in London that are not from this country; it is not fair at all. I lived here all my life and even got elected to a distinguished royal society, but I can't live in London. Disregarding that; the photo's are really nice. I haven't had the chance to do fireworks and it must be difficult. I like the one with the girl in it.

If there was free firework shows round here; I sure as hell wouldn't be able to get to them. I can remember Matlock Bath, last bus 2140 but the fireworks don't start untill 10; actually getting that bus won't get me home even. This place is a hell hole.

I love London, and hope you do to.

[glenng]

Lovely set of photos Tommy can I ask you what settings did you use as I am going to the Cambridge firework show tomorrow?

[RockNGoalStar]

Thanks for your comments guys.

@ Dave - I never mind anyone re-hashing my photos and re-posting. I like what you've done, although in a way I feel the lamp in my image balances the fireworks somewhat. I agree that in an ideal world it wouldn't be there, but hey ho, this isn't an ideal world!

@Steve - I love living in London, there is always something to do and it's never far away / difficult to get to. I also live going back to my home in N Wales which is at the polar opposite of the spectrum. There are pros and cons to both.

@Glenn - To determine my settings I went to the same location before the fireworks started and selected settings that would give me a reasonably long exposure time (5 - 10 secs) but keeping the foreground subject nicely exposed. I think for the most part my settings were along the lines of f/11 - f/14 | ISO 200 (minimum on my camera) | 5 - 10 seconds exposure time. Definitely use manual mode, some may prefer a larger aperture but as the fireworks were being set off some distance behind the church I wanted to ensure everything was in focus and also I wanted to extend my shutter time.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing what you manage to capture :-)

[arith]

Certainly right Tommy it is making me ill. I just found out that I'm actually entitled to free travel including National Rail if I lived in London; with all those lovely free museums and art gallerys and parks ect ect. You get nothing here and bus fares have gone up 14%. Actually looking at exchanges and quite a few in Camden but they don't wan't to live here.

One place is actually only 100 yards from the Globe just off Park Lane and I read somebody complaining that the Peabody estate is being taken over by immigrants, and not even they want to move here. Strange but the Council tax and rent is actually cheaper than my place.

[xpatUSA]

Most nostalgic. Use to live in Lewisham in the late 40's and went kite-flying there with my Dad. Called it "Black'eef" back then.