Fireworks
Fireworks at the Atomium, in Brussels
Fireworks at the Atomium, in Brussels
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Jul, 2018Views
100
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Awards
Winner in Firework Photo Challenge
Peer Award
Top Choice
Superb Composition
Magnificent Capture
Outstanding Creativity
Emotions
Impressed
Happy
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MidnightRider
August 14, 2019
Congratulations on winning the fireworks photo challenge. It`s a great shot.
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in the Heysel, in Brussels, Belgium, in front of the Atomium.Time
The fireworks take place on five consecutive Fridays between July and August, always at 11 pm, so this photo was taken shortly after 11.Lighting
The sky was already very dark at this time, so most of the light comes from the fireworks themselves. The street lights are a bit too strong, so I had to tone them down a bit in post to let the fireworks be as prominent as they should.Equipment
The photo was taken with my usual Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, with a Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, on a Manfrotto tripod.Inspiration
I found out about these fireworks behind the Atomium from friends and ended up going 4 of the 5 evenings it happened in 2018 (and will probably do the same in 2019). The position at which the fireworks are thrown creates a great setting as the lights seem to come from the Atomium spheres themselves.Editing
I did the post-processing in Lightroom. I reduced highlights but also shadows, to make sure the background was very dark, set the white point a bit higher and increased clarity and vibrance. I also increased general exposure and added contrast mostly through the tone curve. Finally added sharpness and a strong vignette, mainly to tone down the street lights in the lower corners.In my camera bag
Always in my bag are my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, two Canon EF lenses of which one is a 70-300 and the other one, depending on what my plans are for the day is a 24-70 or a 16-35. A few filters (3 or 10-stop ND and polariser) and a tripod.Feedback
Practice, practice and then practice again! My first attempt at photographing fireworks was a complete disaster, the second time a half-disaster (3/4 is probably more like it), the third time I managed to get a few photos I finally liked and now I can say I save some photos each time I do it. But I'm still far from being where I want to be... Then, find a place with an interesting foreground, maybe a pond for some reflections, set your camera well before the fireworks start and keep in mind that time is limited, so be ready to take one shot after another until it ends, but take some time after the first few photos to see the results you're getting and possibly adjust aperture and, mainly, shutter speed, until you find the combination you like. Finally, be ready for a final burst of light and try to guess when it will happen, so that you can shorten your exposure time accordingly.
