PEOPLE DID IT
Yesterday was the 4th of July, a Federal Holiday in the United States of America to remember the formal acceptance of the Declaration of Independence. This declaration was a statement of independence from Great Britain and offered explanation of the separation declared by congress on July 2, 1776. Of course, from 1775 to the final treaty of 1783 was the Revolutionary War of the new America with Great Britain.
America won that one and also the follow-up attempt by the Brits in the war of 1812, a war in which the national capitol of Washington was ravaged, the White House destroyed. Francis Scott Key's poem which gave the words for "The Star Spangled Banner" was written during this later war, not during the revolution.
The 4th of July is known for grilling out, get-togethers and parties, a day of fun and little if any work, overeating certainly ...all followed that evening with fireworks displays large and small. Firecrackers are heard a few days before and after the holiday, causing dogs to hide. Certain people appear to put aside a special savings so they can buy the largest and most dramatic fireworks to take the evening out in noise, colorful showers of sparks, whistles and booms. For others, this is the only time of the year they call the police on their neighbors.
With a few nights like that, the Brits might not have tried again in 1812. Maybe the city of Washington would not have been devastated and Ben Franklin could have come back from those parties in France.
Here is a closer view of an aerial fireworks shower. Below is the usual stuff, exciting and loud.
Camera Settings for Fireworks: These settings are close to those recommended elsewhere and do provide a margin to play with and still get decent photos. Use a tripod and manual exposure, setting up beforehand if possible to avoid obstacles (such as people) between you and the display. Use a low ISO like 100 and a tighter aperture. I used around f/8. A photographer friend of mine likes a tighter aperture, closer to f/16. Fireworks are bright enough to do without going for high ISO and wider aperture, certainy so with longer exposures. Use "bulb" and click open the shutter when you want and let it close when yoiu want. In the above photo, the first click was when the shell first left the ground and the shutter was closed just after the shell burst into all the streams. A later and quicker shutter would be used to capture only the burst (without tail).
NATURE DOES IT
A rainbow's end...this is the place to look for a pot of gold. Did I look for the gold? No. It is too elusive and moves away as I get closer. Go to the trees where this rainbow ends and it will move from you. Look closely in the trees and see if you spy the treasure.
A more wonderful reward than the elusive pot of gold is the rainbow itself. This most unusul full arc rainbow delared its beauty in silence and in peace. This is a holiday for the spirit, a short break from everyday and visit to silent joy, elation and wonder.
click the image for a larger view
The rainbow has no national date of celebration. It happens when it does and you have to be there. There is no buying a rainbow at a stand by the side of the road. Do you know the story of the rainbow and why each rainbow is its own tiny holiday?
