I generally try and begin each of these updates with what I think is the best photograph of the bunch. Something that I hope will grab your attention enough to make you want to stick around and see the rest. Today, we're going against the grain. The first photograph that you see here, taken at f/13, 30sec, ISO 100 at 35mm, is not what I would consider to be the best one I took. Rather, it's the clearest photograph that I took. Last night was the fifth installment of the annual Montreal International Fireworks Competition. It was the turn of the Untied States of America to light up the skies over Montreal. Representing our neighbours to the South was 
Western Enterprises, Inc, a third-generation family based company out of Oklahoma. This was their second appearance at the competition. I had decided a few hours before the show that I was going to take my photographs from my favourite location. A lot of land off in Longueuil that sits empty for eleven months of the year, but city officials show up every July to charge people nine dollars to park their car and watch the fireworks. Or so I learned from listening to a conversation between people in the car next to us. Fortunately, there is no cost for parking your bicycle, which was the mode of transportation used by My Lovely Assistant and your Friendly Neighbourhood Photographer. About ten minutes before the show was going to begin, the wind shifted and a pit a disappointment began to form in my stomach. There had been a nice brisk breeze that would have been perfect to push the smoke from the fireworks away, until Mother Nature turned her nostril and decided to send that breeze right in our direction. As a result, the first photograph you see is the first photograph that I took. It is also the only one where I have a clear view of not only the fireworks, but also Mount Royal, some of downtown Montreal, several of the rides at the La Ronde amusement park and the Jacques Cartier Bridge. After about five minutes, all of them were swallowed up by a thick cloud of smoke that remained in my face for the rest of the presentation. I still think that I ended up with some pretty cool photographs, including the second photograph which was taken at f/9, 8sec, ISO 100 at 24mm, and all of the others that you can see below.
Western Enterprises, Inc, a third-generation family based company out of Oklahoma. This was their second appearance at the competition. I had decided a few hours before the show that I was going to take my photographs from my favourite location. A lot of land off in Longueuil that sits empty for eleven months of the year, but city officials show up every July to charge people nine dollars to park their car and watch the fireworks. Or so I learned from listening to a conversation between people in the car next to us. Fortunately, there is no cost for parking your bicycle, which was the mode of transportation used by My Lovely Assistant and your Friendly Neighbourhood Photographer. About ten minutes before the show was going to begin, the wind shifted and a pit a disappointment began to form in my stomach. There had been a nice brisk breeze that would have been perfect to push the smoke from the fireworks away, until Mother Nature turned her nostril and decided to send that breeze right in our direction. As a result, the first photograph you see is the first photograph that I took. It is also the only one where I have a clear view of not only the fireworks, but also Mount Royal, some of downtown Montreal, several of the rides at the La Ronde amusement park and the Jacques Cartier Bridge. After about five minutes, all of them were swallowed up by a thick cloud of smoke that remained in my face for the rest of the presentation. I still think that I ended up with some pretty cool photographs, including the second photograph which was taken at f/9, 8sec, ISO 100 at 24mm, and all of the others that you can see below.
f/9, 10sec, ISO 100 st 24mm
f/9, 8sec, ISO 100 at 24mm
f/9, 6sec, ISO 100 at 24mm
f/9, 5 sec, ISO 100 at 24mm
As I was saying, I still think that they are nice photographs, but I can't help but think how much nicer they would have been without all of the smoke. That's the chance you take with fireworks. Once you're at your chosen location, if things go wrong, there's not very much you can do about it. Just shoot away and try to make the best of things.
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