I didn't like fireworks as a young child.

I was terrified of them.

I mentioned in a previous post, a dear family friend cured me of that fear before I hit my teens, thankfully!

Our fears are based on reality but are often overblown. My fireworks fear was of the overblown variety, but for good reason. 

We'd had a fire in the backyard when I was about 5.

I remember it well. I remember my mom screaming at us kids to get out of the house and alert the neighbors while she called the fire department pre-cellphone, pre-911 days. The local hills were on fire that night as well. The fire department phone line was busy.

My dad was down the street at the colleges taking night classes for a master's degree.

I watched the fire rage across the fenceline between our house and the neighbor's, flames shooting high in the air as it crept ever closer to our home.

Mom finally got through to the fire department. We waited for the firemen to arrive.

I was so scared.

After the firemen came and put it out, I was afraid to go to sleep in the house - afraid it would all burn down while we slept.

Fire happens fast. It takes no prisoners - claiming everything in its path. 

I was afraid the fireworks would burn the house down. In dry Southern California, that's a legitimate fear.

And, I wasn't too crazy about the noise. 

I'm still cautious about the fire and injury part, but now I love the noise and the rush I get from lighting fireworks. But, I especially love the beauty. 

I love fireworks. 

Every chance I get, you'll find me watching. If it's my lucky day, I'm the one setting them off!

A few years ago, I spent some time learning how to photograph fireworks.

It's a blast!

But, it has its challenges too.

The center of the bursting firework is white hot and hard to photograph. I use a slow shutter speed and a tripod. I play with putting black cardboard in front of the lens. I've had a lot of fun shooting fireworks over the last couple of years, and I'll continue to every chance I get, which isn't a lot - usually only the 4th of July.

But here's the really awesome part.

I've been taking online classes to hone my Photoshop skills. If you've never used Photoshop, it's an insanely robust and complicated program. It has a plethora of features. There are multiple ways to do anything, so it takes a long time to master.

I've never seen fireworks over the city from the Jackson Street Bridge. I've seen them from the bridge when they're over at Piedmont Park, but they were far away and wouldn't have made a good photo.

I decided to make my dream fireworks setting. 

I combined some fireworks photos I took a few years ago with one of my shots of Jackson Street Bridge. 

I loved the end result. I added it to my website.

Gotta run. 

I have to pull together some print samples for an art consultant who's decorating a client's office. Then I have a real estate shoot.

I see the sun is out today!

Yeah!

Hope I have time for more than a quick dog walk today. Probably not, but we'll see...

I hope you have a wonderful day - we're half-way through the week already!

See you between the raindrops!

xoxo,
Susan