Pixelmania Magic Kingdom Fireworks

I looked and didn't see this category so I thought I would be brave and add a topic ; 8)
Post you MK fireworks shots.... if you dare! ;

I'll start with this one. We had just finished shooting the parade and there was discussion about relocating up from the parade shooting spot to closer to the Castle. Some wanted to go and some did not, knowing that to get a decent spot you had to stake it out hours in advance, or get lucky.

I was one of those who ventured near the Castle. This was going to be the special, 'more perimeter shots', fireworks show for Mickey's Christmas parade. I had a rented 16mm prime to go wide but that meant that I would have to be closer than I could possibly get at that late fireworks spot staking hour. Still I dragged the old tripod onward to see what I could find. Off to the right side of the Castle there was a spot up close that looked like it would work.... sort of. It was a bit of an awkward compromise, but when you are running around like a chicken without a head with the rest of the Pixelmaniacs, you'll take what you can get!

So here is the first shot that will show you where I was. This was the only perimeter type burst I wound up getting. This was not a location that was any good for shooting either the perimeter bursts or using this lens, but sometimes a less than fortuitous situation can bring creative results. I'm not sure I managed even that much but here goes...


FW 12 6 12 Castle 1 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

In processing these shots it became apparent that crop and straighten was going to be my new friend in Camera raw. I liked how the 16mm lens made the Castle appear more prominent but it also had the effect of minimizing the fireworks. Unexpectedly, being positioned off to the side allowed me to capture some of those lower center bursts.

In photography everything seems to be a compromise, but that same compromise can lend itself to some creative applications. In reflection of this shoot, I realized that the Castle is just as much a star of the show as the fireworks are, but too often we position ourselves to maximize the capture of the fireworks at the expense of the Castle. This location and using this lens introduced a stately aura to the Castle and gave it more of a presence in my composition.


FW 12 6 12 Castle 2 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

I love when the Castle has these kinds of graphics displayed. I never think I can capture them with a long exposure but I noticed that on the lower half of the Castle they tend to remain stationary while on the upper half they move around.


FW 12 6 12 Castle 3 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

Conventional wisdom recommends that you watch the fireworks show on You tube to familiarize yourself with the story line so you can time your exposures to coordinate with a particular segment. I always swear I'll do this before I leave and I have yet to get to it. The Wishes FW show is different from the Christmas party one, but by how much and exactly where I'm not sure.


FW 12 6 12 Castle 4 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

What's different here are the "wheels of fire" projecting out from the Castle sides. You don't see them at Wishes, at least I haven't. I remember staring at the Castle before the show trying to figure out what they were there for. I soon found out it was for one very cool special effect!


FW 12 6 12 Castle 6 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

This shot is kind of a miss with the fireworks but I like the cool green color on the Castle. Like Momma always said 'they can't all be winners'.


FW 12 6 12 Castle 7 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

So now we are in the middle of the show. It's getting kind of smokey. This one was better when cropped a little wider to get more of that side action. When processing this shot I wanted to get rid of the smoke as much as I could, but it's harder when the Castle has the darker lighting like the purples or the deeper blues. So it stayed somewhat smokey. I suppose if I was a Photoshop genius I could layer/mask/insert miscellaneous action here. But I'm not there yet. One day I'll get there, but not yet....


FW 12 6 12 Castle 8 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

Smokey, smokey, smokey!!! Speaking of Smokey, sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you!


FW 12 6 12 Castle 9 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

 

Ooooh! Aaaah! Now we are talking! I was able to get rid of much of the smoke (using Camera Raw) because the Castle was more brightly lit. I was also using the ubiquitous Neutral Density filters (ND) that are all the rage to shoot Fire works with. Those ND filters cut down on the light reaching the camera sensor so you can keep the shutter open and record more bursts. This was the shot right before the big "white phosphorus - end of show - camera sensor/overexposed blow out" that signals the end of the show. I was sweating this one because once those white phosphorus fireworks start up it's game over for that long exposure you were just making. Us photographers like the colorful, pretty fireworks, not those white ones you can see in 3 States!


FW 12 6 12 Castle 10 by Disney Photography Phanatic, on Flickr

So that's it for my Magic in Pixels, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade, fireworks shots. I'm not going to bother showing you the last shot of the show. It's that one that everybody tries to get, knowing full well it's going to be an overwrought, smokey, blown out mess. Still we try. Still we fail. That's a shot that is better left enjoyed in person.

 

Nice stuff Joanie! ; It is great to see shot of the fireworks from different locations. ; I really like the last one, you nailed that! ; I was one that stayed down at Town Square, and wished I had moved, but I wanted that same location for the second parade. ; Here is one of mine from there.


Oh Christmas Tree by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

 

Joanie,

Thanks for taking the time to post these with all the information. I saw your post on the Parade and enjoyed the description of what went into the shot (you have a nice writing style). I was at Pixelmania but did not get a chance to meet everyone. The take home point for me from your post was the word "compromise". I have been in Central Florida the last two weeks and shot fireworks several nights. Each time I see things I like and things that are a trade-off. (see my post "Wishes 1-9-13" and "Wishes from Beach" under the MK tab). ; I have tried the ND and really like the long bursts but then find the castle is sometimes too underexposed and dark when lightly lit. I tried a graduated ND and it helped on some shots. The biggest challenge is the castle and fireworks are always at different light levels. I think shooting Wishes is like golf. Sometimes you come back wanting to sell the clubs and then hit one shot that makes you want to come back. ; The neat thing is you could shoot Wishes EVERY night and never bring home two identical shots.

Before leaving home I bought a copy of "How to Shoot Fireworks" by Tom Brinker, Cory Disbrow, and Adam Hansen on the internet and it helped a lot.

I like your second shot with the blue probably the best. I looked at your location one night but didn't have a wide enough lens. (and then there is that large speaker to deal with). ; I'm not offended by smoke and feel it sometimes adds to the effect. ; I am a newby and know nothing about Photoshop.

Thanks for the posts. I encourage others to post suggestions for what works for them. - Garry

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Another shot from the Christmas tree in Town Square


Holiday Wishes Colors by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

 

Thanks for the kind words John. It seems like we always have to compromise when shooting at WDW! You never know until you try, so this could have turned out to be something that you really liked.

~Joanie

 

Holiday Wishes Pink by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

 

My last keeper from Holiday Wishes


Holiday Wishes Blue by jbwolffiv, on Flickr

 

I really like this one! I think the way the wreaths are angled and the Fireworks burst is off to the left really adds some depth to this composition. I also love how the wreaths eventually center on the Castle, drawing your eye to that spot. ; Nice job!

~Joanie

 

Thank you very much Joanie

 

Wow. There are some absolutely beautiful shots in this post. ; I have typically struggled ; with fireworks shots and my goal is to take photos like the ones here. Here is one that I got during Pixelmania that I was kind of happy with. ; I need to invest in a ND filter for my next trip.


Holiday Wishes by Colin Carroll (Sonny Eclipse), on Flickr

 

I've always found fireworks challenging to photograph, trying to find a balance between holding the shutter open long enough to adequately see them bloom but not so long that they burn out the photo. I wasn't with the group for these but managed to get in front of the castle that Tuesday with my family.


This first picture is actually at the end. The fireworks are overexposed so they light up the crowd. You get to see the boy and his father in the foreground sharing this special moment.