Spectacular Fireworks Photography

Tweet

Tweet

I’ve always loved fireworks. They paint the dark sky in bright neon colours and can make a huge bang that gets your heart racing. No doubt this year in November I will be standing in the cold on Guy Fawkes Night which is a celebration in my country. I will probably be holding a nice hot chocolate in one hand and a toffee apple in the other going “ooohh” and “ahhh” at the many fireworks being let off into the sky and I can’t wait.

Fireworks dates back to the 7th century and originated in China. The Chinese developed many different kinds of fireworks with a variety of effects and colour. The art and science of firework making developed into an independent profession. In China, pyrotechnicians were respected for their knowledge of complex techniques in mounting firework displays.

America’s earliest settlers brought their enthusiasm for fireworks to the United States. Fireworks and black ash were used to celebrate important events long before the American Revolutionary War. The very first celebration of Independence Day was in 1777, six years before Americans knew whether the new nation would survive the war; fireworks were a part of all festivities.

One of the biggest occasions for fireworks in the UK is Guy Fawkes Night held each year on 5 November, while the biggest in Northern Ireland takes place at Halloween. Guy Fawkes Night is a celebration of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605, an attempt to kill King James I.

In Ireland (both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland), during the Halloween season, there are many fireworks displays. The largest are in the cities of Belfast, Derry and Dublin. In 2010, the Halloween fireworks display in Derry captivated an audience of over 20,000 people.

During the summer in Japan, fireworks festivals (花火大会 hanabi taikai?) are held nearly every day someplace in the country, in total numbering more than 200 during August. The festivals consist of large fireworks shows, the largest of which use between 100,000 and 120,000 rounds (Tondabayashi, Osaka), and can attract more than 800,000 spectators.

Take a look at these spectacular photographs of fireworks captured around the world.