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I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend. Mine was amazing. I enjoyed an amazing stay at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento.
While in Sacramento on the 4th of July, I planned to photograph the firework show. My research showed that the fireworks would be at the Sutter Health Park which is across the river from Old Sacramento.
My plan was also to also have the historic Sacramento Tower Bridge in the frame. The fireworks would take place right across the bridge and therefore, I needed a steep angle to get the bridge and the fireworks into the same frame. I did some online location scouting on the same day as the fireworks. Google Maps can help a lot to find a good spot even before you get there.
My choice was the parking garage close to Tower Bridge. It would give me the right angle of the bridge to get the fireworks in the frame as well. That was at least the idea, as I didn’t know exactly from where they would set off the fireworks.
I walked from my hotel to the parking garage and got there about 40 minutes before the official start of the firework show at 9:30 p.m.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t the only one with the idea of going up to the top of the parking garage to watch the show. Plenty of people already lined up along the wall. Even more people drove into Old Sacramento just before the fireworks and hoped to get a parking spot either in the garage or on the street. Showing up 30 minutes before an event like this and then hoping to get a parking spot never works out.
I set up my camera and GoPro to capture the event. The fireworks started on time, but it was a short firework show. It only lasted 15 minutes and it wasn’t very spectacular either. I was hoping/expecting that the fireworks would go up higher over the bridge and that it would be a longer show. The grand finale wasn’t that impressive either. It was a sad show for the State Capital of California.
While setting up my camera, I met another photographer, and he was disappointed as much as me in the show as well as other people watching it. I am not sure if there was a specific reason for a small show like this and not doing any “high” fireworks. Maybe the organizers were worried about the winds and potential fire hazard?
It was an effective way to practice my photography skills again as I exposed all the photos manually with my remote shutter release. Where did you go to celebrate the fourth of July?
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Peter has a passion for Traveling, Photography, and Geocaching. These are the best ingredients for amazing adventures all over the globe. “Traveling is fun, no matter if you stay in a luxury hotel or travel like a backpacker.” Peter shares his experiences on his Blog www.gatetoadventures.com
Some of Peter’s photos are published on corporate websites, in-flight magazines, travel guides, and much more.
