July 4th Fireworks - any point taking a camera?

[2Tiggies]

Someone on here must have at least attempted to take photos of the July 4th (or 3rd) Fireworks extra at MK. Looks like this is when we will be there next year and I wondered if bringing a tripod is actually doable. I get that it will be busy and have experienced level 10 crowds before but never with a camera or in an attempt to take photos.

Any advice or words of caution would be appreciated.

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

On our two July trips we did not go into the parks. We decided to lay low and hit it hard the next morning when everyone who stayed out late was still sleeping and we had the parks to ourselves! What I would try is to shoot the fireworks from the TTC area. I have watched the fireworks from behind the Poly and they were spectacular. You should be able to avoid some crowds.

 

[wbeem]

If it's something you really would like to do, then I'd say do it. Crowds are a pain, but sometimes you just have to suck it up and make it work.

If it's not that important to you, then just go and watch the pretty lights in the sky.

Something you may want to ask in advance is whether the fireworks are significantly different on the 4th versus your other days in the park at that time of year. If not, shoot it the day before or after when the crowd isn't as large.

 

[SrisonS]

I know that in years past, they also had the special fireworks on July 3rd. But the park was still pretty crowded that day. If you do decide to setup a tripod, at least you'll get different shots, other than with Cinderella's Castle in there (the fireworks circle around Main St.).

In fact, one of my all-time fave shots is one I took of a little girl looking at the fireworks behind me, as I was able to capture fireworks that were behind her.


Disney's Human Element - Bringing In The 4th by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr




And not the best quality pic; but it was cool to get a crowd shot of people looking in all directions...


Flanked: The Fireworks Invasion by Scott Smith (SRisonS), on Flickr

 

[2Tiggies]

Thanks all. All very good points to consider. It's not likely that we will be doing another trip over that date for a few years and it's something I always wanted t be there for. I think it's been standard at least the last few years that they do a show on the 3rd as well so that may be the day for the camera and then perhaps from the Poly Beach or TTC on the actual day so spare us the grief

Will it be a problem to plonk a tripod right in the middle of main street an hour or so before they start, or will the CM's try sweep the area clean until they can't keep it clear any longer? (This is Scott's fault - got me hooked on this human element thing, lol) And if so, how long before would I need to stake my ground? I'm assuming an hour in those crowds won't be enough?

 

[2Tiggies]

Oh yeah, Gianna's Papa, that's our trick for big crowd days too. We were there on the 40th Anniversary and hit DHS for EMH. I have photos of the sorcerers hat at 10.30 am with nobody there! The day after the celebrations we had MK to ourselves. If only that worked for fireworks and photos to the same extent!

 

[wbeem]

Will it be a problem to plonk a tripod right in the middle of main street an hour or so before they start, or will the CM's try sweep the area clean until they can't keep it clear any longer? (This is Scott's fault - got me hooked on this human element thing, lol) And if so, how long before would I need to stake my ground? I'm assuming an hour in those crowds won't be enough?

Depends upon the parade schedule. If they have a parade before the show, you'll get moved out of the middle of Main Street.

One time. I setup right behind the Partner's statue in the Hub hours before. Probably told this story before. By the time the show started, I was surrounded and some couple put their kids under my tripod.

They asked first and I told them "No", then they did it anyway. I bring that up to remind you that plonking a tripod down doesn't mean anyone will respect your space.

 

[2Tiggies]

Thanks for the reminder. I had a minor issue with a tripod at Epcot last year but it wasn't the kids - they weren't even there yet! It was the parents who obviously took exception to my presence with my gear. Grrr!

I will have to do my homework and keep an eye on parade and schedule times. I will have folk with me that night and have already bribed them with Cirque de Soleil tickets if they will be my tripod guards. I know, the levels I'll stoop to for a photo

 

[hakepb]

I was at the MK on the 3rd. I believe there was a blogger a bit infront of me that had 2 tripods for his camcorder and DSLr. (Because I noticed a blog from that night with pictures that seemed near that location.)

Prepare to be packed in beyond belief, but the show was worth it!

It's more of a challenge since its harder to practice and time (unlike Wishes that runs every night). Not the best, but I was using my PnS to capture a few stills while recording video:

 

[2Tiggies]

I was at the MK on the 3rd. I believe there was a blogger a bit infront of me that had 2 tripods for his camcorder and DSLr. (Because I noticed a blog from that night with pictures that seemed near that location.)

Prepare to be packed in beyond belief, but the show was worth it!

It's more of a challenge since its harder to practice and time (unlike Wishes that runs every night). Not the best, but I was using my PnS to capture a few stills while recording video:

You see those are the effects I want - the lighting and patterns on the castle! William asked a really good question as to whether it was different enough for what I hoped to achieve to endure the masses and extra effort. I had to stop and think about it for a while before responding because it's a valid point. I have decided unless something comes up in my mind to cause me to reconsider of course, that I am going to plan to go with it. I will have to sift through some youtube videos to get an idea of what happens when. I must admit, I found Wishes much easier to shoot than Illuminations.

A thought just crossed my mind though (yes it happens occasionally): With the crowd level all standing on a relatively flat surface, am I going to have a disadvantage with height? The tripod I take can adjust to above my eye level, but focusing would be a slight issue then ....

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

It was pouring rain at the advertised start time when we were there on the 3rd, last year. I'd told myself I was going to watch and enjoy the fireworks instead of trying to photograph them, so I hadn't brought a tripod with me. When the rain started to really come down, I found some cover and packed my camera in multiple layers of plastic inside my holster bag, and then put the waterproof cover around the whole case. The the fireworks finally started, about 90 minutes late as I recall, It was nice just to be a tourist and watch the skies. I didn't even try to dig out the camera.

I do remember looking back toward the main entrance at one point and thinking to myself that it would have been a neat shot to capture the fireworks over the train station, as it's not something that happens during a normal Wishes show.

Someone posted some great pictures from last year that were taken from outside the park. I can't remember if it was from one of the beaches or from the roof of Contemporary to be honest. I just remember that it was a neat perspective to capture the fact that fireworks shoot off from multiple locations during the 4th of July show. I imagine a Wishes Cruise would be particularly spectacular on the 4th.

 

[2Tiggies]

I imagine a Wishes Cruise would be particularly spectacular on the 4th.

In my ideal world, oh yes!

I have options and last year I did allocate 2 MK nights (ended up rescheduling one due to torrential rain, and that night also rained) and 2 Epcot nights to shoot fireworks. It was my first ever experience of attempting fireworks photos but we were there 2 days shy of 3 weeks so I had time to play with. Next year will likely be a minimum of 17 full days so I will make sure that I get some spectator time again too, to keep the balance