Last night I photographed the fireworks displays for the first time in many years. I had a great vantage point from a high-rise building adjacent to the Las Vegas Country Club, where the first display originated. During the course of the night, I could see hundreds of store-bought fireworks going off. There’s one in the lower right of the photo above. They legalized those a couple years ago, and judging by what I witnessed last night, the sellers made thousands of dollars last week. Damn, the trouble I could have gotten into if those were around when I was a kid!
A short time after the Las Vegas CC display was finished, the Stratosphere (the space needle copy building in the background) dimmed their lights and put on a fireworks display of their own. I was under the impression they launched from the top of the building, but was slightly disappointed to see them going off on the opposite side of the tower. Better viewing for those nearby, I guess. I switched to my 30 year old Tamron 90mm f/2.5 manual focus lens. This lens is so ridiculously sharp it makes me wish I had more uses for it. So here’s one from the Stratosphere display:
Steve Bruno Photo 
July 5, 2015 at 6:36 pm
Stunning shots! Love them combined with the city lights…
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July 5, 2015 at 6:40 pm
Thank You! I’ve stayed away from fireworks photos for a while because they all kinda looked the same. I had a chance for a different perspective last night and enjoyed the shows and taking photos as well.
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July 5, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Very true but I just like the challenge of shooting them, don’t get many opportunities here.
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July 5, 2015 at 6:57 pm
The last time I shot fireworks was with a film camera. It was challenging when I started last night, but with the instant feedback of a digital camera, I was able to make adjustments for better results. I’m sorry you don’t have many opportunities where you live.
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July 7, 2015 at 6:41 pm
Hi Steve! Could I use this photo (with credit) in a church newsletter? It would be distributed to about 100 homes. thanks.
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July 7, 2015 at 8:44 pm
If you put a credit to me and this blog, sure. Thank you for asking instead of copying and pasting!
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July 7, 2015 at 11:13 pm
These are great! I They really deserve for people to click on them and see them full format. The tail in the first one is really interesting. And I love that your watermark makes it look like there’s a hotel in Las Vegas named after you. 🙂
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July 8, 2015 at 1:06 am
Yes, unlike most in this city, I prefer to keep my hotel’s signs low-key, lol. The ‘tail’ in my top shot showed up in a few of my exposures that night, and is one of the elements that I like about this shot. The explosions not displaying the typical burst was the other detail that made this one work for me. Thank You 🙂
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