SOME OF THESE ACTUALLY WORKED OUT

Despite my camera technical problems, some of the July 4 fireworks photos worked out pretty well. There are lots of references online about how to shoot fireworks but the general idea is to shoot in raw, manual focus a little back from infinity, low ISO, f8 or 11-ish, and use bulb shutter control to open the lens as the pop starts and close it as the lights fade. I had to turn off the camera manually but I got lucky.                       

SERENDIPITY

I figured out what was wrong with my camera settings. Many Fujifilm cameras like mine have all sorts of retro manual controls. They can give the photographer complete conmand of the details but they can be complicated. Turned out that there was a dial set one place off that I couldn’t see in the dark. But exposure and focus mistakes can lead to interesting results. This looks organic to me, like some kind of spore.                   

BOOM

In addition to the carnival, Webster Groves has its own Fourth of July fireworks show. There is a recipe for photographing fireworks but my camera was giving me a hard time. The Bulb shutter speed setting wouldn’t work and kept setting the time for 30 seconds. I had to turn the camera off manually but still got a couple of usable shots.                   

EMPTY CALORIES

But oh so good. Don’t tell our Health Secretary Kennedy, who will tell anyone who will listen to him (which no one should - he’s a wacko), that sugar is poison. But my father, who spent his career in the sugar industry, would say it’s all just fine. This is, of course, a snack stand at Webster Grove’s Fourth of July carnival.                      

CARNIVAL

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, Independence Day, the American national holiday. Although there is much to mourn this year, celebrations take place across the country. I live in Webster Groves, one of St. Louis’ older (by our standards), inner suburbs. It is a vibrant community with a big holiday carnival. Not in the New Orleans / Rio sense, but more like what they call a fun fair in Britain and Ireland. It opened last night, a don’t-miss for our granddaughter. 

There are lots more pictures from the Pride Fest parade at https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobcrowe/albums/72177720327261352, and I’ll probably have more still in the album.                 

McPRIDE

McDonald’s employees in the Pride Fest parade. No Ronald, though. That may be a trademark too far. The two characters here are occasionally seen in promotional materials and are called, I think, The Hamburglar and Grimace.                                        

CITY DAILY PHOTO JULY THEME - BUBBLES

Who doesn’t like a big blow of bubbles? This small truck comes to all sorts of outdoor events in St. Louis. Kids love it. I love it. City Daily Photo members around the world show us ephemeral spheres at https://citydailyphoto.org/category/theme-days/ .