After it snowed last week, I took my camera with me to work Friday night, hoping to photograph the Christmas lights decorating Tilles Park as I drove to Penn Station in Rock Hill, a neighboring community close to where I work. I had no sooner sat down to my fire dispatch console at work, when I discovered that there was going to be a fireworks show about the time that I normally go get supper. Clayton was having a winter promotion downtown called All That Glitters, and fireworks would be part of the glitter…I love to photograph fireworks so this was going to be an extra treat for me…and it was only going to last about fifteen minutes so it would fit right into my hour long lunch break. I pulled up the map and figured out where I could easily shoot them from without getting in the way of anyone,  and get back out on the highway to continue to Penn Station without getting caught in traffic. 

I drove down to the south end of the Galleria Mall parking lot and got my camera ready, deciding to use my dashboard as the tripod rest, with the engine shut off, figured it would work out just fine as long as the fireworks could be easily seen in the sky, and I would have some traffic lights and Christmas lights on display in the images as well. As soon as they began firing, I knew something was way wrong…I could barely see them because they were not gaining any elevation at all, not sure if that was due to the extreme cold air or what…the sky was completely clear so I figured elevation would be no problem…but they were very colorful….

…and it soon became apparent that I could not shoot from the dashboard, so I picked up the camera, changed the iso to 400 and handheld the rest of the images….did fairly good for having to hold it and hold my breath as well for each five second shot….

…not sure if the technicians got cold standing out there firing the shells or what happened, but the fifteen minute display lasted all of about seven minutes total…the last few shots finally did gain a bit higher elevation tho….

…from there, I drove over to Mc Knight Road and headed south, which would take me to my supper destination, passing by Tilles Park, where a winter wonderland is set up and beautifully decorated in thousands of Christmas lights….I always pass by and think about shooting some images, this evening I pulled over and did just that…there is a lake near the fence with this neat informative display set up on the far bank….

I`ll add more images as I get them edited up…