We had two pieces of great news this weekend – Bryan found out that he has been accepted into the new program he wanted at college after being on a waiting list for the past couple of months, and Daniel was offered a position at Tim Horton’s after months and months of job searching. So, we certainly had reason to celebrate, and what better way to do that than by attending an amazing fireworks display in the little town of Mount Forest, Ontario.
Over the past decade, Mount Forest has gained the distinct reputation of being one of the best places to go in Ontario to see a jaw-dropping fireworks display done to music that attracts more than 25,000 people. According to http://www.vacay.ca, “a big reason for that reputation is fireworks display supervisor David Whysall and his company, David Whysall Fireworks Inc. A British immigrant and entrepreneur, Whysall found a life for himself and a home for his company in Ontario.
Whysall has been playing a part in the fireworks industry for more than 45 years and has performed in international competitions. In 2008 his team won the DaNang International Fireworks Competition for Canada by beating out Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Malaysia. In that same year, he took first place in the “Show Designer” category for team China at the GlobalFest International Fireworks Competition in Calgary.”
This year’s fireworks were absolutely amazing, and I took so many pictures that I found it really hard to pick just a few to show you. So, instead I am going to share a lot of them :). Enjoy!
photos from the loonybin 
Very very nice! Do you mind sharing how you took them (after the. . . first set up a tripod).
Nancy
Oooh, you pinned me. I’m very flattered :).
I would love to share :). I actually did some quick research online before I left because it’s a little hard to experiment with settings when it’s that dark outside. These are the settings I stuck with: ISO 100, f/8, and a shutter speed of 2 seconds. From what I read f/8 to around f/16 works, but I just stuck at f/8 because as we all know fireworks displays are over before we know it, and I was kept super busy just trying to figure out where the next one would explode. Some were low in the sky and some were way up, so I was constantly having to adjust the tilt of my camera on the tripod. Luckily, I bought a new tripod at a camera show recently which can sit very low to the ground, so I was able to sit with the tripod in front of me and therefore not get in anyone’s way. Everyone sits on the ground in a field for these fireworks, so you don’t want to be standing in front of people. I was pretty happy with the results, but next time I will try and experiment more with the shutter speed and the aperture :). Hope this helps.
These are amazing photos.. I too would be interested to hear how you setup and took these photos… specially shutter speed… these are amazing…
Wow, thanks Bulldog, you just made my day :). See my response to Nancy above for the settings.
Great shots and congratulations to all.
Thanks David :). It was a great night out with the family, and I had tons of fun experimenting with my camera.
wow–gorgeous photos–I did not get to see July 1st fireworks this year–so you have completed my year for me. Congrats on both counts–I know how important both of those achievements are to a family
Aww, thanks LouAnn :). We didn’t see any fireworks on July 1st either because the weather was kind of unsettled that night when we were in Kingston, but I’m sure glad we saw these ones because they were fantastic! Glad I was able to complete your year for you :). Thanks for the congrats too. We were on pins and needles about Bryan’s course, so that was a big relief. As for Daniel, I had been feeling so bad for him because he really wants to work and had been trying so hard, applying everywhere that he could. However, living in a small town makes it even harder for a 16 year old to find work. Today is his first day, and he is really excited!!
I remember and am still going through a lot of what you are talking about–
I know – we can lean on each other for support :).
Nice shots! And congrats to both boys. You must be one happy momma. Now have some chocolate, grab your book, and go outside.
Thanks! I am one happy and proud momma, and I’m proud of my friend, TBM, too for the awesome response to her second blog already. You must be having trouble keeping up with all of the comments :). As for the chocolate and reading, Bryan’s girlfriend brought me chocolate for a belated birthday present yesterday, so I did sit outside eating it while reading. It was a perfect day – still hot and sunny but no humidity. Andddddd, Mikey cooked a prime rib roast on the rotisserie on the BBQ, and it was heavenly. How was your weekend?
Great news all around Cindy. Fantastic job on the images.
Thanks Edith! I was really happy with how they turned out – I just wish the fireworks went on longer so that I could have tried experimenting with the settings a little more. Oh well, there’s always next time, and I am learning more and more every time. Ok, I must go wake up my youngest now. It’s his first day on the new job :).
Lots of great, pretty impressive fireworks!
They were wonderful and the way they do it to music makes it even better!!
Fantastic shots, Cindy! I wasn’t aware of the fireworks in Mt. Forest and will try to make it up there next year. How bad are the crowds and do you have any parking advice? Thanks so much for that information and also the history of Whysall Fireworks. So cool!
Thanks :). You should definitely check it out next year – you would love it!! There are lots of people but plenty of room in the field where they hold the fireworks. In other words, there is no problem finding a place to sit. As for parking, we parked further away on a residential street instead of a designated parking area. That way we were able to get out of town quickly afterwards. Although we only go for the fireworks, there are festivities all weekend, including a classic car show, a little midway, and they even have helicopter rides. They’re kind of expensive, but they never have a shortage of people wanting to go up.
Ohh I love fireworks and these are fantastic pictures, well done Cindy!
Congrats to Bryan and Daniel! 🙂
Thanks Becky :). It was great to have a fun way like that to celebrate all the good news. If you love fireworks, you would have loved these ones.
beautiful pics and congrats on the wonderful family news ) beth
Thank you so much. It was definitely a week for proud mama moments :).
WOW! I feel like I’m in Washington, DC for the 4th of July! Or maybe at Guy Fawkes Day in England (celebration of the guy who tried to blow up Parliament). Great shots Cindy! 🙂
Thanks Dor :). It was so much fun!!
Well shot. That’s not easy.
Thank you so much :). It was fun experimenting, and the more I practice the more I learn.