When Fire Benders Collide

The Fire Benders: 3^rd Pyromusical Competition at MOA Bayside Area

Starless and clear, that was the evening sky over at MOA when we went outside after getting the passes and got registered. The sky looks like a clean, white, spotless canvas waiting for the painter to stroke some colors on it and create magic. The spectators are already on their places; cameras were set up and most of them are patiently waiting for the competition to start, unlike us who are still in the process of actually figuring things out like where to go or what to do next.

After passing through security checks, we immediately look for a spot and fortunately found a corner near the rides. The competing countries that night are United Kingdom and Spain. Being the runner up of last year’s competition, United Kingdom seems to be the crowd favorite but technical problems with their music and stuff spoils the anticipation.

Minutes after, fire benders from United Kingdom started lighting up the sky. With hue of reds, blues, greens, yellows and violets, the English men tried to impress both judges and spectators. Though the music is a bit sour to my taste I still enjoyed the fireworks show. A few tricks are jaw dropping; you can even hear people gasping- surprised on how UK came up with this kind of show.

Spain’s representatives didn’t fall short to convince the judges to choose them instead. I find their choice of music perfect for the fireworks show that we are seeing. Although at some point it got boring they manage to pull it off from the middle down to the last part of the show.

Shooting Sparks in the Sky

It was my first time to shoot fireworks and frankly, you need some practice if you want to capture awesome photos. I even read up before heading to MOA last Saturday. But basically you need to have a tripod to keep your camera steady. Manual setting is the way to go, so you can capture the light trails each fireworks are displaying. 

Shooting fireworks as a subject is challenging and at the same time fulfilling that's why I'm planning to go back and attend the remaining Saturdays of February - March 17. Hoping to catch good light trails on every frame.