This image was a bit of a happy accident, but they say that luck favors the prepared.
We were all set up for a great fireworks show at the coast in Newport, Oregon. The only problem is that the fog didn't get the message to hold off until after the show.
We arrived a few hours early, staked out our claim and then watched the fog slowly drift in off the ocean. When the show started it was hazy but clear enough to see. By the end, however, all we could do was listen to the boom of the fireworks and see a feint colored glow close to the ground.
I was able to get some shots early though, and luckily the fireworks were visible just through and above the bridge.
This shot in particular was my favorite, with a few second long exposure creating the trailing lights of the explosion. The firework light was also bright enough to leave the bridge and spectators in silhouette.
The luck I referenced at the beginning came in with the spectators on the bridge. They landed squarely in the middle of the frame at the intersection of firework and bridge. I hadn't even noticed the spectators until I got home and loaded the images on the computer. What a pleasant surprise, as I would have been happy with just the fireworks and the bridge.
Good things happen when you least expect them. I came home with doubts about getting anything interesting and ended up with what is now my favorite fireworks shot in my catalog.