Playing with Fire

It's become an Independence Day tradition.  This year, Drew and I celebrated the 4th of July with a cookout and lots of swimming at his sister's house, and continued a holiday tradition that is most likely the result of putting too many photography nerds in one place.  For a few years now, we've been painting with fire.

My 4-year-old nephew joins in the fun as we set up a camera with a manually-controlled shutter and light the sparklers.  Every year, we try to come up with new designs or creative ways to play with light.  Writing is especially difficult, because it has to be a mirror image and in cursive.  It's always fun to see how the photos turn out after a first attempt.  Here is an example of an end result:

Because of the risk of wildfires, consumer fireworks are only legal in Gilbert about 4 days out of year, (New Year's Eve and 4th of July weekend) so we have to take advantage while we can. It was another 4th of July spent drawing with sparklers and catching a glimpse of the big fireworks show over the rooftops of the neighborhood, filled with good food and surrounded by family.