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4 Futuristic Ways To Watch Fireworks This Weekend

It's 2014, man. If you're not watching fireworks from a drone's perspective, you're missing out.

The luminescent spectacle of a top-notch fireworks show is one of the simple pleasures of the world’s greatest holidays. Bastille Day in France, New Years Eve everywhere, and—of course—the Fourth of July in the United States all warrant an explosive celebration.

Fireworks have graced these occasions for centuries, but now it’s 2014—just watching the fireworks with your buddies simply won’t do. Here are a few of the most hi-tech ways to watch the sky glow with pyrotechnical joy during the holidays this weekend.

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1. Drone's Eye View

Unmanned vehicles have been changing the way we deal with everything from dancing to surfing—and even the weather. Naturally, drone photography is a big part of the tech art scene, and it only makes sense to combine it with the airborne light shows we know and love. Here are a few gorgeous examples of high-flying videographers capturing the magic from within the fireworks display itself.

2. Fireworks Timelapses

The timelapse treatment has proven itself a captivating way to find unknown beauty in very well-known places. Starry nights, cityscapes, and flowers have wowed the Internet with their hidden charms. Fireworks are just the same—it turns out that compressing an hour-long light show into a few minutes only makes it more breathtaking. See the evidence in these charming videos below.

3. Long Exposure Fireworks

For photographers with patience and a steady hand—or advanced photography equipment—long exposure images are the way to go. Transforming bursts of fire into a blooming, flower-like facades is the name of the game for innovative photographer Davey Johnson. The Creators Project has covered Johnson’s work before, but it still stands out as the cream of the pyrotechnic crop. Check out his images below, his website, and his handy tutorial for how to replicate his jaw-dropping images.

4. Macro Closeup Fireworks

For the really thrill-seeking fireworks enthusiast, the Phil Hammel approach to firework photography is a sure way to capture a unique image. Armored with gloves, goggles, and a plexiglass camera barrier, Hammel gets as close to the tiny explosives as physically possible, and the result looks more like exploding galaxies than exploding firecrackers. Even with safety equipment, this technique still singes hairs left and right, so proceed with caution.

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Enjoy your 4th of July and don't experiment with pyrotechnics too much on your own!

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