Colossal: Summer in Japan means colorful explosions in the sky, where some 200 firework festivals called “hanabi taikai” are held across the country in July and August, a tradition that dates back to the early 18th century. At many events, pyrotechnicians actually compete to create the best firework show, with extreme attention to detail in scale, color, and design.
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These photos of the fire works are unreal. One thing that always drives me insane is when people try to take pictures of fire works on their phones, and they turn out terrible, but still end up all over social media. Fire works are beautiful and I would love to know more about the photographer and what he used to take these photos. Some of them look like they could of been taken from a plane because of the angle. With as many great pictures are shown, I would be interested in seeing the rest of the pictures, even the ones that were not so pretty, because these look almost too perfect. I hope they are not photoshopped or edited heavily, but they probably are. Fire works are just one of those things that are so hard to photograph. In high school a teacher went to Iceland and tried to take pictures of the northern lights, he has a lot of photography experience and had good equipment but they were not anything as clear as these pictures are.
Ok, why should I even bother looking at any kind of art ever again? These firework pictures are, astounding, to say the least. These shows are crazy, and the photographer, Keisuke, captured the show visually with such precision and detail that I almost feel like I can hear the booms and smell the gun powder. I did not know that Japan held a summer festival, especially not one that runs for such a long period of time. The article states: “firework festivals called hanabi taiki are help across the country in July and August, a tradition that dates back to the early 18th century.” I have always wanted to travel to Japan, but now I will have to purposefully book my flights so that I can get there when this firework festival is happening. What an awesome, beautiful sight, and one that both Keisuke and Japan should be proud of.
I have never really been a big fan of fireworks. I would go see the annual fireworks that occurred on fourth of July but I never really payed that much attention to them. They weren't that interesting. It was just a few rockets or a bunch of rockets that would explode. But these fireworks are amazing. They are an art as captured in these photos and the photos themselves are amazing as well. The design and attention brought to those shows is spectacular with complimenting colors and different shapes. Yet the photos also capture another element - the environment. The city lights are a nice addition and where there is water as well is very beautiful. It goes to show that art can be made from many things. It showed me that art can be made from something that originally bored me. These were beautiful and I would love to attend one of them some day.
These photos are absolutely stunning! To see such astoundingly beautiful sights captured so elegantly is a treat, as I think many people fail to appreciate the artistry behind a pyrotechnical show. So many different things come together just right for shows like these to work: Every rocket must be loaded with just the right chemical mixture, the mortars have to launch in an incredibly precise sequence, and, once in the air, the rockets must detonate with the same degree precision as their launches took place. All this intense work for a single moment of breathtaking beauty and gradeur. If one is lucky, somebody might capture a half-decent photo of the explosion, but no photo can truly capture the essence of this event: One must be immersed in the world of the show to truly appreciate the sight of a firework. Otherwise, it's just colored lines on a page.
And I thought the 4th of July fireworks in Pittsburgh this year was the most gorgeous fireworks I've ever seen. The photos prove that fireworks can be so much more than what I've known up until now--multiple shapes, varying but harmonious heights and scales, and rainbow colors! It's almost funny that three years ago in Berkeley Marina I thought yellow and blue upside down smiley was the coolest firework ever. (Because yellow and blue are the colors of UC Berkeley. Go Bears!) And now I know what time of the year would be the best time to go to Japan. That being said, in many cities where farming is big and the weather is dry, the city regulations limit the level of creativity one can play around with the fireworks. It's just one rocket at a time, with relatively big intervals between each fireworks. To the eyes used to such relatively lame fireworks, even Pittsburgh 4th of July fireworks over the river was amazing. It is sad that not everyone can enjoy the level of art we are seeing in the photos. It makes me think about what we can do to bring the work of art we are seeing in the photos to everywhere.
I would not immediately list firework displays as an art form, rather thinking about them in terms of their chemistry or physics first. But these photos really illustrate how artistic firework displays can be. It is also interesting to think about how the differences between American and Japanese culture yield vastly different firework displays. The article states that there is special attention paid to certain aesthetic values, like scale and design. These elements are clearly visible in the photographs, and produce a feeling unlike - for example - many Fourth of July displays. I would argue that many American firework shows are about impression, and the feeling of magnitude and ability to awe an audience that a display possesses. It is interesting to contemplate how national culture and the causality for a given fireworks show can bring about such different end products. Comparisons aside, these images are gorgeous and showcase an incredible level of detail and finesse that I had not previously associated with firework displays.
I have always thought photos of fireworks are never as good as the real thing. And I'm sure these were truly gorgeous and heartwarming in person. But oh. my. god. These are breathtaking. These make me want to cry. I don't think I've ever seen photos I've loved more. This is such a great example of how different forms of art can be around the world. We have fireworks here but in Japan they obviously take them seriously and use them to create real beauty and entertainment and feelings. Its so much more than blowing things up. Its a national celebration and that in itself is beautiful. And if that isn't enough, the photographer has created even more art that will probably haunt me for the rest of my days. There is something terribly beautiful and also sad about them. That it was just a moment and now its over. That the skies are so lit up and everyone is holding their breath but then its gone. Im not sure why I go that from it, but I kind of love that fleeting ness of it. As Kelly said, It is art that both Japan and Keisuke should be proud of.
These pictures are truly beautiful. I think it is so cool how fireworks are such a big thing Japan. When I think of performance art, firework shows have never been a thing that comes to mind, but the fulfill every definition of what performance art is. I think it beautiful how much thought and skill go into designing these shows. Its really cool how they even compete with each other to make the best designs and put on the best shows. It is interesting to me as well, how these artist must be skilled in both their design skills and their explosive mixing skills. It must take a very talented individual to be able to juggle both. Also, I think the photographer who took these pictures must be a very skilled one. Light is hard to capture well in a picture and I'm sure it took practice to be able to capture these short bursts of art.
It is a refreshing look at a created event that is several thousand years old. The colors of fireworks today have been greatly improved through the use of science and new chemical compounds becoming melded with the craft person’s skill to create these beautiful explosions in the first place. Being where we are we are able to see may fireworks displays all the time. New castle PA. is known as the “fireworks capital of America” which I very close to us letting us see many of these vibrant colors in person. One of the major differences in seeing a display in person verses in photos is that when there they typically tell a story but in photos it’s just a moment or a look. Keisuke has been able to capture a larger chunk of that story by using a long exposure of that even to more realistically transport us there.
A part of what fascinated me about these photographs was the brilliant patterns that were created by the explosions as well as the reflections in the water. In Basic Design, we are learning about the elements of design, and it is very applicable to this article. The artistry with which this festival was crafted is phenomenal. The colors of the fireworks are more complex and beautiful than any I’ve ever seen. The patterns created in each look are fascinating and are beautiful against the skyline.
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