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The Firework Photo Fad

Picture this: a territory of beautiful flames, a majestic fire and a hellish orange glow glowing on the jet-black sky; explosives flying into this black hole, creating sparks so beautiful that it’s almost sinister. No, seriously – get a of picture it.

Bonfire night. Personally, one of my favourite nights of the year. Standing in the cold for ages, getting my shoes all muddy, and getting pushed around by people eager to get to the front. What’s not to love? But honestly, the fireworks display makes it all worth it. As the display commences, everyone is mesmerised.

This photo will only bless our timeline once per annum

Well, almost everyone. There are always those people with their backs turned to the display, stood in what seems like an uncomfortable pose with their friend behind the lens. Guy Fawkes night is only once a year. Obviously, we’ve got to make the most of it. This photo will only bless our timeline once per annum.

Why is it that we’re so willing to miss out on something so arguably rare for the sake of social media? Living behind the lens has become so common now that it’s almost weird when people aren’t taking pics all the time.

And sometimes, it’s not even about social media. I’m totally guilty of taking a thousand and one photos of fireworks on my phone camera…but never once looking at them again. My camera gallery is full of false promises: pictures I’ve taken and promised myself that I will look back on. Needless to say, I haven’t taken a second glance.

What’s the point if you didn’t get to witness the transformation from speck to sparks first-hand?

It isn’t necessarily a bad thing that we want to capture these good moments in our life. But staying behind the lens and not being fully present is something we might come to regret one day. You might have the Instagram pic where the angle is perfect and you’ve managed to take a shot the exact second the fragment of the firework exploded.  But what’s the point if you didn’t get to witness the transformation from speck to sparks first-hand?

So, this year I tried my hardest not to get my phone out. I told myself to enjoy the moment and witness everything with my own eyes, and not through that of a lens. I’m actually quite proud of myself.

Whilst everyone around me had their hands glued to their phones, I kept my hands far away and my eyes firmly on the enchanting exhibit. Despite my vision not being 20/20, it was amazing seeing everything unfold right before my own eyes. The moment was captivating. It was definitely a night worth the muddy shoes, having to stand in the cold for ages and hearing kids scream for minutes on end. Maybe next bonfire night you could try giving it a go. Forget about the filters, boomerangs and poses for just one night.

Zoya Gulshin

Featured image courtesy of Berit Watkin via Flickr. Image license found here.  No changes were made to this image. 

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