This weekend I got to test out my one week old Canon 5D Mark II.  First off, yes this camera is awesome.  I’m not going to write a review on it as there are tons already out there that go into extreme detail.  Suffice it to say the high ISO images, superb images on the full frame sensor and the 1080p movie mode are welcome improvements from my Canon XSi.  I’m not knocking the XSi, I still plan to keep it around as a backup and to let the girlfriend use it.

Back to the fireworks.  Last year for the fourth I shoot fireworks up at Alexandria Bay in the Thousand Islands.  You can see that flickr set here.  Overall I was impressed with some of the shoots, but I was excited to see what I could come up with this year.  The fireworks in Albany are set up from the Empire State Plaza.  I decided to set up shop just across the Hudson River.  I had a perfect view of the fireworks along with the larger buildings to better frame the shots.

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After playing around with my new Pocket Wizards and lighting equipment for most of the past week, I decided to go outside and take advantage of some nice sun we were having for a change.  As it was already mid-afternoon when I made up my mind to head out, I knew I couldn’t go far.  I decided to try and take advantage of the Golden hour that was quickly approaching and head into Albany for some city shots.

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