Photographer crafts Independence Day image
When this year's Bloomingdale Independence Day fireworks wowed Emil Schiavo a few weeks ago, he reacted like a true photographer. He made a permanent record of the visual spectacle with his trusty Nikon D750.
And then he put his Photoshop skills to the test to create an image that evokes the holiday's essence.
The result, a scene featuring a superimposed American flag waving in the breeze against a night sky sparkling with celebratory sizzle, is the July winner of the Daily Herald Photo Finish contest. As winner, Schiavo will receive a $50 gift certificate good at PJ's Camera in Glen Ellyn.
"That was a great fireworks show they had in Bloomingdale this year. The sky was just full of fireworks," he said. "I was very impressed."
Several rockets seemed to explode with color simultaneously with a sustained, prolific frequency for at least 35 or 45 minutes, he said.
The Itasca resident watched the show from a vantage point close to where the fireworks were being launched at the Bloomingdale Golf Club.
"I watched it through my camera," he said. "It was a great night, very little wind."
He said he shot about 150 frames. Of those, about 20 turned out well, he said.
Schiavo has won the Daily Herald Photo Finish monthly contest in the past. His photo of fireworks framing a spinning Ferris wheel at Elk Grove Village's Rotary Fest won the award in July 2016.
Shooting fireworks is tricky, he said.
"You don't know what you're going to get," he said. "The best way is to put your camera on a tripod and then take a three-to-four second exposure and then hit the shutter just as it starts to go off, or a little before it."
Schiavo said he takes photos of festivals, fireworks, flowers and landscapes for fun. He also makes a living as a photographer.
"I mostly do real estate photography, and I do some photography for Motorola," he said.
He got started with photography in the '70s, following his father's example.
"My dad did photography on the side. He did weddings and stuff like that," he said.
Schiavo later worked at Motorola full-time, working in a variety of roles, including technical writer, print shop employee and photographer.
With all of that experience, Schiavo said his photography is anything but formulaic and can produce unexpected results, sometimes rather pleasantly.
Of his latest winning photo, he said, "I was surprised, too, at how well it turned out."
About our contest
If you'd like to submit a photo, email it in .jpg format with at least 300 dpi resolution to dupagecontest@dailyherald.com. Be sure to include your name, address and a phone number, plus a description of where you took the photo and why you like it. The monthly winner will receive a $50 gift certificate from PJ's Camera, Pickwick Place Plaza, 662 Roosevelt Road, Glen Ellyn.