Fun With Fire...Works

3 days after messing up big time on the 4th of July's fireworks over NYC (I was in the wrong place at the right time due to poor survey) I was given another chance, though somewhat smaller in Ramsey, NJ. I went on trying this technique I have heard of a few days before, to achieve these out of focus soft cones at the ends of the fireworks. You will need a tripod, a shutter cable release, be set on 'bulb' mode and to be on manual focus. Pre-focus on the expected whereabouts of the fireworks, when you hear the bang, start the exposure and then just before you let go, manually, smoothly and gently turn the focus ring to the near side without rocking the camera.