As many of you know I am a novice Pyro-maniac...As of November 2005, I am no longer shooting fireworks with Premier Pyrotechnics I am back with S&N Display Fireworks, of Lincoln Illinois...I have been shooting since 1997, when I began with site setup, and mortar reloading...I have been licensed by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, as a Explosives Handler...S&N Display Fireworks does apoximatly 500 shows per year, about 12 of which are in Danville Illinois and surrounding areas...If you have any questions about Pyrotechnics or being a Pyrotechnician in Illinois please feel free to E-mail me...

While up at Turtle Run watching the Jamaica Pyro crew setup, I snuck around and snapped a few pics, after being asked to step back a few times...I also tried to take some pics during the show, but my camera was on the wrong setting so I didn't expose the shots enough...So check them out and enjoy...

Also, this Fourth of July at the American Legion I also, took some pictures of our setup...If you like the pictures, the check out the video below...Let me know what you think...and what do you wanna see from my fireworks shows in the future...

This Fourth of July I was at the American Legion Post 210 in Danville, IL helping hundreds of people celebrate Independence Day...I shot the fireworks show and wanted to give you a sneak peak into the side of a fireworks show you rarely see...What is going on below the fireworks in the sky...So this year I placed a camera in the outfield of the display area to watch our every move...

This year, I acually got to watch some fireworks...Unfortunatly, S&N Display Fireworks didn't get the job for the Turtle Run Golf Club's fireworks display...Instead it went to Jamaica Pyrotechnics, hopefully next year S&N Display Fireworks will be back on the job at Turtle Run...while there watching the fireworks, I video taped the display...I wanted to see how this compared to the displays we have done in the past...I will leave it up to you to decide which is better...

On my trip to Lincoln, IL for the annual S&N Display Fireworks Test Fire I video taped the display...Keep in mind I am not a video guy, nor do I have nice equipment...This video is about 90 minutes in length, and about 100MB in size...It has been compressed as a Windows Media Video (WMV) file at 128k/bs...So if you are interested feel free to download the video and let me know what you think...

I recently went to Lincoln, IL to start the prep work for the upcoming Fireworks season...I shoot for S&N Display Fireworks, this is their 30th year in operation...At the annual test fire they bring out a wide variety of their products to show it off to its customers, shooters, and the community...They shot product from 2.5" aerial shells, to a 100s 3" finale chain, to 9-break Spanish-made shells, to 8" aerial shells...When it was said and done S&N shot nearly $12,000 in fireworks...Also, at the test fire they had the Department of Natural Resources there to administer a test for all new pyrotechnicians...and people there to take electronic finger prints for the new licensing procedures...

These pictures are from the American Legion Post 210 in Danville, IL...This is the venue, and show I have cut my pyro teeth on...To this day I shoot this show every Fourth of July in Danville...This show usually contains a good mix of 3"/4"/5"/6" aerial shells, 6-8 multi-shot cake boxes, and a 6'x8' foot American Flag set piece...

This show is located at the Turlte Run Golf Club, in Danville Illinois...This show consisted of 3"/4"/5"/6"/8"/10" shells as well as about 20 cake boxes, and a 6'x8' American Flag set piece...This show is typically a few days before, or the weekend before the Fourth of July, but is usually one of highest attendence shows in Danville...

The Splash and Dash is a annual hot air ballon rally in Danville Illinois where balloonist try to drop sandbags on to a taget in the middle of Lake Vermillion...The night of the event the Danville Boat Club puts on a party and a small fireworks show...This show is a early start to the Fourth of July season...and consists of 3"/4" shells fired up above boats on the lake...as well as about 6-8 cake boxes fired from a small barge located out on the lake...

These pictures are of all different kinds and styles of display fireworks shells...This is what the shells look like on the ground, not in the sky...Everyone sees what shells do in the sky, but this is a sneak peak what the pyrotechnicians are dealing with on the ground...These shells are all different shapes and sizes...

This is a fireworks show from the view of the pyrotechnician Most of the time you get to see the fireworks exploding in the sky, but this what everything looks like on the ground before it gets dark...Check out the many different styles of display setup...