Whether you are hanging at a backyard bbq or taking in a big fireworks display, many of us will be enjoying fireworks this Fourth of July weekend. With a camera on hand as they are exploding in the air - they can be quite a tempting spectacle to photograph! After too many blurry attempts, I researched tips on how to photograph fireworks in advance of last year's trip to Washington, DC. They are by no means perfect, but here are some of them plus my results....

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Position. I knew where the fireworks would be bursting, so we arrived early and got a spot with an unobstructed view of that area. (yes, we got there early and that was the crowd!) Look around for sources that may provide extraneous light and try and avoid them because they can cause overexposure. During the first few bursts look through your viewfinder and pinpoint where the action is. Leave your camera pointed in this spot and start clicking away!

Manual settings vs. Scene Modes. I'll admit I am not the brightest when it comes to understanding a camera inside and out. After exhausting the web resources available, I decided to give the Fireworks and Landscape settings on my camera a whirl. When taken with a steady hand - I was happy with the results of Fireworks mode.

Sturdy Support. To get clear, crisp images you must keep the camera perfectly still. Propping your camera on the ground or cart top may sufficient but nothing beats a good, solid tripod. It helps resist vibration as much as possible. Be careful though, the big-time fireworks show like the one we experienced in DC actually shook the ground we were on making the camera vibrate more. In this case I acted fast, removed our tripod and concentrated on a steady hand. The result - slightly groovy photographs!

1. Wind. Since the fireworks create smoke, try to stay upwind of them so it doesn't block your shot.
2. Bring a small flashlight! It's tough to change your camera's settings in the dark.
3. Spice it up! Don't forget to shoot both vertical and horizontal views of the fireworks.
4. Try making the festive photos more interesting by including nearby buildings in the background or silhouettes of the spectators in the foreground.
5. Experiment and have fun. You will get the best results if you practice your technique but don't let it get in the way of enjoying the fireworks!

I'm thankful to have the opportunity to go back to DC with my family and practice photographing the fireworks again this year. Wherever you are celebrating, I sincerely wish you and your family a happy and festive Independence Day!

Have you taken some truly spectacular pictures? Yours could be the next Kodak Picture of the Day! Picture of the Day selections also appear on the Kodak Times Square Gallery in the heart of New York City. Submit your picture now.

Over the Memorial Day weekend we decided to finally check out the local Rochester Seneca Park Zoo. This zoo has been in operation since 1893 and a staple in the Rochester community.

We snapped quite a few photos of elephants, baboons, penguins, rhinos, a bald eagle, a monkey and an owl:

The Hyenas were especially crazy that day likely due to lunch time. Once they came out of their enclosure, one kept running laps around the cage so I found myself snapping the same shot each time. After ten or fifteen laps, he finally received his lunch box. Incidentally, it contained broccoli!

It was great fun seeing all of the animals, but hopefully next time the polar bears will be awake!

Sometimes what we consider burdens turn out to be blessings. Take the day I wanted to go for a bike ride alone in Kopychyntsi, my husband's hometown in Ukraine - and the town my father was born in. My daughter Kalyna begged to go with me, but I wanted to go by myself.

"I'll be stopping a lot to take pictures," I warned her, knowing how she dislikes my constant picture taking. "Pictures of houses..."

...and street scenes..."

...and people."

I don't want to hear any complaints about how much I stop, and that I take too many pictures!"

I hoped this would discourage her, but Kalyna agreed not to complain, so I reluctantly let her come with me - but only to the end of the street. Or so I thought.

When we arrived at the end of the street, we were, unexpectedly, at the very edge of town. Beyond were open fields.

Kalyna accompanied me down the bumpy dirt road and continued to explore with me. Soon we were far from the town in the middle of extensive fields - fields of wheat and corn and barley.

"May I pick some of the wildflowers?" Kalyna asked. Here were the wild poppies that I'd heard so much about from my parents, the wildflowers of the Old Country.

When she'd picked a large bouquet of flowers, Kalyna asked, "Do you know how to make a wreath out of flowers?" A wreath of flowers worn on the head is part of the traditional Ukrainian costume.

By now I'd come to enjoy Kalyna's company. We were both enchanted by this isolated place we'd found, a place right out of the childhood stories I'd grown up with, stories of Cossacks on horseback and war and young maidens. I wove a wreath of flowers, which Kalyna proudly wore.

We rode on through the fields in what felt like the middle of nowhere, exploring a land I'd heard so much about as a child. Suddenly we came across a woman walking through the fields towards a small, brightly painted blue house. It was the only house in sight.

"Come in, come in," the woman invited us. "Have some coffee. I dreamt that I'd have guests today!"

Like most Ukrainians, she was extremely hospitable. While I drank coffee, Kalyna played with kittens and the woman chatted with me — and discovered my husband and her son were acquaintances!

This ride with Kalyna, which I started out grudgingly, is one of my favorite memories of the summer.

Only a day after announcing the Kodak Challenge at the Buick Open, Jeff Hayzlett was back on stage yesterday, talking about the WeROC campaign. WeROC is dedicated to building a bigger sense of pride in the Greater Rochester area.

Jeff said "Kodak is proud to be a founding sponsor of WeROC. Rochester is a great place to live, work and do business and WeROC is a great way to bring the entire community together to celebrate all that we have to offer. I've lived in different cities and moved to Rochester two years ago and immediately fell in love with this place. WeROC reminds us that we are all community ambassadors and have an important role to play in promoting our region."

Kodak is one of the WeROC partners and was even included in one of the promotional ads. There are some other really funny catchlines like...

If You're Trash Talkin' Rochester, You Better Be Ordering a Garbage Plate

Those Who Say Wine Country Only Exists in California Can Put a Cork In It

When Nature Gets Feisty, We Measure It With a Ruler, Not a Richter Scale

890,000 Patents and Almost as Many Festivals

Look for the WeROC campaign throughout the community at various venues including Frontier Field, festivals and events.

You can read more about it at weroc.org

And tell us... why do you think WeROC?!