The day has come when the American night sky will sparkle in thousands of colour splashes, swirls and fountains to celebrate the biggest firework feast in USA – the Fourth of July. However, as common as fireworks are during these kind of major celebrations, just few of us actually know what’s going on inside of them. This is what Seattle-based photographer Andrew Waits set out to show us in his quite educational but nonetheless gorgeous photo series of the firecrackers’ content.

The mysterious black background in the “Boom City” series let the colours and textures of the fireworks’ chemical mixtures stand out beautifully. In his photos Waits shows us a group of the most popular firecrackers split down in the middle, revealing vividly colourful powders, tubes and conductors that look quite innocently, resembling more of sweets and candies than something that could explode only from a single spark.

More info: Website (h/t: thisisnthappiness)

Orange Ammo Smoke

Ground Bloom Flower

Flying Color Butterflies Rocket

Mighty Cracker

Pop-Its

Moon Travelers Bottle Rocket

World Class Clay Color Smoke Balls

Blue Thunder Roman Candle

Lightning Flash