I guess by lighting you're referring to street lights? I can understand you wanting them out of frame.  Unless they're far away enough to be pinpricks of light in the rest of your scene they'll probably outshine the fireworks with the longer exposures.

This 14s one is definately one of the longest exposures in my set. But it averages between 6 and 14. The most difficult part of it is trying to imagine what you've captured. I'm constantly trying to see the photo in my head adding the stuff in the sky as it explodes. Do I keep it open a bit more... or close and start a new exposure.It basically boils down to... guessing :)

In the end I think that's really part of the fun of shooting fireworks (for me anyway). Waiting to be back at the computer seeing if you've captured something worthwile. Because checking to see what you've got while shooting is basically impossible, you just don't have the time aside from the fact that the teensy little screen just doesn't show the results well anyway.

What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies. - Aristotle
-= Glass Eye Photography =- -= My Rendo Gallery =-