Jake Dobkin has some of the best pictures of New York City fireworks that you'll find on the web. Some day I need to get back into the city for the great day.
Jake uses a Canon G5 and Canon D20 SLR along with a Bogen 3205GN3 Tracker 6' tripod. He has a 420EX flash. Among his Canon EF lenses: 16-35mm, 50mm, 85mm, 24mm Tilt/Shift. Filters: circular polarizer, UV, neutral density filters. He has a keen hand with Photoshop curves, contrast, selective color, and saturation.