Fireworks!! How do you shoot yours?

discreetphoton (Site Moderator)

8

31 Oct 2011 - 10:20 AM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

I've just had a full page in Digital SLR Photography for this. Here's the info I sent them:

Royal Welcome
Camera and lens used to take the image: Nikon D300 with 70-200mm f/2.8 VR Micro Nikkor
Shutter speed, ISO and Aperture (do this for each image we've requested please): 18 seconds, 200 ISO, f/16
I used to go to the Edinburgh Festival display every year. The whole display is timed to music, so you can get advanced warning of the big moments by taking a portable radio. You never know what colours you’re going to see though, so I always shoot in raw to correct white balances later.
You have to get there a few hours early to pick a good spot on the hillside, because people fight for space in the last hour before the display, and you need to make sure that no-one can sit in front of you. I’ve also had to stand my ground with a few local press types, who showed up late and tried to move the public by waving a pass at them!

Hallelujah Chorus
Camera and lens used to take the image: Nikon D300 with 70-200mm f/2.8 VR Micro Nikkor
Shutter speed, ISO and Aperture: 15 seconds, 100 ISO, f/22
“Hallelujah Chorus” and “Royal Welcome” were taken from exactly the same vantage point near Edinburgh Castle, but the shapes created by the displays give you an opportunity to play with different compositions within the same scene.
I knew that I wanted to balance the exposure between the rockets and the scenery, so I took a test frame to get the right settings, and then I used a black mitten to block the exposure between explosions. I counted out loud whenever I uncovered the lens, so that I didn’t overcook the lights on the clock tower (the Balmoral Hotel). I used a tripod and a remote release on bulb setting to make sure that the image was as sharp as possible. As such, you can see people watching - even photographing - the display from the hotel roof, which helped the sense of scale.

Helpful Post!

pulsar69 (e2 Member)

9

3 Nov 2011 - 3:31 PM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

tripod, bulb mode , low-is iso and a handheld remote to time the firework .. simples

Helpful Post!

Scruffyz

1

3 Nov 2011 - 6:43 PM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

im a cheat i use a d700 iso 800 f1.8 50mm prime 1/30th shutter come out loverlie handheld i perfected this doing weddings and using 1/128th flash to light the couples

Helpful Post!

discreetphoton (Site Moderator)

8

4 Nov 2011 - 8:11 AM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

I'd have thought that would always give you white and wobbly trails.
In fairness though, most of my firework experience is based on the grand Edinburgh displays. You'll not get much from that with a fast 50mm

Helpful Post!

damienvc

2

4 Nov 2011 - 10:33 AM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

You do need a fair bit of luck. Tripod, expose for the 'normal' night scene, leave plenty of room at the top of the frame for the actual fireworks (they can go a lot higher than you think), and shoot away. Once I know the exposure's right (which I do before they start) I'll just keep shooting.

Don't forget to go 'ooh' and 'aah' as well. That's quite important!

Helpful Post!

ade_mcfade

9

4 Nov 2011 - 10:34 AM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

Try a bit of Zoom Burst when shooting them - maybe a 5 second exposure, start at the widest zoom and hit the shutter, then slowly twist the zoom ring to the longest - gets a really trippy effect

This is a dance floor at a 5 star hotel in Harrogate

Helpful Post!

wizardsmagic (e2 Member)

8

4 Nov 2011 - 1:35 PM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

RW, as a complete newb to photographing fireworks, here was my experience from last weekend.

A friend of mine who is chairman of the local football club was organising the event and so let me go down early and speak with the pyro guys and pick my own spot. The first mistake I made was to choose a spot to close to the display. As someone has mentioned earlier they do go higher and spread further than you first imagine, and even with my lens at 18mm I had an issue keeping some of the bursts in the frame. I used a remote shutter release, and the bulb setting so I could select my own shutter speed. I think this worked quite well. My speeds varied from 3 secs to 15 secs.

Unfortunately, this display was in a large empty field, so there was no chance of getting anything other than the fireworks in the frame for interest. Also, one of the biggest problems with the shots I was taking was that it was quite windy, and everything was dragging badly to the left.

One of the shots I took is in my portfolio now with the exif information, the image is rotated 90 degrees to avoid the aforementioned wind issue.

Helpful Post!

MeanGreeny

7

5 Nov 2011 - 9:59 AM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

Pixiq - Fireworks

Helpful Post!

ade_mcfade

9

5 Nov 2011 - 10:55 AM

• Options
  • Report Error / Abuse

0

Here's one from last night

I did a mix of 15 and 30 second shots

the idea is in the quieter sections, you do do 30 seconds to get more firework action, then when it gets big, shorten it to stop everything burning out.

these are are F16-F22 to kill the ambient light

Helpful Post!