Photographing Fireworks

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29 Oct 2002 - 2:20 PM

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Big Bri

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29 Oct 2002 - 4:50 PM

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Well, tip one is to focus your lens to the hyperfocal distance for the aperture you are using, which means you will get maximum depth of field (up to infinity). I can't remember how to work it out, as I wrote myself an app for my PDA which tells me when I enter the focal length, aperture etc.
Another is to set the camera to B to keep the shutter open, then cover the front of the lens with a black card. You can then remove the card when a firework goes up and get multiple fireworks on the same shot.
Needless to say, a tripod is essential !

Pete (ePHOTOzine Staff)

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29 Oct 2002 - 6:50 PM

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To answer for Brian. He mentions the B
setting as a control for the exposure not
focusing. If you use the camera on auto the
shutter will stay open but may not be open
when the burst occurs. So setting B allows
you to control the bursts by using a black card
as a shutter. Move it out of the way to record a
burst and back over the lens to avoid over
exposure from the ambient light.
Another tip for sparkler shots is to get the
person holding the sparkler to move it during
the exposure. If you use flash you will also
correctly illuminate the subject. Ask them to
write their name with the sparkler and it will
appear recorded on film. Shoot at a wide
aperture and have the flash on auto and slow
sync mode.

Big Bri

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30 Oct 2002 - 12:51 PM

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Thanks Pete.

Regarding the PDA app, it is not yet complete,
as it also contains a locations database and a
film database, so you can record the exposure
and location details for every shot you take.<
BR>

When it is finished I will make it available to
anyone on here who wants it - it will only run
on Pocket PC operating systems.
Until then, there is a way of setting your focus
manually to get the best D.O.F. When I find it I
will update the forum here.

kelkiwi

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30 Oct 2002 - 2:53 PM

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Brian thank you very much , you have been most helpful!!!!

kelkiwi

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13 Nov 2002 - 1:07 PM

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Brian , how did you firework pictures go? Mine went ok except the display was rather limited in colours which I found made for dull shots like all red or all white which went on for a while so my 30sec exposures were no good, as at the time I did not have a remote release, but now thanks to BH in NY I have. I have got a really strange one that I think I will submit to the site maybe tomorrow or Friday purely for the strangeness of it I really can not work out what it is.

Andy1979

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24 Oct 2006 - 10:56 PM

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do u use a fast or low shutter speed for taking photographs of fireworks and do u use a flash for taking or no lighting at all

theredbaron

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25 Oct 2006 - 10:13 AM

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I am on a digital photography course. I have tried to work out fireworks for the last two years on my own.
I asked my tutor this one last night.
The nearest I got to an answer is :

Set camera to manual
set iso to 100
set aperture to f8 or f16 and see which gets best results.

He did also mention trickery with covering lens between long exposure, so that you can create the illusion of two or three fireworks in the sky at the same time, but thats just confusing me so if i am going to do any effects they will come in photoshop!

Chris Brown (Herts)