fireworks?

[gabe]

why is it that when you want to take a picture with fireworks as your subject you need to leave the shutter open for a long time. Now since the lights from the fireworks are moving won't that create a blur Image. Somebody please explain the process to me.

[Scottes]

why is it that when you want to take a picture with fireworks as your subject you need to leave the shutter open for a long time. Now since the lights from the fireworks are moving won't that create a blur Image. Somebody please explain the process to me.

When the fireworks are moving their fastest - like when shooting up into the sky - they'll be too fast to register, really. When they explode, and are at their brightest and moving much much slower, then they'll register. And since most fireworks leave a trail of sparks which look just like motion blur you won't see the blur, really. The image won't be the exact same thing as your eye saw at the very instance in time, but you won't really notice.

The general way to take fireworks picture is to set the camera on a tripod, set it to bulb exposures and use a remote cable, and set aperture for between f/8 and f/16. The fireworks themselves are pretty bright, so a wide-open aperture would actually over-expose the fireworks and probably get the sky looking gray. Wait for the firework to start going up, then press the shutter, wait 1 to 3 seconds depending on the aperture you chose or until the burst really starts to slow down, then close the shutter.

If you time it right you'll get a good picture. It will take some experimentation, so try a few different timings during the show.

An excellent article: http://www.nyip.com/tips/topic_firewk600.html

[scottbergerphoto]

There are a number of tables that provide suggested settings for difficult to meter situations, like fireworks or lightening, etc. One of the best sources is: Existing Light Photography, Kodak Workshop Series. It is available at Amazon.com
Regards,
Scott