ANY TIPS ON SHOOTING FIREWORKS?

[blueskyyy]

I went to the beach the other night and there was a few fireworks show on the beach and I tried to capture them. It is very difficult to capture these fireworks.

How fast of a shutter speed do you guys recommend? ISO? APERTURE?

Or does it depend on how much light the area has in general before setting these settings? What would be the basic settings for shooting a firework display? Because as for me, I want to capture a good image of the landscape as well as the firework explosion in the air.

Thanks for reading and help in advance!

Have a great day :D

[watchtherocks]

Tripod, f/8ish, ISO200ish, leave the shutter open for a minute or two, or a few seconds if there are a heap of fireworks.

If you want to combine landscape and fireworks in one photo you have to do it at the perfect time when you don't have to sacrifice exposures between the two.

[JCH77Yanks]

I like to set the camera on a tripod, f/8, ISO 100 or 200, and bulb exposure using a remote shutter release. Hit the button when you hear the "thump" of the mortars, release it after the explosion.

[blueskyyy]

I am a bit confused. You guys say to set the exposure pretty long I assume? 1 to 2 mins? If a long shutter speed wouldn't that create a dramatic long ray of light? Kind of like holding a flash light infront of the camera and moving it around until the shutter closes. Wouldn't setting a long exposure do that same sort of things to these type of shots?

Let me know if I am wrong. I am a bit confused. lol.

Thanks guys.

[watchtherocks]

Well, yes, that's generally the point. Fireworks are so cool because they go for a while. If fireworks were brief flashes of point sources of light in the sky they wouldn't be that interesting.

But if you really want boring photos, then you want high ISO, fast aperture, and a shutter of at least 1/100th.

[blueskyyy]

Well, yes, that's generally the point. Fireworks are so cool because they go for a while. If fireworks were brief flashes of point sources of light in the sky they wouldn't be that interesting.

But if you really want boring photos, then you want high ISO, fast aperture, and a shutter of at least 1/100th.

gotcha! thanks for the information! It's much more clear to me now.

[Radtech1]

One more thing. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page, you will find a box called "Similar Threads". As it turns out, this is not the first time this has been asked. Look at those posts as well, for lots more information, examples, and tips. Personally, I use a cable release, and use between 3 or 4 seconds, all the way out to 20 seconds or so.

Rad

[BluewookieJim]

Here's a sample from my fireworks shots from last year:

ISO 100, F/11, 4 seconds (bulb mode). Canon 20D w/Tamron 17-50mm, on a tripod, with a cable release.

http://photos.kodanja.net/img/v1/p618616410-5.jpg

In general, I found that most of my favorite shots from that outing were between 2 and 5 seconds, all at F/11, ISO 100.

[Harm]

There is a very good thread out already about Fireworks, tips and tricks on shooting them:

LINK (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=341145)

[pastanley]

I was sitting next to a photographer last year and this is what his set up was: 20D mounted on a tripod with a cable release. Camera set to 4 seconds, f/8 and ISO 100. Using a Canon 16-35 MM lens. Auto white balance.

[BluewookieJim]

I was sitting next to a photographer last year and this is what his set up was: 20D mounted on a tripod with a cable release. Camera set to 4 seconds, f/8 and ISO 100. Using a Canon 16-35 MM lens. Auto white balance.

Sounds like a decent starting place, but I would strongly recommend bulb mode. That enables you to get what you want, not what a predefined shutter speed will give you.

For example, if I wanted to catch trail from the ground up, through the burst, 2 seconds or so was best.

If I just wanted to get the burst, most of my best shots were around 1 second.

If I was capturing multiple bursts, my best shots averaged about 4 seconds.

[i_am_hydrogen]

I agree with BluewookieJim that bulb mode is the way to go. It gives you complete control over shutter speed, which is critical considering the unpredictable intervals at which fireworks are shot off and the length of time they remain lit. Some keep their glow for many seconds longer than others. But if you're going to use bulb mode, you should invest in a shutter release. Another tip: try not to position yourself downwind of the fireworks lest some of your shots end up with smoke/haze in them.

[Pete]

It's Fireworks Time (Tips & Techniques) (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=341145)

[birdfromboat]

this post comes up all the time, heres my advice: be sure to be upwind, go for a long exposure, and cover the lens with a dark felt hat of some kind to 'save 'the exposure between the fireworks. You can stack as many explosions together as you want within the total time of your exposure, without getting a foreground that looks like daylight or a blue sky background. makes all the shots look like the grand finale.

[oaktree]

Camera on a tripod, remote shutter, on bulb, ISO = 100 or so, f/8 -f/11, prefocus on a spot about the same distance as the fireworks, WB=shade. When the fireworks start, check the framing of your shots so you don't cut off part of the field. Press the remote shutter when a firework first explodes and release about 3-5 seconds later as the explosion reaches maximum and start to fade. Quickly chimp and adjust as necessary.

The biggest mistake beginners make is to think that fireworks are dim. They are not!! The entire scene may look dim but the fireworks are really bright. That's why ISO 100 and f/8 - f/11 work. The stopped down aperture also makes exact focusing less critical. The bulb and 3-5 second exposure are used to get the entire explosion (not to get more light). The tripod and remote shutter are used to steady the camera for the long exposure.

Good luck!

[shomat]

Tripod, f/8ish, ISO200ish, leave the shutter open for a minute or two, or a few seconds if there are a heap of fireworks.

If you want to combine landscape and fireworks in one photo you have to do it at the perfect time when you don't have to sacrifice exposures between the two.

A minute or two? I think that's entirely too long for fireworks. You only need a few seconds at most. I agree with everyone else who mentioned bulb mode.

[BluewookieJim]

Camera on a tripod, remote shutter, on bulb, ISO = 100 or so, f/8 -f/11, prefocus on a spot about the same distance as the fireworks, WB=shade. When the fireworks start, check the framing of your shots so you don't cut off part of the field. Press the remote shutter when a firework first explodes and release about 3-5 seconds later as the explosion reaches maximum and start to fade. Quickly chimp and adjust as necessary.


Just curious, why the recommendation of shade white balance?

[oaktree]

Just curious, why the recommendation of shade white balance?

I was told that it gives less blue to the colors so you get "warmer" colors. Emphasizes the red, orange, yellow; the predominate colors in fireworks.

[PhotosGuy]

Help with fireworks (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=485427)