fireworks-again...

sorry guys for asking this, but i only just got my canon eos400d, i am a total noob and have searched the forums here for how to shoot some basic fireworks/sparklers shots. i found a lot of answers but they seem a tad complicated for me, people write


"set aperture at f/8 f/11 and bulb" or


"focus for infinity"

or

"These were taken with the 20D and 17-40mm f4l. ISO was 100. Shutter about 3 sec. and f11 if I recall correctly"

now, as i am new to this, can someone give me a basic step-by-step?
i have an eos400d with a ton of settings that i dont know how to use, like "TV", "AV" , "A-DEP" etc.

all i want is to take a couple of pics of my son tonight, they dont have to be proffessional pics, just basic stuff.

thanx

steve

Set the dial to Manual and then set the aperture, iso and shutter speed. Try different settings.... See how they turn out. It all really depends.

steve1000 wrote in post #2468854
... i am a total noob and have searched the forums here for how to shoot some basic fireworks/sparklers shots. i found a lot of answers but they seem a tad complicated for me, people write
...
all i want is to take a couple of pics of my son tonight, they dont have to be proffessional pics, just basic stuff.

thanx

steve

SoaringUSAEagle wrote in post #2468865
Set the dial to Manual and then set the aperture, iso and shutter speed. Try different settings.... See how they turn out. It all really depends.

For tonight I would keep it on the green box for a few pics, then take a couple more in "P" mode and let the camera choose aperture and shutter speeds. As the weeks go on and you begin to learn some of nuances of the camera, experiment as SoaringUSAEagle suggests. Nothing will teach you better than trial and error. But you will mess up tons before they start looking how you want which is why I say tonight is not the night to experiment.

thanx very much for the advice guys, it doesnt matter too much how the pics look for tonight, as long i have 1 or two that are moderately ok.
i`ll post one if i get a good one!

thanx again - oh, and happy new year!!!!

steve

Use the first few fireorks to adjust your focus (on the burst) and focal length, then (you'll need a tripod, or some sort of stable surface)....

Set it to Manual...
Set your ISO around 100, give or take..
Set your aperture around f/8 or so.. Try it, then adjust how you want.. f/ 8-11
Set your shutter speed around 4 seconds, or about as long as it takes from launch to fade out. Bulb works well for this, too..

Start your shot right before (if you can) or as soon as it starts it's launch from the ground..

Your shot should then have a trail up, then the explosion and fall.. Be careful with finalies; they're easil overexposed.. It's best to start with your lowest ISO, then adjust if needed..

You'll need to use the first few as practice shots, but then you sould be ok...

I shoot most vertically, but finalies look good horizontal, too..

I have a couple sites bookmarked on fireworks photogrphy.. I'll post back with a link or two..

HAVE FUN!

Three things I highly recommend for shooting fireworks: (1) most importantly, your camera, (2) a tripod, and (3) a remote shutter release (mine has a cord so I don't have to be in front of the camera.)

I always set my shutter dial to the 'Bulb' setting and use my remote shutter release to snap off the shots and hold my shutter open. This allows me to adjust the amount of time I keep my shutter open without having to change it on the camera. It puts me in complete control of my shots.

I then adjust my aperture by snapping off a few shots and seeing what works best with the fireworks. It's all trial and error at first, but once my shots are set up, I can snap away and feel confident that I've got something good.

Oh, and when shooting fireworks, I like my shots to be as "clean" as possible so I use an ISO speed of 100.

http://www.calphoto.co​m/firework.htm
http://www.betterphoto​.com/exploring/firewor​ks.asp

These both have good tips on fireworks photography..
I wouldn't look at too many different sites, you'll start reading contradicting advice!

Post some pics tomorrow!

took a couple just now (19:30) just to get the feel of it, and i seemed to do ok. i`ll go out at around 23:30 to the center of town where all the action is and try with different settings.

thanx again for all your advice!

have a few beers on me!

steve

Wow, 7:30 an hour ago.. where are you?

This shot was done with a 28-135 IS at
65mm
ISO 200
f/10.0
3 sec.
http://Photography.Dun​nNet.com …displayimage.ph​p?pos=-208

This photos details are as follows- should be able to assist you.

Mark

Make: Canon
Model: Canon EOS 20D
Orientation of image: 1
X resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Y resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Resolution unit: inch
Software: Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh
File date and time: 2006:12:31 20:02:51
Unknown tag (318): 0.3
Unknown tag (319): 0.6
Unknown tag (529): 0.3
Y and C positioning: co-sited
-- Exif IFD --:
Exposure time: 1 s
F number: 22.0
Exposure program: Shutter priority
ISO speed rating: 200
Exif version: 0221
Date and time of original data generation: 2005:11:05 23:50:25
Date and time of digital data generation: 2005:11:05 23:50:25
Meaning of each component: YCbCr
Shutter speed: 0.0 APEX = 1 s
Aperture: 8.9 APEX = F22.0
Exposure bias: -2.0
Metering mode: Pattern
Flash: Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode.
Lens focal length: 35.0 mm
User comments: 264 bytes
Supported Flashpix version: 0100
Color Space: Uncalibrated
Valid image width in pixel: 2336
Valid image height in pixel: 3504
Focal plane x resolution: 3959.3 (700800/177) ppi (pixel per inch)
Focal plane y resolution: 3959.3 (233600/59) ppi (pixel per inch)
Focal plane resolution unit: inch
Custom image processing: Normal process
Exposure method: Auto exposure
White balance: Manual white balance
Scene capture type: Standard
Unknown tag (42240): 2.2
-- Thumbnail IFD --:
Compression scheme: JPEG
X resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Y resolution: 72.0 ppi (pixel per inch)
Resolution unit: inch
Offset to JPEG SOI: 1146
Bytes of JPEG data: 8361

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