pictures of fireworks

[marty]

In a couple of hours time (and after I have a nice strong cup of non decaf coffee - are you still off the coffee Gadget?) I'm off to the local show, they should have fireworks at the end. Has anyone got any tips on shooting fireworks, I've never shot them before and as it's the local show there won't be many so I won't have time to muck around trying to get it right
thanks
the weather is not looking good - grey clouds and possibility of rain

[tonymidd]

No doubt every one has their pet way of dealing with fireworks, here's mine for what it's worth.
Camera with medium tele zoom on a tripod. I use manual mode and about f8/11 and a longish exposure anything over 5 sec; this overcomes the problem of the bright fireworks shortening te exposure needed to get backround detail.
Hope that helps and the rain stays away

[BarryM]

http://www.calphoto.com/firework.htm

[marty]

Thanks Tony,
wish me luck.
I only have 2 lenses an EF 75-300 & 35-80 so I'll take the bigger (which I must admit I haven't used much on this camera yet).
I broke a clip on my tripod so now I'm stuck with it at only one height but I'll still be able to tilt the camera up towards the sky may have to lie on the ground to see what I'm shooting at :grin: (the tripod is older than me time I bought a new lighter one me think)

now back to my coffee and chant "rain rain go away....":rain:

[BarryM]

I would say yeah forget tripod, with my own experience of a tripod and 300mm lens is when the mirror slaps the cam moves very slightly resulting in blurry pic. Take a towel with you, roll it up and if u can sit it on table with cam sat on it pointing up towards fireworks, when im ready to take shot i push cam into towel so it cant go anywhere.

[marty]

ok I'm back...
but not very happy with what I got.
but I learn't heaps
first of all bring a torch so you can actually see what your doing.
pick a spot where you have something interesting in the foreground other than a black sky and the tops of trees.
don't set up next to a footpath :ops: to many pedestrians walk in front of your shot... well my list could go on

[Earl53]

What's wrong with this one? Looks like you got a good shot. I didn't get out this year to shoot any with my new camera but here's one I did with my first digital camera. A Sony Mavica CD 350.

Paul

[marty]

now your's is alot better. mine just looks like someone has held a sparkler in front of the camera

[JBMUK]

it looks ok to me - is that shake or maybe its the style of firework some go off in squirlly style .. my attempts are from a beanbag on a wall...

[Renee Marquis]

Here is my very first attemt at fire works.... I was using my Digital canon XT rebel, this was hand held..... so you did much better then my first try at it....

[Deillub]

Marty - what camera settings did you use for your fieworks shot ?

[david_phil]

Here is a tip for you, if you have the camera steady, (tripod is best), set the aperture to f8( for distance ones) f11 for closeups,(like Tony said) but put the shutter on Bulb setting, press the sutter release (easier if you have a remote of any kind!) when you see some nice fireworks don't release the shutter but put the lens cap in front of the lens carefully until you see some more then take the cap away and repeat as ness' until you think you have a good amount on the frame. Then do it again! this then fills the frame better plus you get a little background detail without over exposure.

[Kirsty]

what is bulb setting and how do u do it?

[david_phil]

Most normal and D SLR's have a bulb setting if you put it on manual and flick through the sutter speeds to the slow ones you should eventually go to 30 seconds and then bulb or 'B'. When you press the sutter release it will stay open until you let the button go. If you have a camera that doesn't then put it to the slowest speed like 30 seconds and do the rest the same. You will not get so many fireworks but you should get a good amount at a organised one. The other way is to use multiple exposures, a number of cameras can doe this now. You take a frame, lasting for as long as you need, then you re-take the frame again when you see more fireworks, repeat this 3 or for times on the same frame gets you a nice group. As cameras vary, read your manual.

Hope that helps.

[marty]

Marty - what camera settings did you use for your fieworks shot ?

I have a canon 30D
settings,
F/8
exposure 30 seconds
cheers

[Deillub]

Thanks Marty - I have the same camera.... but still on the learning curve.

[Deillub]

Great idea - can't wait for the opportunity to try it.