Fireworks - A few lessons learnt

[scoff]

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/medium/f1.jpg

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/medium/f2.jpg

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/medium/f3.jpg

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/medium/f4.jpg

http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/gallery/data/500/medium/f5.jpg

These were the best of the lot.

Ok what have I learnt?
1. Make sure you get where you are going in good time (wife was late from work). Dont get there just as the show is about to start so you rush to set things up
2. You can get too close!!!
3. Ensure you can operata ALL your equipment in the dark, including the tripod!
4. Use variable shutter speeds, depending on the variety of fireworks. just using a fixed exposure doesnt work well.
5. Keep warm :)

As ever Comments welcome, just need to remember them for next year! :)
Overall good fun, great display..kids loved it.

[RobertP]

You got some good colour in those!

Well done!

[Jimmy_Lemon]

I learnt the exact same lessons :) (mine did start late though so I didnt miss anything)

2nd to last is my favourite - great mix of fireworks. Was that using the black card trick or anything? or just one well timed shot.

P.S another thing I learnt is that the longer the shutter speed the less colour you tend to get as it all starts burning out :(

[scoff]

I learnt the exact same lessons :) (mine did start late though so I didnt miss anything)

2nd to last is my favourite - great mix of fireworks. Was that using the black card trick or anything? or just one well timed shot.

P.S another thing I learnt is that the longer the shutter speed the less colour you tend to get as it all starts burning out :(

Used a variable shutter speed, depending on what I "thought" was coming next!

Got some very over exposed shots at first, with no colour. played with the exposure and got some reasonable shots with colour.

Was good fun, got 12months to plan the next lot! :)

[Hopkin Green Frog]

I had my first crack at shooting fireworks tonight. Bloody difficult! I took a lot and got not very many clear shots (I'll post some when I've had a chance to get my uni assignment finished and sort the buggers out).

Main thing I learned was, find the base point where the fireworks are coming from, widest aperture possible. Get that base point nailed, then switch eyes so I was looking with the left eye around the camera... when I see something go up, switch eyes and track with the viewfinder, try to get one step ahead, figure where it's going to blow then stop and shoot.

Switching eyes like that gave me a wider view for seeing the motion get going, if you know what I mean. Seemed to work for me anyways :)

Between shots, I played with different shutter speeds - I could have gone for a higher ISO, but I felt more comfortable with blur than grain on fireworks shots...