Fireworks advice

BIGEYE

BIGEYE

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Jim
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I will be attempting to take pics of the Edinburgh Festival fireworks display on Sunday night. Appreciate any advice on how to shoot fireworks as this is a first for me. I know I will need to arrive early and pick my spot to set up. Two lenses that I have to choose from are nifty fifty Mk II f1.8 and Sigma 17-70 f2.8-4 DC Macro OS. Long zomm is out. I am using a tripod & shutter release. Questions I have are:

  1. Which lens would be best?
  2. Any filters for fireworks?
  3. Manual mode, Aperture or Shutter Priority?
  4. If manual, which aperture and shutter speeds do I start with?
  5. White balance - leave on auto?
  6. Focus setting - one shot?
  7. Shooting mode - one shot or continuous?
 
Shoot in RAW, manual mode is a must. Either lens depending on your distance away. You just need to play with shutter speeds, approx 2-4 seconds, depending on what you want. Get a piece of black card :)
 
1 - Which lens would be best? More than likely the 17-70 - it will at least give you the chance of changing the framing of each shot
2.Any filters for fireworks? No, not normally. I have heard of people using a 10 stopper and trying to capture the whole display in once shot, but I can't see that working so well
3. Manual mode, Aperture or Shutter Priority? Manual - well, actually, BULB setting. This means that you control when the shutter opens and closes using your shutter release.
4. If manual, which aperture and shutter speeds do I start with? ISO 200, F8, two to six seconds - depends how many you want to capture in a shot
5. White balance - leave on auto? I leave mine on Auto and correct in Lightroom - Make sure you shoot in RAW
6. Focus setting - one shot? Before the fireworks start, use auto focus to focus on something that is close to where they are coming from, then switch focus to manual and leave it alone for the whole display.
7. Shooting mode - one shot or continuous? One shot


If possible have image preview switched on so that as the you are taking pictures each shot will be displayed on the screen on the back of the camera and you can glance at it easily and then adjust the framing of the fireworks are in the wrong place.

When using a shutter release press the shutter button as the fireworks are shot up, wait for a few to explode and then release shutter button to close shutter. Then quickly press shutter button again.... and continue like this until the end. You can also adjust how long you you keep open and perhaps capture more just be carefull not to blow them all out, especially ones that overlap.
 
If you are including any floodlight buildings in the scene meter for them using manual mode. I normally like about 5-6 seconds, so whatever aperture gives that speed. Normally Tungsten/Incandescent WB, though not as important if shooting RAW.

Good settings to start from are:
f11
5 seconds
Tungsten WB
Lowest ISO

As the display comes to the end and they fire quite a bit of stuff into the air at once, reduce your aperture by quite a few stops, otherwise you will just get a white blob. ;)

Just to add that I normally focus on the first exlosion and then set to manual focus. If you zoom in or out you may need to refocus.
 
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Working in a crowd I would NOT use a tripod. There's more than one way to shoot fireworks and get some of the atmosphere. Here's some I've done - EXIF intact so you can see the settings used. Hand held!

14-07-2010-2AW_9186.jpg


14-07-2010-2AW_9303.jpg


2AW_1823.jpg


2AW_1879.jpg



First two I was standing in a crowd - as you will be - no chance to use a tripod. The 2nd two I had facilities away from the crowds but still hand held. Manual mode is a waste of time too - professional fireworks are very bright - and the intensity changes all the time - I used aperture priority and let the camera do the work. Shoot in bursts too. Focus - almost certainly on infinity - or set infinity against the aperture you are using if your lens has hyperfocal distance marks. NO filter - shoot in RAW - WB doesn't matter use auto WB - sort it in PP if necessary.

AW5_9794.jpg
 
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Hope it goes well tomorrow - do please post some shots!
 
Thanks guys for all the advice. I took my pics using bulb mode and the results looked OK on the small screen. When I got home, and downloaded to the pc, they were a bit of a let down. I left the shutter open a wee bit long on a lot of them, and my framing could have been better.
There was a strong wind blowing which spoiled the fireworks, but did create some interesting effects. Anyway, here are some of the shots I got.

1.


2.


3.
 
I did tell you not to shoot them like that - especially in a wind! Pity you didn't follow the advice - but they're not bad at all.
You really needed to up the ISO and shoot hand held! Interesting that none of the people giving you the advice (which you followed) actually backed up that advice with pictures. This forum is aptly named 'talk' photography!
 
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They're excellent for a 1st attempt. :thumbs:

I think 3, 4 and 7 are my favourites. :)

I always say use 5-6 seconds unless it is a really small display which may need a long exposure just to fill the frame, but by the looks of it that wasn't small.

Bulb leaves too much to judgement imho and is best for an advanced shooter. I'll stick to 5-6 seconds. ;) :lol:

Again, well done. :thumbs:


Oh, and thanks for showing us how it went. :)
 
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