Fireworks on film

ChrisR

ChrisR

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I'm going to the local fireworks display tonight, with Kenilworth Castle as a backdrop, and though of taking my Pentax MX. Most fireworks advice seems to be aimed at digeri cameras with high ISO; I'm loaded up with Vista 400, perhaps Superia 400 as a backup, don't think I want to risk Portra 400!

Do I just set it to 1 second, stick it on the monopod, open up the lens, focus at infinity, and 'avago? Presumably wider is better,and faster is better, so it would be a choice between the 35mm f/2 (that's currently on the camera), and a 28mm f/3.5... oh hang on, I've got a Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 in the drawer, I think. Presumably I should take the CPL off and maybe put a UV or skylight filter on to protect against mud, rain, etc?
 
Light from fireworks is pretty bright. I'd go for 1sec f4 infinity.
Can you double expose ? You'd get some great effects.
The trick is to get the trails on film. Have a go with bulb, as long as you are comfortable with keeping the camera still.
 
exposure calculator says......

iso 400

f/2.8.....1/4 sec
f/4........1/2 sec
f5.6.......1 sec
f/8.........2 sec
f/11.......4 sec
f/16.......8 sec........anon anon anon

+ Reciprocity failure


if it was me I'd double those.....and some, depends what else in the frame is lit for a balance.
 
I'd take the 35mm as it has a reasonable field of view and the f2 aperture.

I'd experiment with fixed exposures of up to 30 seconds and using bulb mode coupled with a black card to try and collect bits of the display in different areas of the frame. If you were lazy you could just set it up and do bulb and stand there for most of the display. Choose the background carefully. Avoid artificial lights but with the fuji superia I think it is less of a problem as that film is designed to deal with all sorts of weird lighting.

Personally I'd take a digital with a folding screen and leave the hair shirt at home ;)
 
So f4 1 second sounds about right? I was thinking a longer exposure will get better trail effects as well as more light.

Double exposure is possible but is a faff and not sure how easy in the dark. Need to hold the rewind button while winding on. Presumably halve each exposure as well.
 
Don't forget that on the off chance it's not completely cloudy we're at basically full moon tonight, so if you do try the longer exposures you might start to get appreciable detail in the whole of the frame
 
ChrisR said:
So f4 1 second sounds about right? I was thinking a longer exposure will get better trail effects as well as more light.

Double exposure is possible but is a faff and not sure how easy in the dark. Need to hold the rewind button while winding on. Presumably halve each exposure as well.
Click to expand...

If you're double exposing. Don't halve the exposure. The next bright light won't (probably) be on the exact same portion of film.
 
joxby said:
Is Kenilworth Castle lit ?
Click to expand...

It's lit beforehand but during the display only lit by the fireworks themselves. Viewed from a field opposite the Castle. Main problem will probably be not being able to get clear of people; we live too close to go early, if you see what I mean (traditionally it's fish and chips beforehand, and then late entry, hoping for a quick exit afterwards), and I'm going with my daughter so the camera is just an afterthought, just something to try. I've been impressed with a few firework shots I've seen on TP, but I've never been impressed with mine!

pingu666 said:
can you take a digital to check exposure?
Click to expand...

Only got the X10, which has a fireworks mode but I think that just hikes the ISO and stick it on 2 seconds. I don't think it would tell me anything useful.
 
Bracket bracket bracket. Film is cheaper than the fireworks so don't feel bad. Be prepared for your negs coming back rolled if you send them to a lab. With that in mind if you shoot one fully lit frame then you'll help the person cutting it no end. Trust me on that one. ;)
 
Well it went better and worse than expected! Better in that we got right to the front, worse in that I couldn't see any settings on the camera, so while I had intended to bracket, the whole 24-shot film was on f4 1 second! In the end I used the Vivitar 28mm lens, and could easily have gone wider; further back would have been better, without the other 12,000 or so people, of course! It was muddy and cold and delayewd while the last people got into the field, but it was a good show. In the end I could have taken the tripod, as there was room where we were, and no doubt it would have been very much better, but framing of higher shots would have been much harder. Well, we shall see!

Thanks for all the great advice.
 
I've got the film back now, and the results were better than I expected. A tripod would definitely have been better, but the monopod was definitely better than my handheld digeri efforts in previous years. All Pentax MX, Vivitar 28mm f/2.8 lens, shot at f/4 ad 1 second 'cos I couldn't see to bracket (and probably didn't remember either).

1) Floodlights on the wall, but I was surprised how well the castle came out in this... there may have been a high bright one I missed.

20090004.jpg

2) More of them were like this, with the castle quite dim. Quite a bit of sideways breeze so some light trails.

20090024.jpg

3) Timing is difficult!

20090013.jpg

4) Missed the top, but was happy to get the reflection in the swampy area in front of us. I was surprised that the Hi-vis jackets worn by two helpers showed up!

20090019.jpg

So, any further advice for next time?
 
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We'll done Chris. Tripod next time and try some longer exposures.
 
Thanks Trevor. Even longer? I was thinking some were so blown, maybe I should have gone for the half second!

Oh, I guess that could mean a narrower aperture and longer exposure... would have to be B as the MX only goes up to 1 second!
 
Not a bad attempt there Chris to say you had no tripod.:clap:

You look to have got the exposure about right.(y)

I haven't read all the replies on here so if I double up with my ideas, i give appologies in advance and intend no offence to anyone.


Next time:

Tripod and a remote shutter release.


Option one: Stop down to possibly F/16 or more and adjust exposure accordingly perhaps adding a tad for reciricol failure too.

This will give your "trails" of light as the shutter will be open for a longer period.


Option two: Stop down as option one.

Open shutter on B mode and using a piece of black card, block the front of the lens.

When the fireworks are ablaze, remove the card keeping a check ( mental count will do) on how much of your calculated exposure time you have used.

When the fireworks pause, recover lens with card then repeat with next blaze until you reach a total time equal to the planned exposure time.

Theoreticaly each batch of fireworks will be in different locations in the sky so will expose on the film a little like a double or triple exposure.



I suspect I've confused you dreadfully but that's what i'm best at ....didn't you know? :D
 
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