SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Cntry, when making either a left or right turn with your camera......., hey just KIDDING!! :lol:

Cntry, the blinkies are the over/under exposure warning lights(on the LCD) that blink either red(overexposure, or blue( under-exposure). If you have not used them, they are very handy as a quick visual to check your LCD for proper exposure of any shot, and then chimp(look, adjust and look, adjust) using the LCD till the exposure is as you want it, whatever that may be.
You can enable/disable in the LCD view mode. For a Sony you'll have to check your manual, as I don't know anything about their modes.
Cntry, did that help?? ;-)
SS

cntry Loc: Colorado

Thanks! I'll check my camera (and manual) and make sure I have them enabled.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Cntry, you're welcome.
Your blinkies are definately not enabled, no way you could miss all the blinking! :lol:
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cntry Loc: Colorado

I don't have blinkies :(
The camera sets the exposure and I can adjust it, but no blinkies. I guess they figure with the EVF wysiwyg so you don't need blinkies...

timmah1979 Loc: Utica,ny

I am guessing this is the wrong way to shoot fireworks? lol Keep in mind this was done 3 years ago and really the only image i kept because i thought it looked "Cool" and looking at it now i still dig it! :thumbup:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

I guess all those that have all the cool fireworks techniques are not gonna give'em up just yet. They're gonna make us sweat!
Maybe I'm gonna have to beat it out of them with my camera strap!! :lol:
In the mean time, I thought I would put in another one.
As I said, I like to combine multiple elements to give a pic what I feel is a stronger composition.
Here is one of the Golden Gate bridge(75th anniversary) with fireworks behind it, and the city lights behind that, in the background.
In my opinion these three elements give the shot a lot more depth, and a lot more to grab your attention. It also entices the viewer to explore the pic a little longer.
Hopefully, as the 4th gets closer and closer, we'll start to get a little more action. Enjoy ;-)
Don't be shy, go ahead and post!!

Stats: Canon 5Dmkll
Lens: 24-105 L @ 73mm
Bulb Mode = 2 seconds
f-stop = f8
ISO= 200
Manual Focus Mode

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GG Bridge 75th Anniversary

(Download)

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Timmah, that looks way cool. Looks like the result of handheld, but it's still really sharp! The question becomes, can you reproduce it, to make it a technique? Tell us how it happened and all the stats, even if it was an accident.
Hey, I like it! :lol:
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timmah1979 Loc: Utica,ny

As far as reproducing it, i am not sure. I haven't shot fireworks since that event. But with a few events coming up this summer I may give it another go.

Yes. It was a handheld. It was at a Buffalo Bills pre-season game (we lost that game....shocker lol)

I live 3 hrs from Buffalo (but been season ticket holder for last 19 years) and rarley go to preseason games simply because they are glorified practices (imo) but a few friends were going and after not seeing them for 7 months i decided to go. Well it was what is called "family day" where kids got discounted seats and they had some other things going on. At the end of the game they had a firework show (which i didn't know because of me not bothering with the preseason games)

so long story short, I only had a kit lens at this time
18-55.
ISO of 3200
F/4
and exposure time of 0.3

I must also say I DIDN'T stand still either. I was attempting to catch up with the people i went with and I was shooting and moving at the same time on the way ti parking lot. I am not sure if that played a factor into the shot or not.

calliwa Loc: Avon, IN

SS: I have tried taking fireworks photos several times in the past with nothing I am proud of. However, I did a little web research last week just in time for a short 15 minute fireworks display in my small hometown summer celebration (Good Neighbor Days). I have posted a few photos I got that night and a little description with each. Some were cropped, some were not.

Here are my tips:

What I found to be most important is FOCUS. As it is very difficult, if not impossible to focus at night, you should try first to estimate how far from the fireworks you will be. If you can find an object near that distance – earlier in the day while you still have light – use your auto focus and focus on that object. Note the position of your focus ring, how close is it to “infinity.” Leave the focus ring in that position and switch the camera to Manual Focus.

Next try to set your aperture to a higher number (f11-f18, something like that) to make the aperture small and this will increase your DOF. With a greater DOF, your chances of having the fireworks in that focused part of the field are greater. Once you are engaged in taking fireworks shots, after one or two, take time out to check the focus on those shots, if it is good; keep the focus ring where it is. If it is not, you must start moving the focus a very small distance one way or the other and check focus until you get it right. I found my daylight focus to be right on – lucky mostly, but I did try to get it set in the daylight.

Set ISO to the lowest number you have, I used 100 ISO. There is plenty of light when the fireworks burst into light.

I set the shutter speed to BULB setting. When using this setting, you trip the shutter (turn off Image Stabilization use, a remote shutter release and have the camera on a tripod – these are must haves) by depressing the shutter button on your remote – the shutter stays open until you trip the shutter button a 2nd time, then the shutter closes. In my photos, I varied the number of seconds I kept the shutter open from about 1.5 to 20+ seconds. Depending on how fast they are shooting the fireworks, you might get 2-3 different bursts in a 6 second period. If they are that fast, you can get 3-4 bursts in a single shot. I think these make for better photos. This is something you will have to play with and check what you are getting – even at the expense of missing a few bursts while you are getting your work checked. If there is too much light from the ground such that you are overexposing, you can use a black hat to something dark to cover your lens (while it is open in BULB) and remove it long enough to get an additional fireworks burst – this will keep the surroundings dark and have multiple exposures.

Have a fully charged battery, and/or backup

In these 4 posted photos, my settings were:
Canon T4i
Tamron 18-270mm lens - all photos at 42 mm
Manual Exposure
Manual Focus (after AF was used in daylight - see above)
Aperture - f18
ISO 100
Evaluative Metering
LiveView
Shutter Speed - variable, Photo #1 - 6.2 sec, #2 - 4.3 s, #3 - 14.2 s, and #4 - 21 s

I would be happy to try to answer any questions anyone might have

#1 - Cropped, no camera movement between exposures


#2 - Cropped, no camera movement between exposures


#3 - Not cropped, no camera movement between exposures


#4 - Not Croppped, rotated camera horizontally between bursts

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

AhOh, Cntry, does that mean there's a chink in the o'l Sony armor?
Next, you're gonna tell me they don't have a 50mm f1.2 either?! :lol:
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cntry Loc: Colorado

Not really, LOL! With EVF, since you can see exactly what your picture will look like, blinkies are not necessary; and we have a 50mm 1.2 - only it's called Minolta http://www.ebay.com/itm/Minolta-MD-50-1-2-/281355217357?pt=Camera_Lenses&hash=item418213e9cd
We also have a 58mm 1.2, a 55mm 1.9, a 55mm 1.8, 50mm f2... :lol:

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Calliwa, I see you made your way over here. Thanks for posting all the usefull information. I'm sure it will help a lot of people shooting fireworks for the first time. Thanks for posting and helping out! Nice set of shots. You're ready to venture out. ;-)
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mrgraphic Loc: Naples, FL

Here is a collage of bursts assembled after my first attempt at photographing fireworks, from Niagara Falls in 2002. I used a Nikon D100 with Nikkor 24-120mm f/3.5-5.6 D IF lens. ISO 200, aperture f8 to f11, WB cloudy, manual focus. Average exposure 2-3 seconds (if I remember correctly), using tripod. Jpegs processed in Photoshop 6.0 by creating a new file, painting the background black, then selecting individual bursts from jpegs with the marquee tool, copying, pasting to the new file. After placing a number of images, they were sized and arranged. With these images, I had to use the levels adjustment to slightly darken the sky portion of the bursts so they matched the black background I had painted. Since each burst placed created a new layer, the layers were arranged to bring desired bursts to the front or back as I saw fit. Finally, I flattened image, then saved as a jpg file.

Niagara Falls Fireworks 2002

(Download)

Namwife Loc: Midwest

Hi I really don't have any cool fireworks techniques....I just count 3 secs . as soon as I hear the "'Thud " when they set them off... and shoot....Sometimes I shoot as the trail is going up...Anyway here is what I got in April at Thunder Over Louisville ...:) These are all hand held straight out of the camera....

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SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Wife, thanks for posting! Looks liks a really big fireworks display. What a great oportunity to practice your fireworks skills.
I would advice stopping down your aperture a few stops, to get a little less of the white explosion blow-out. It's really hard to control that, especially when you have the big firefalls.
Again thanks for telling us how you do it. ;-)
SS