Shooting fireworks with DSLR - Let's compare shots and notes

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I ran into problems with mine because I was not close enough to the fireworks to properly use the light and the duration of the firework itself was too short at that distance for bulb to help. Learned about ten things not to do, though!  8)

No pictures, but plenty of experience!
 
skyking4ar2 said:
Learned about ten things not to do, though!

If you wouldn't mind sharing, I bet some of your "what not to do" experience would be helpful to me :)

I hope you find another opportunity to shoot fireworks this year.
 
I use a tripod ... manual focus ... white balance auto ... flash off ... lens Nikkor 28-80 mm zoom usually at 28mm on a Nikon D50 ...exposure mode is manual, Bulb mode ... ISO wasn't recorded but I would think 200 ... aperture f8.

No option for cable release and I would have to check, but if memory serves correctly my remote only works from the front ... so have to carefully push and hold shutter release ... not good, cable release would be much better if possible.

Basically I set up back a ways from the crowd ... main technique ... don't really use the view finder while actually shooting, just observe over the camera ... when I think something is coming ... using best guess, open shutter until I think I have something ... close shutter. 

By using "bulb" I have a better chance of not missing something ... I let the fireworks 'paint' the picture rather than try to time it perfectly.  If I'm a second or two early, with a dark sky, not much happens on your exposure before the fireworks explode.  Most of the time my reaction is triggered by the rocket going up.

Time on shots below are 4.6 s; 1/3rd s; 5.1 s and 1.7 s

Get a lot of duds, but that's the joy of digital ... "film" costs are minimal.  :D  Shoot and shoot some more.  ;D

Howard
 

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Here are some slightly "different" fireworks ... same basic setup on camera, however most of the exposure times are much more ... ranging from 6.8s to 24.55 s (seconds).

These shots were also taken at the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, WI ... a night airshow they put on.  Again I let the artist in the airplane "paint" the picture for me.

Times are in order:  18.1 s; 6.8 s; 9.3 s; 24.55 s and 16.9 s

Howard
 

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Howard R said:
These shots were also taken at the EAA fly-in in Oshkosh, WI ... a night airshow they put on.  Again I let the artist in the airplane "paint" the picture for me.

Howard

So you are saying the fireworks are shot from the airplane instead of the ground.  Is that correct?
 
Found a few more from another spot in Alaska...

Enjoy,

Jim
 

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MN Blue Skies said:
So you are saying the fireworks are shot from the airplane instead of the ground.  Is that correct?

No ... shots are from the ground, but with the longer exposure the airplane "paints" the image for me.

Howard
 
Thanks Larry ... the first time I tried to shoot the night airshow I was mostly at a loss how to capture it. 

Howard
 
I just discovered this article on shooting fireworks on PicMonkey's Blog.  The article suggests using a Tungsten white balance.  The article also has recommendations on camera settings, composition, editing.  I don't subscribe to PicMonkey but I'd bet you can achieve the same editing results using Photoshop.

http://www.picmonkey.com/blog/how-to-photograph-fireworks/

 
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