Firework Photography. How?

Well if any of you lot see a bloke in his mid twenties standing behind a camera looking like he has no idea what hes doing, its probably me. So come say hi.
I'll have one of the custom Talk Photography neck straps hanging from my camera to so you know im from here aswell.

Good luck to all trying for some shots, and look forward to seeing the results posted up here soon.
 
Gonna try and get there after work. Hope I can find a decent location. Will try gosport side too.
 
Jimmy_Lemon said:
wow in that case you should get some stunning shots :) the trick might be trying to time the shots so the tower doesnt change colour during and exposure. Which reminds me actually, I have found that it is pretty easy to over expose a firework and lose its colour, I think the one I linked to was 8 seconds and that is probably as far as I would push it, but it seems to depend on the fireworks used (in my limited experience)....but worth baring in mind that a 30 second exposure, for example, to capture lots of fireworks could just end up with a lot of white lines all over the shop :)
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I'll second that. I've tried exposures of up to 4 minutes and found that too many overlap and cause it to blow out - not to mention if theres a very bright white one say after 3 minutes its likely to wipe out most what you have captured. For these sort of displays I would say max of 30 seconds, but generally I would stick around 5-8 seconds. If you want to capture the finale make sure you will need to adjust by maybe 3 stops because there is just soo much at once.

Snipet - thanks for the reminder, looks like I'm going to join Merc, maybe see you there.
Pick a focus point before the fireworks start. My eyes are not good enough for manual focus so I usual get the camera to focus on something at a similar range to the fireworks and then switch it to manual focus so it doesn't attempt to hunt & refocus each shot.
Generally, I would set mine to ISO 200 (being a Nikon) F8 or F11 and BULB mode so I can use my shutter release to trigger it somewhere between 3-8 seconds. I would time the open/close with the fireworks, and aim for maybe 2-3 explosions captured in one frame. Obviously, I'm not sure what the exposure will be for the Spinakker Tower but will have to balance this out with the fireworks.
Good luck :thumbs:
 
Snipet said:
Hiya guys and girls,
Gunwharf Quays down in Portsmouth is haveing a big firework display on friday evening, (and as I work down there and finish before they start) i was thinking of trying something new photography wise for me and try to capture them.
My kit is
  • Canon 50D
  • Canon 17-85mm
  • Canon 70-300mm
  • Sigma 105mm
  • Tripod
  • Shutter Remote

Was thinking i would be best with the 17-85mm on the camera, but not sure what settings to use to get the best results. And I don't want to miss the whole display messing around trying to find what works.
Any info or tips on this would be really appreciated and alot of help.
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I hope the link is any use to you about Photographing Fireworks.
http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/qt_tips_photograph_fireworks_article.shtml?categoryId=121#showAll
 
Just a note yo anyone on their way, weather is mostly clear but there is a very fine misty rain in the air. Bit very quiet gosport side sofar (I know its early), but found a nice comfy bench to eat some chips on.
 
Was perched on the pier with Snipet.

Got alot of different coloured smoke and not alot of fireworks seems it would have been preferable to of been Portsmouth side or further up from you john.

BTW where were you positioned was it further up from the gosport ferry as I went for a wonder but found a ship yard and didnt know how long it would have taken to get round it.
 
daza said:
Was perched on the pier with Snipet.

Got alot of different coloured smoke and not alot of fireworks seems it would have been preferable to of been Portsmouth side or further up from you john.

BTW where were you positioned was it further up from the gosport ferry as I went for a wonder but found a ship yard and didnt know how long it would have taken to get round it.
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I was between you and the ferry. Saw how many was on the pier and also noted the wind was blowing towards there aswell, so stayed upwind alittle.
 
Well, I met up with Merc & Jollyjack - Thanks guys it was nice to meet you both.

Great position between the ferry and the pier. The only downside was having to sit awkwardly on a cold, pointy, wet and slippery rock for an hour or so. :lol:

Took me about 10 minutes to find a stable platform for my tripod - which ended up being about 2 foot lower than I wanted so I had to almost lie down to see through the viewfinder !

Shame about the rain, but it doesn't seem to have caused me any problem - more of a distraction than anything else really. I think the smoke spoiled it more than the rain.

And thankfully no-one slipped and embarrassed themselves :lol:

Will go through my pictures properly tomorrow.
 
-RV- said:
Well, I met up with Merc & Jollyjack - Thanks guys it was nice to meet you both.

Great position between the ferry and the pier. The only downside was having to sit awkwardly on a cold, pointy, wet and slippery rock for an hour or so. :lol:

Took me about 10 minutes to find a stable platform for my tripod - which ended up being about 2 foot lower than I wanted so I had to almost lie down to see through the viewfinder !

Shame about the rain, but it doesn't seem to have caused me any problem - more of a distraction than anything else really. I think the smoke spoiled it more than the rain.

And thankfully no-one slipped and embarrassed themselves :lol:

Will go through my pictures properly tomorrow.
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It was great to meet you Chris, have to arrange another trip out sometime soon.
 
Wish I'd been able to get away from work earlier and arrange to meet some of you guys. Clearly picked the wrong location as I was in a rush and not got a single shot worth keeping. May try city fireworks at cosham during the week.
 
Simon_Hill said:
Wish I'd been able to get away from work earlier and arrange to meet some of you guys. Clearly picked the wrong location as I was in a rush and not got a single shot worth keeping. May try city fireworks at cosham during the week.
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Thinking of having a go there myself, it's next Wednesday the 2nd November if I am not mistaken.
 
Know it's still a way off, and they couldn't even get it right at a couple of hours notice for last night, but met office currently suggesting thunder storm for weds night. Who needs fireworks!!!
 
If any of you do go to the Cosham one, i would suggest that you get there VERY!!! early. Parking is a nightmare!

I'll be on top of the hill if i go and it is chaos up there on firework night. I hope we do have lightning on the night.
 
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A brief local display this evening gave me the perfect opportunity to take some test shots with the finepix s1730 camera. Exposure set around 2.5s on SP setting (Firework mode obviously.) The pics were taken behind window glass but to my untrained eye after a bit of contrast editing through GIMP2 both images look alright. Like the OP I myself will be 'in the field' itself watching Fireworks this coming Nov 5th, for test shots aside from some cropping they've turned out acceptable imho.

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Merc said:
If any of you do go to the Cosham one, i would suggest that you get there VERY!!! early. Parking is a nightmare!

I'll be on top of the hill if i go and it is chaos up there on firework night. I hope we do have lightning on the night.
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Yeah think I might try and head up Portsdown Hill with my camera. I've always wanted to get some firework shots.
 
Weather forcast is still not looking good for wednesday. Heavy rain and pretty windy too.
 
Rubbish!

Ah well iam still planning on heading up on the hill. Do you know if a 24-105 will get some decent photos Simon?
 
I'm going to have a go at some firework photography on Saturday and having never attempted it before, what lens would be the best to use. I don't have a wide angle just a choice between. 55 - 250, 70 - 200 or the Nifty fifty.

Which would be best suited?

Di
 
Do you have to use manual focus to take shots of fireworks?
 
Di Stone said:
I'm going to have a go at some firework photography on Saturday and having never attempted it before, what lens would be the best to use. I don't have a wide angle just a choice between. 55 - 250, 70 - 200 or the Nifty fifty.

Which would be best suited?

Di
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It depends how close you are to the firework and if you are wanting just the fireworks or like my last shot I wanted a structure in the image. Just fireworks maybe the 70-200. Wide angle the nifty fifty.
 
jollyjack said:
Your auto focus will not keep up. Auto focus on a point close to where they will be set off the switch to manual or manual focus to infinity.
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Ah yes I remember vaguely now as I had similar settings for the car night trails that I've done before.
 
Its looking particularly wet and miserable out there tonight here in the North. How did the display go down at Cosham?

Saturday's forecast is hit and miss for all the UK it's looking like right now, the winds aren't particularly strong (20mph gusts at best) but the rainfall looks to be lasting all day and evening, so camera gear needs to be waterproofed ASAP it's looking like. A shame aswell after the week of mild temperatures :razz:
 
How do you manaully forcus on infinity if your leanse does not have the infinity symbol on it ?
 
Flyfisher said:
How do you manaully forcus on infinity if your leanse does not have the infinity symbol on it ?
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In my experience I've found it difficult and would only do it as a last resort. I always find something at a similar distance and use auto focus toget a lock and then switch it off for the display. If desperate then use auto focus on the first firework of the display and then switch it off again.
 
did my first firework shoot tonight.... just editing in lr now.
canon 60d, sigma 70-300 lens, f9 to f11 mostly, iso 100, mixed from 2 to 4 seconds with a remote cable.... im really chuffed with the results so far.
there was a lot of smoke but I've been able to reduce it with curves in lr.
met some other guys set up in the same place and we had a wee chat in our camera corner, was good fun. freezing, very fidgety in the dark, needed to move fast to get the best angles, but was a pleasure.
also was my first time chatting to other photographers "in the field" and it felt very welcoming :)
 
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oh, I manual focussed and was quite easy, much more forgiving than doing model or macro shots :)
 
This is one of tonight's best results for me. I was a little bit :razz: that someone decided to poke into view to the bottom right, but the more I look at it the more it gives depth of field and character to it. Nice colors and dramatic smoke given off by the pyro's aswell.

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These are the one and only time I have done fireworks and are probably a good example of what not to do.
Hand held
iso 2000
f/5
and at least 8 pints of cider!!! which accounts for the bluriness :lol:
Well it was the last night of Glastonbury 2008 pity they went off just as Joan Baez was starting her set on the accoustic stage :)

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