Fireworks at a wedding

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k4mmd

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Hi Guys

I wonder if anyone can assist.

I am covering a wedding where the groom is having a firework display at night in a park and wanted pictures taken with the bride and groom in front of the fireworks.

I have got a tripod and shutter release and was thinking of a shutter speed of 2seconds. however i am not sure how much light there will be to light up the subject.

Does anyone have any tips on how to light the subject but not to flood them out?

i was thinking maybe fill flash? or a light source from a torch? :thinking:
 
Slow shutter for fireworks. Flash for B&G.

Piece of cake.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Slow shutter for fireworks. Flash for B&G.

Piece of cake.
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Sorry to just in on this but my question may also be a help to the op... With the flash would you need to set 2nd curtain sync?
 
I would have thought a single flash, possible better to be rear synced but I don't suppose it would make that much difference, you may need a longer exposure than two seconds though maybe up to 5-8 seconds, it all depends on how the fireworks are planned, you may also want to talk with the people doing the fireworks to see what they're plans are :thumbs:

Matt
 
stumac said:
Sorry to just in on this but my question may also be a help to the op... With the flash would you need to set 2nd curtain sync?
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No.

It won't make much difference to the final image (as in, you couldn't easily look at one and say if it's front or rear curtain) but front curtain makes it easier to watch the B&G and shoot when you see an expression you like. Then hope they hold that until the fireworks start to burst. With rear you are hoping they have a nice expression at an arbitrary point in time.

MWHCVT said:
you may need a longer exposure than two seconds though maybe up to 5-8 seconds
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Depends on the look you want and of course weather conditions. Personally I've never used an exposure that long for wedding fireworks.
 
As said before, the duration depends on everything from the weather, how dark it is, how many fireworks there are etc. but yes, simply use a flash to illuminate them.
 
5-8 seconds is way too long for fireworks imo, whole sky will be way too bright. Get the shot in the first 30s of the show, after much more than that and the sky fills with smoke and the pics won't be as good. Leaves the b+g to watch too.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
5-8 seconds is way too long for fireworks imo, whole sky will be way too bright. Get the shot in the first 30s of the show, after much more than that and the sky fills with smoke and the pics won't be as good. Leaves the b+g to watch too.
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Well I've just been back and checked my most recent firework images from last year and the exposures varied between 3-9 seconds with an average of 6 seconds :thumbs: it really does all depend on the quality and timing of the fireworks :thumbs:

I do however agree get it all out the way quickly to A avoid the smoke and B let the couple enjoy the fireworks

Something else to consider IMO is white balance, as I'm not sure if the couple picked out by the light from the flash could look a little odd when the rest of the area is illuminated by the light of the fireworks so you may want to customise the white balance away from a more normal W/B :thinking:

Matt
 
Ah ok, yeah, will depend on size of the show I guess - most of the events I shoot are on the larger end of the scale I guess, pro displays.

The smoke quickly makes everything look pants!
 
itsdavedotnet said:
Ah ok, yeah, will depend on size of the show I guess - most of the events I shoot are on the larger end of the scale I guess, pro displays.

The smoke quickly makes everything look pants!
Click to expand...

My last fireworks event was Kenilworth Castle :lol: but that said I was disappointed at the quality of the display :(
 
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