shooting fireworks, focusing?

J

JonClarke

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hi, when shooting fireworks i can never get the focusing right.

i get the focus right but when i go to take the shot the camera will hunt and try to focus again and not want to take the picture.

is there such a thing as locking the focus?

also should i be shooting in single or continuous mode?

will be using a d300

thanks
 
I've always found the best thing to do is stick it on manual focus... most of the time just put it onto infinity... or focus on a building that is say close to where they are being fired from... for instance I once used the hands on the clock tower on the Balmoral hotel as I wanted the building to be in pin sharp focus in each shot... It then means you can forget the focusing and concentrate on the timing of your light painting...

Maybe thats not the pro way to do it... but I kind of just thought it up myself and its worked for me....

However... It's funny you post this as I've just posted a post of my own regarding night photography in general and the best apatures to use in bulb setting as im not so sure.

M
 
thanks.

the only thing i fear when manual focusing it that i could end up with the hole set out of focus
 
If you are far enough away... which I would think you would be with fireworks... 90% of the time infinity will do it... with say f 8 giving you good focus latitude for mistakes
 
I'm impressed with the people who focus on a firework in the air....

As has been said a focus of infinity is almost certainly going to be fine. Or manual focus on something a suitable distance away. Look up the DOF at your likely focal length and aperture and see what you get.
 
Bring it on Manual mode, and use a 3 second exposure, thats works quite nice ;)
 
well im back.

manual infinity focus worked a treat.

Thanks for the help.
 
I usually guess the focus for the first few then once the display has started properly just check the focus by focusing on some in the air and reverting back to locking it at that focus.

You can either go for tight crop:
2996152901_3a9d9cf500.jpg


Or wide angle for shots with more context to them:
Enniskillen_Fireworks_1_by_mole2k.jpg
 
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