What is Digg?73 Comments
- automagnus, on 10/12/2007, -7/+30Just in time for the 4th of July awesome stuff.
Digg++ - Ireland, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23So in short: f/8 to f/16, shoot just before the firework explodes-with a shutter speed of 3-4 seconds, low ISO and switch off your flash... Cool!
- pype, on 10/12/2007, -14/+35You mean Just In Time For Canada Day! ;)
- Criterion, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11"There's an Independence day?"
Yeah, and they even made a movie about it. :P - LeftistPersona, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9yup yup.
remember to take advantage of a zero processing costs and take as many pictures as possible (more than you'd normally think necessary). That way, you'll up your chances of getting that "perfect" shot. - bf01, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9Here's another hint. Make sure you are ready to take pictures of the first fireworks. If there isn't much wind, you are going to end up with a lot of smoke in your shot. The first explosions are usually the sharpest ones.
- aplardi, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Awesome. I took some really decent ones when I went to Epcot earlier this year, but they were deleted.
It's good to see some Photography tutorials on Digg. Hope there's more goodness to come. - Luxowell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5hey, i can respect that for sure, but when your a budding young photographer, its like a right of passage to take photos of fireworks... and the technique is quite different than your standard fair, so it teaches amatures to use their cameras in a way other than automatic settings.
Oh yeah, and for me, I find a 2 second exposure to be just about right :) - sych0, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You can use this same technique to take pics of aurora borealis
- shatters, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I always found it interesting to see the amount of people that use the flash outside of their effective range. Most cameras flash range is about 15feet. For example, the flashfest that goes on in a stadium when the crowd is trying to capture Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, or whomever breaking a home run record. What's the point?
- AlanLivingston, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You miss my point. Of course a tripod and a remote release are valuable. But what's the point of writing an email to a photographer asking for suggestions because you fear some technique is too hard. I'd have a lot more respect for the guy that says, "Hey, I've been trying to photograph fireworks but at the exposures I find I have to use to get the effect I want, I can't hold the camera still. Even when I prop it on a rock, I still get shaky pics. What's up?"
Instead, you get the whiny crybabies that want perfect results without going through the learning process. I can imagine some guy spending a few thousand dollars in equipment, following the instructions precisely in this guide, using his new D2xs getting the same quality pictures as some kid using his digital point and shoot, because the kid was willing to experiment with his equipment to find out what made it work best. - Criterion, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I wouldn't call sub 5 secs "ultra long". That would be what I use shooting astro, taking multiple 15 minute or longer tracked exposures and overlaying them to get deep sky shots.
- theplop, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I experimented with this last year. I took my digital camer (free pictures!) and a tripod and just took random shutter speeds. towards the end i got a better feel for how long to expose them. If i remember correctly, something in the range of 2-5 seconds got the best reults.
http://www.ida.net/users/extremx/firework.jpg
i have more pics, i just don't want to be dugg to death ;) - carguy84, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The author left out one important factor:
FIND OUT THE DIRECTION OF THE WIND
You want to shoot up wind, so it goes Camera, Fireworks, Smoke. Otherwise they'll come out REALLY hazy.
Also, I find that if you shoot from a little further back and with a little more lens, you can set the lens to manual focus, focus it at infinity and not have to worry about it after that.
Otherwise, a sturdy tripod, 2-6 seconds of shutter speed at F8 and good time is what will get it done. Also, a little photoshop can add some interesting "life" to the photos:
http://www.chipsphotos.com/gallery.asp?navId=2&galleryId=103
Chip- - MikeOSX, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Not everybody has been on digg for that long. I digg it.
- GoNoles, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4If you don't want to spend money on a remote release, try using the timer.
- nogami, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Also, for pictures that turn out well, it's a good idea to make sure that you have something besides the fireworks in your image - just fireworks by themselves give you no sense of scale. I usually tilt down a bit to get some people/crowds in the foreground, which works well.
- gengisPhat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The tripod and photo release cable is a good tip. Another one is to get some black foam core and set your camera to bulb. Start the exposure when the fireworks start with the piece of foam core in front of the lens. Every time a burst happens move the foam core out of the way. You will get multiple firework bursts in one exposure.
Experiment with fstop. I usually stop down quite a bit. - muxon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Sparklers are fun too - http://www.muxon.com/gallery/Random/sparklesmiley.html
- superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2People know the flashes don't work. They just don't know how to turn them off.
- crash331, on 10/12/2007, -9/+11It's Independence Day, not the 4th of July. The government is brainwashing you.
- superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Actually that's not true at all, or it doesn't have to be. It's pretty easy to get unique fireworks shots just by choosing different sngles or locations than what "everyone" else is taking.
However even if you are taking bog-standard firework shots there still is pleasure in getting a good one, so from the standpoint of personal gratification of a skill learned it can be useful.
Firthermore it can be a good skill to have if later on someday you find yourself in a really unique setting with fireworks so you know what to do. Many picture of common things are useful to that end, to learn the basics so when something really interesting comes along you are ready technically and artistically to get a good picture. - DWatch, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The tripod is required for long exposure shots, but remember that you cannot put a tripod just anywhere. I tried to take some shots of fireworks from a boat once, bad idea. Every single shot came out blurry. The tripod should be on solid ground. I have also taken night shots from bridges, which turned out blurry because the bridge I was on was shaking with traffic going over it. A few shots came out ok, but that was because there was no traffic at the time. Also wind can affect the shot, if you have the tripod extended all the way up. Its more prone to swaying.
- garbelini, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@Ireland
Do not forget the tripod. - epheterson, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Very good timing, I appreciate it!
- don2779, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2"Point it toward the fireworks display and push the damn button."
A remote release will decrease the amount of camera shake. Even with a tripod, direct contact with the camera will cause it to move.
If you do no not have a remote option hang a heavy object from the center post of the tripod like a bag of sand or your camera bag. This will help keep things steady. - spoonmanp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Hmm you might actually get some cool shots using the flash as well and get some excellent pictures. If you have a camera that you can set the flash sync on, you can try using a rear curtain sync (where the flash goes off at the end of the exposure). That could be used to illuminate any close by objects such as people, scenery, while still retaining the light and trails left by the long exposure on the fireworks.
- don2779, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@alanlivingston
1. A cable release - $5
2. Remote shutter release for Nikon D200 - $15
3. The advice that you can get from seasoned pro's and serious amateurs by sending an e-mail - priceless
One more word of advice.
Set the shutter to B (bulb) if you have that option.
Crank the aperature to a very small setting. 22ish (this will make the lines of the fireworks finer)
Use a piece of black cardboard or construction paper to cover the lens, removing only after the blast has dissipated, this will allow for multiple bursts on one frame.
Close the shutter after you feel you have enough to make a great picture. - superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Another tip I would add to this is pre-focus if possible (need to be able to manually focus or lock down focus for good) before the show starts so other elements in the frame are sharp They did mention that you only need to focus once but its a lot easier to take a few shots before the show starts and check them carefully rather than wait until the show has begun and you are fiddling with focus instead of watching fireworks!
If you have interchangable lenses you can even lock down a focus ring with gaffers tape so if you change lenses out you'll not bump the focus out of whack. - AssProphet, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3@Crash333 yeah. 4th of July, Turkey Day, and they're still working on rebranding Christmas. Though I doubt it's government driven. I figure they're just pop marketing labels.
- hokieaudi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Odds are good those are P&S cameras and the folks using them don't realize that the flash isn't effective at those ranges. *LOTS* of people pull stuff outta the box and never read the instructions afterall.
- superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"Very Long" is relative though - by that he is saying not to shoot exposures of 15 seconds+ like a beginner might be tempted to do to get a firework from explosion to ultimate fade. Two seconds is around what I favor.
- ReXorcist, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@SimpleBinary ...oh we're supposed to laugh?
- hokieaudi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Good luck getting a spot read on a explosive flash a couple hundred feet up and several thousand feet downrange. Sometimes you just have to shoot from the hip.
- EvilPenguin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's also worth remembering to choose your location carefully if possible - try to avoid being downwind of the fireworks or the smoke blows towards you.
- superkendall, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The cable release is also very good for another reason - so you yourself can enjoy the show! Otherwise you're spending the whole time looking at it through a viewfinder.
- tsukiyo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Nice collection of photos there mate :D
- ilselu1, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Also check out http://www.digicamhelp.com/how-to-photograph-fireworks/how-to-photograph-fireworks.htm
I used this tut last year and came home with some amazing shots! http://www.flickr.com/photos/ilselu1/sets/72157594180578569/ - twiztedambience, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You forget to mention that often you will need a very low speed film to do this successfully. Most people hardly know the difference between 200ISO and 400ISO. Now lets add in digital cameras to the mix...
- coreydoucorey, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Good. I've never thought it would be so simple.
- dasimms, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Very good tip. I think photographers call this the "hat trick". I believe this trick comes in handy for astrophotography as well. It allows the camera/tripod to stop shaking after the mirror/shutter moves before exposing the film. Then you cover the lens again, release the shutter and no shakes will be recorded on the film (or CCD).
- Needle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Another hint:
Don't nessecary time your shots by the second... do it more by feel.
Ideally, you would want fireworks at different heights in the picture.
So try this:
Open the shutter, look at the tails of the fireworks as they're being launched, anticipate at what height they are going to explode, and close the shutter after you have gotten a few good ones. Also, remember to not setup your tripod next to another lightsource besides the fireworks, that will drown out the picture. Lastly, if its towards the finale, you will want to close the shutter faster, etc... but that was pretty obvious.. - twiztedambience, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1A simple device called a light meter would make all of this very easy. Lightmeters are often installed on most cameras nowadays... though they suck.
For true photographers, a spot meter will work the best. Look all this up on google, follow instructions that come with the meter and you'll have very good pictures. - phanty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Good article if you're using a tripod - I'd like to try some longer exposures. However, living in Sussex, UK, I photograph fireworks fairly regularly without one at ISO 160 and generally float between 1/30s to capture movement and 1/200 to preserve some of the 'sparkliness'. The results seem fairly good to me. Maybe it makes a difference if you can get quite close to where they're going off.
- ccanni1028, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Specifics:
compose your shot properly
-Use a tripod to steady the camera
anticipate
don't use a very long exposure (did you even RTFA?)
-best photographs of them capture this movement meaning you need a nice long exposure. The technique that I developed when I first photographed fireworks was to shoot in ‘bulb’ mode. hit the shutter as the firework is about to explode and hold it down until it’s finished exploding (generally a few seconds). - hexreigns, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I swear I saw this same article last year.
- swollenosterich, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1practical techniques are was nice to know. dugg.
- muxon, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0My old camera used to lock on 1/60th of a second shutter speed when using flash, so people who don't even know how to set that might end up with a more steady picture (albeit probably underexposed) using the auto mode with flash, even if the subject is hundreds of feet away.
- phanty, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Actually, that's a really good point. There's nothing quite so annoying as losing a shot when you press the shutter and the autofocus kicks in.
- Singee15, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4Let me give you the quick tutorial: use the 'fireworks' mode on your camera.
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