Nighttime Photography/Fireworks Pics

[havoc315]

Oh my gosh this is amazing advice!! I definitely need to fiddle with my camera before I go. That's interesting about everyone recommending a tripod, I'm okay with lugging around my camera and my lens (which is 55 250 mm for those who asked), but I don't think I have the strength to add a tripod on top of that. Especially mine, it's pretty clunky. Do you have recommendations for a more portable tripod? Or should I just try and balance it on objects; like trash cans or my little brother's head?

Gorillapod!!!
Granted, it's larger for a dSLR. But the gorillapod for my RX100... I was able to fit it in my pocket. Only shot Illuminations with it, just attached it to the railing.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

Wishes Fireworks by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 2 second bulb shot, f/22, ISO 200, 18mm


Wishes Fireworks by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 1 second bulb shot, f/22, ISO 200, 57mm


Enjoying Illuminations by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 4 second bulb shot, f/22, ISO 320, 24mm


The World at Night - Moracco by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 2 second bulb shot, f/8, ISO 1000, 105mm


A glowing spaceship by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 1/60, f/4, ISO 3200, 35mm


Epcot Neon by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 1/60, f/4, ISO 3200, 60mm


Wishes from the Wilderness Lodge Boat by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
Hand-held on a resort boat, 1/13, f/4, ISO 5000, 32mm


Wishes from the Wilderness Lodge Boat by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
Hand-held on a resort boat, 1/13, f/4, ISO 5000, 32mm


Disney & Co by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
3-shot HDR, tripod

and one of my favorites...


Electric Umbrella lights by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr
tripod, 1/60, f/4, ISO 3200, 35mm

 

[PythonFan888]

@BirdsOfPreyDave:

Pardon my curiosity but I noticed that in your last few non-fireworks tripod shots you had your ISO bumped all the way up to ISO 3200. You were also getting shutter speeds of 1/60 sec. Base ISO (ISO 100 for the 60D?) and longer exposures must have been possible with a tripod right?

Here's my latest post on flickr:

Fireworks Friday - Illuminations by Allen Castillo, on Flickr

Tripod, ND filter, Remote shutter. ISO 100. 34 seconds bulb mode. Manual focus at infinity. f/14

From my comment: I was actually sitting on the bench outside Mitsukoshi. I was trying to frame a shot with my UWA when I thought I could fill up the frame with my other zoom lens at 28mm. There was no cropping during post. This is probably one of those situations/locations where you can shoot fireworks while sitting down!

 

[jimim]

@BirdsOfPreyDave:

Pardon my curiosity but I noticed that your in your last few non-fireworks tripod shots you had you ISO bumped all the way up to ISO 3200. You were also getting shutter speeds of 1/60 sec. Base ISO (ISO 100 for the 60D?) and longer exposures must have been possible with a tripod right?

Here's my latest post on flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/allen_castillo/8746526037/
Fireworks Friday - Illuminations by Allen Castillo, on Flickr

Tripod, ND filter, Remote shutter. ISO 100. 32 seconds bulb mode. Manual focus at infinity. f/14

From my comment: I was actually sitting on the bench outside Mitsukoshi. I was trying to frame a shot with my UWA when I thought I could fill up the frame with my zoom at 28mm. There was no cropping during post. This is probably one of those situations/locations where you can shoot fireworks while sitting down!

Can I ask when u focused at infinity what did u use all the way out to focus on? I always have trouble with this. Do u need to pick the furthest point that u can lock focus on to achieve the sharpness with focusing to infinity?

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[BirdsOfPreyDave]

@BirdsOfPreyDave:

Pardon my curiosity but I noticed that your in your last few non-fireworks tripod shots you had you ISO bumped all the way up to ISO 3200. You were also getting shutter speeds of 1/60 sec. Base ISO (ISO 100 for the 60D?) and longer exposures must have been possible with a tripod right?

It's been more than a year, but I'll try to reconstruct. The fountain shot was the first of the series, which is probably when I made the concious decision not to have a long exposure because of the moving water. I'd either already put away my remote shutter and didn't want to dig it back out, didn't think to change the settings, or (more likely) was getting flack from my family to "hurry the heck up" when I paused to snap the Mouse Gear and Electric Umbrella shots. If I remember correctly, it was a very late night after Extra Magic Hours had ended, and we were all egar to get back to the resort and go to bed.

It might be worth experimenting with on my next trip, but I don't know how the bright neon would have worked with an extremely long exposure. I suspect it may have blown out, as did the signs on the buildings in this shot.


_MG_7036.jpg by BirdsOfPreyDave, on Flickr

 

[mom2rtk]

Python, you just keep hitting them out of the park. Awesome Illuminations shot!

 

[PythonFan888]

Can I ask when u focused at infinity what did u use all the way out to focus on? I always have trouble with this. Do u need to pick the furthest point that u can lock focus on to achieve the sharpness with focusing to infinity?

@jimim: When you rotate the focus ring on your lens all the way to the left or to the right (depending on your lens manufacturer) you should see the infinity marker (the sideways figure 8). For fireworks shots I just set my focus ring at that marker (or backed off slightly as Gianna'sPapa suggested). Anything from the hyperfocal distance of your lens to infinity will be acceptably sharp. (For my lens at 28 mm and f/14, anything from about 9 feet to infinity will be acceptably sharp).

@mom2rtk: Thanks for the kind words!

 

[Gianna'sPapa]

@jimim: When you rotate the focus ring on your lens all the way the the left or to the right (depending on your lens manufacturer) you should see the infinity marker (the sideways figure 8). For fireworks shots I just set my focus ring at that marker (or backed off slightly as Gianna'sPapa suggested). Anyone can correct me on this: Anything from the hyperfocal distance of your lens to infinity will be acceptably sharp. (For my lens at 28 mm and f/14, anything from about 9 feet to infinity will be acceptably sharp).

@mom2rtk: Thanks for the kind words!

Yes, you are in the manual focus mode not Autofocus.

 

[jimim]

@jimim: When you rotate the focus ring on your lens all the way to the left or to the right (depending on your lens manufacturer) you should see the infinity marker (the sideways figure 8). For fireworks shots I just set my focus ring at that marker (or backed off slightly as Gianna'sPapa suggested). Anything from the hyperfocal distance of your lens to infinity will be acceptably sharp. (For my lens at 28 mm and f/14, anything from about 9 feet to infinity will be acceptably sharp).

@mom2rtk: Thanks for the kind words!

So u aren't actually focusing on anything then? I assume u r leaving ur focus point centered and in manual focus rotating like u said? I was trying to read on this the other day and I sounded like what I was reading said to pick the farthest thing in the distance that has some light so the camera can focus on it?

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[mom2rtk]

So u aren't actually focusing on anything then? I assume u r leaving ur focus point centered and in manual focus rotating like u said? I was trying to read on this the other day and I sounded like what I was reading said to pick the farthest thing in the distance that has some light so the camera can focus on it?

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I'm thinking that if you pick something really far away and focus, it will be pretty darn close to infinity anyway.

It did feel strange the first time I did it that way and it turned out just fine.

 

[boBQuincy]

So u aren't actually focusing on anything then? I assume u r leaving ur focus point centered and in manual focus rotating like u said? I was trying to read on this the other day and I sounded like what I was reading said to pick the farthest thing in the distance that has some light so the camera can focus on it?

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I use autofocus to focus on something far away and then switch to manual focus and try to be careful to not touch the focus ring. I usually only use the center focus point anyway.
In case no one mentioned this, one of the reasons to use a ND filter is to get the aperture back in a range for good sharpness. The smaller the sensor the worse diffusion effects are, at f/11 micro 4/3 and anything smaller is really losing sharpness.

 

[jimim]

I use autofocus to focus on something far away and then switch to manual focus and try to be careful to not touch the focus ring. I usually only use the center focus point anyway.
In case no one mentioned this, one of the reasons to use a ND filter is to get the aperture back in a range for good sharpness. The smaller the sensor the worse diffusion effects are, at f/11 micro 4/3 and anything smaller is really losing sharpness.

So if u focused on something wayyyy out why switch to manual focus them? So u don't loose the focus when u decide to shoot then vs locking focus?

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[mom2rtk]

So if u focused on something wayyyy out why switch to manual focus them? So u don't loose the focus when u decide to shoot then vs locking focus?

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If you don't swap to manual once you establish where you want the camera to focus, the camera will have to hunt for focus on every single shot.

 

[PrincessInOz]

So if u focused on something wayyyy out why switch to manual focus them? So u don't loose the focus when u decide to shoot then vs locking focus?

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When I set up and focus on a point in the far distance, I'm making sure that I have my picture in focus. This is one of the early test shots before the firework starts.

ISO 400, f/16, 10 seconds.







Once I'm happy, I will turn my lens to manual. I've found that when I turn it to manual, the camera will let me take a picture when I want to take it. If I leave it auto, the camera may try to auto focus when the fireworks are on and not allow me to open the shutter until it thinks it is in focus. I really don't want the camera doing that whilst the fireworks are in motion.



Both shots taken at ISO 400, f/13, 8 seconds

 

[jimim]

Thanks everyone! I have to try this trip if I can. I appreciate it!

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