How to shoot fireworks

[MarkBarbieri]

For people taking very long exposures, do you leave noise reduction turned on or off?

I'm not sure how it works for other cameras, with mine there is a menu option for noise reduction (dark frame substraction). When it is turned on and you take a shot longer than 1 second, it takes a second shot with of the same duration with the shutter closed. It subtracts the second shot from the first to eliminate noise. It's quite useful, but it doubles your exposure times. If you are shooting 5 second exposures of fireworks, it means that you need to wait another 5 seconds before you shoot again. I'm not sure which I'd prefer - more pictures with higher noise or fewer pictures with lower noise.

 

[Steve's Girl]

For people taking very long exposures, do you leave noise reduction turned on or off?

I'm not sure how it works for other cameras, with mine there is a menu option for noise reduction (dark frame substraction). When it is turned on and you take a shot longer than 1 second, it takes a second shot with of the same duration with the shutter closed. It subtracts the second shot from the first to eliminate noise. It's quite useful, but it doubles your exposure times. If you are shooting 5 second exposures of fireworks, it means that you need to wait another 5 seconds before you shoot again. I'm not sure which I'd prefer - more pictures with higher noise or fewer pictures with lower noise.

I turn it off. I typically use an ISO of 100 or 200. So, noise is not a problem. I remember reading somewhere that with my camera there is some issue with using the NR with shutter speeds longer than 8 seconds. Don't remember the details, though.

 

[handicap18]

For people taking very long exposures, do you leave noise reduction turned on or off?

I'm not sure how it works for other cameras, with mine there is a menu option for noise reduction (dark frame substraction). When it is turned on and you take a shot longer than 1 second, it takes a second shot with of the same duration with the shutter closed. It subtracts the second shot from the first to eliminate noise. It's quite useful, but it doubles your exposure times. If you are shooting 5 second exposures of fireworks, it means that you need to wait another 5 seconds before you shoot again. I'm not sure which I'd prefer - more pictures with higher noise or fewer pictures with lower noise.

Towards the end of June last year I was playing around with the noise reduction feature on my D50. I read a bunch of posts on another forum and was reading stuff about it in one of my books. After that I didn't use the camera for about a week. Went to my parents house during the July 4th festivities. Took DS along with my Uncle and his family down to the beach for the fireworks. I brought the camera along to take some practice shots.

After every shot there was this loooooong pause. It drove me crazy all night long. Once the shutter closed, nothing would happen for like 10 seconds. Well come to find out I left the NR feature on. Let me tell you,,, it was VERY annoying.

In this regard I agree with Steve's Girl. If your using a tripod, then you should be using ISO 100 or 200 and with dSLR's at that ISO, noise isn't going to be much of an issue at all. The NR feature takes away way to much time and too many shots. I also didn't notice any benefits. Even after comparing the shots with NR on at ISO 200 to shots with NR off at ISO 800.

Here is the best from that 4th of July fireworks display. (we didn't have the best spot, oh well)

 

[SharonLowe]

For people taking very long exposures, do you leave noise reduction turned on or off?

I'm not sure how it works for other cameras, with mine there is a menu option for noise reduction (dark frame substraction). When it is turned on and you take a shot longer than 1 second, it takes a second shot with of the same duration with the shutter closed. It subtracts the second shot from the first to eliminate noise. It's quite useful, but it doubles your exposure times. If you are shooting 5 second exposures of fireworks, it means that you need to wait another 5 seconds before you shoot again. I'm not sure which I'd prefer - more pictures with higher noise or fewer pictures with lower noise.

No need to use it with a low ISO and the reasonably short exposures (I think anything under 5 minutes at night is short ) there is no need to use noise reduction. You can do it in PS though as I think I pointed out in my previous post. Shoot a totally black frame (eg., one with your lens cap on), copy that over to your image as a layer above it. Change the mode to "difference" and you will greatly reduce the noise in your photos.

 

[Groucho]

I turned it off and did not notice any noise issues whatsoever, so I left it off. It can really screw with your ability to take photos quickly in succession.

 

[DizneyNutz]

These are my first photos of fireworks using my new camera at new year (07). These are a couple of backyard fireworks captured with the new camera.

These were taken in haste and using the bulb mode!

 

[MICKEY88]

I've never done that at WDW, but here's a shot of a friend lighting some bottlerockets. It's a scan of a film shot I took with a Minolta 7i about 20 years ago. [/IMG]

7i ?????

I've never heard of that model..

 

[MarkBarbieri]

7i ?????

I've never heard of that model..

I thought it was a 7i, but after doing some googling, I can't find any evidence that such a thing existed. It was probably either a 7000i or a 7xi. If I recall, it was the first Maxxum that used Creative Expansion Cards. I think I had the fantasy effects card (which I think somehow adjusted the focus during the shot) and one other card that I can no longer recall. I liked the idea of being able to "upgrade" the camera with cards rather than new models, but it never really panned out.

The camera was eventually destroyed in a boating accident. By the time I was ready to replace it, Minolta's brief dominance of the 35mm AF world had ended and I opted to go with a Canon Rebel. At the time, the Rebel was one of the cheapest AF SLRs and it was the only camera for which IS lenses were being made.

 

[S. C.]

I'm subscribing to this thread to read tomorrow. I'm hoping to get some decent fireworks shots in a few weeks. Have a great day everyone.

 

[DisneyFan0304]

Hi, Everyone --

I've been drooling over everyone's pictures on the various threads on the boards here for quite a while now. I love taking pictures, but don't really have the patience to have to mess around with a bunch of settings.

I bought my first digital camera last year -- a Konica Minolta Z6 (based on a very long and happy relationship I had with a Konica 35MM film camera). It's a nice camera, but when we went to WDW last year I had a terrible time getting pictures of fireworks, night time parades, etc.

Lately I've noticed some cameras that have special settings for fireworks. Has anyone used them? How are the results?

Thanks for any help!!

 

[ukcatfan]

We have a great fireworks how to thread that will explain the manual details in length, but basically, you shoot in manual mode, close the aperture to a small setting(i.e. ~f/8 on a p&s), set ISO to ~100-200, and shutter speed to 1-4 seconds. Experiment with that to see what works the best. Here is the most important part... use a tripod and remote shutter release. If you do not have the remote option, then try a 2 sec. delay.

Kevin

 

[Groucho]

Well, like Kevin said, fireworks are pretty easy if you have a tripod. Most any camera can produce very nice results.

However...

I had a Minolta Z5 that I took along to Disneyland and WDW during the less-than-a-year that I had it. You're unlikely to be able to get satisfactory SpectroMagic photos with the camera, I'm sorry to say. This is generally going to be the case with any point-n-shoot camera. You can take some with the flash, but I personally don't like the look of a light parade with the flash. You can also try using a noise-reduction program afterwards to clean up some of the photos, that can help a lot.

The problem is really one of sensor size - your 35mm camera had a nice big piece of film negative to capture the photo on. However, your Z6 has a tiny little 1/2.5" sensor. The surface area is far, far smaller - like 864mm versus 24.71. That's why point-n-shoot digital cameras really suffer in low light where 35mm cameras didn't.

SpectroMagic is extremely difficult to shoot well without a flash. You might be able to get a couple you like from a PnS, but really, you almost need a DSLR with the ISO level maxed out and a very fast lens to do it effectively.

If your 35mm camera was an SLR, you could use those lenses on the current Sony DSLR... that's something to consider, if you have lenses that you like and want to be able to use them again.

If you don't want the size/expense/hassle of a DSLR, the large-sensor Fuji PnSs have the largest sensors and best low-light performance in the PnS arena.

If you don't want that, then there's nothing wrong with continuing to use your Z6 and understand in what situations it works best and how to get the best out of it. Since the digital photos are essentially "free", there's no hard in firing off a few shots and you'll probably find that you'll get a few keepers.

 

[MIDisFan]

I just wanted to bump this thread. I will be at WDW in about 10 days, trying out my new DSLR, and this thread has been very helpful.

 

[SharonLowe]

Last week, I got the chance to shoot the MK fireworks from the Tower Lounge in the Contemporary Resort. I set up my tripod and camera with my 28-300mm IS lens mounted on the tripod (IS turned off of course). Since I wasn't sure where the fireworks would appear, I set the zoom at 70mm and focused on the Castle using a horizontal framing. My ISO was 100, aperture f/8.0, manually focused on infinity. I attached my remote timer cable and set the shooting mode to bulb.

Once the fireworks started, I realized the Castle should not be my focus so I turned to include Space Mountain. I then shot away, keeping the shutter open anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds. My best shots all seemed to be in the 5 second range, give or take. My favorite of the bunch was this one open for 4.8 seconds, cropped to get rid of the Castle:

 

[steery1]

Lovely shot Sharon. Tell me, is the Tower Lounge where the California Grill is?

 

[SharonLowe]

Lovely shot Sharon. Tell me, is the Tower Lounge where the California Grill is?

Thanks. The Tower Lounge is the "14th" (13th in reality but you know superstitions!) floor concierge level. The California Grill is the floor above and its balcony has a somewhat different viewpoint, I believe, since that floor is much smaller than the lower floors. And, unfortunately, with the crowds at CG, I expect it would be hard to set up a tripod and not get it knocked.

 

[Dis-Wiz]

I know there have been numerous threads about taking pictures of fireworks, and believe me, I have been through almost all of them. I have been researching so much about taking pictures of fireworks because I want to come home from this year's WDW trip with some good Wishes pics!

From a collection of (technical) tips I have received from this board, this is what I have:

ISO- around 200

Manual mode

around f/5.6 (next to this my camera says 1/30)

My question is, I have a 'fireworks' setting under 'scene' mode on my camera. Should I use this instead, or just go by the info. previous stated? Or should I try to combine both?

Tonight, our town has its 4th of July fireworks, so I want to practice up and try to get all the really bad errors out of the way before the Disney fireworks.

Thanks!!

 

[bradk]

the fireworks setting is whatever your camera's manufacturer determined to be the best 'manual' settings for shooting fireworks. that might be good, that might not be.

if you want the more vibrant trajectories, a low ISO (i usually go 100) and a longer exposure time (at least 1-2 seconds) and a tripod (preferably with a remote shutter) are generally preferred. but you can get fine shots with a quicker shutter speed (1/30 seems to be a bit fast to me - but you should also be able to get away without a tripod too), the paths just won't be as lightly lit and you'll just end up with a large head on each firework.

all that said, the problem i face at disney is that the castle gives off its own light and if you keep the shutter open that long, the castle can get oversaturated depending on how its lit). but that's probably just me and i haven't read the fireworks thread on here yet, but i think you'll find a difference regardless shooting fireworks at home vs MK.

 

[Dis-Wiz]

Thanks! I will definitely be doing a lot of experimenting tonight. And the great advantage that I'll have down in Disney is, that by staying at the GF, I can go to the MK for Wishes every night, with just a monorail ride away. So, if my pictures come out bad the first time, I still have other chances to take better ones.

I guess I will try the fireworks setting on my camera first then, and if that doesn't work, I'll work around with it a little more.

Thanks again!

 

[SharonLowe]

I found my best were in the 4-6 second range but I didn't have the Castle in them (I was shooting from a balcony at CR. See what exposure settings you get with the castle lit up but no fireworks and adapt from there. If the speed is too short, change your aperture to lengthen the exposure. And, use your lowest ISO. If you have a bulb setting on your camera, use that and with the camera on a tripod and your remote/cable release in hand, try to time the fireworks so you get nice long light trails but not too many so that they blow out your photo.