How to shoot fireworks

[NostalgicDad]

I think your shots look really nice. I tried to view your photos but got a password required message on smugmug.

I'll echo what Groucho said about the settings. And, just to illustrate an even longer shutter speed......


7 seconds
f/11.0
ISO 100

 

[handicap18]

I've taken fireworks shots at Disney both ways. I like using a tripod better though. Shooting handheld with a high ISO and wide aperture will give you a lot more noise.

Here are 2 similar shots. 1 taken handheld and 1 with a tripod:

Dec '07; ISO 1600, f/4, 1/30th at 18mm

Jun '06; ISO 200, f/10, 4 seconds at 34mm

In the end it all comes down to a matter of personal preference. If your happy with your results then thats that. I certainly wouldn't call it weird. Its just another view from another persons eyes. Keep doing what you like! This is the beauty of photography.

 

[jann1033]

I think your shots look really nice. I tried to view your photos but got a password required message on smugmug.

I'll echo what Groucho said about the settings. And, just to illustrate an even longer shutter speed......


7 seconds
f/11.0
ISO 100

whooo weee that's a nice picture

 

[DVC Jen]

whooo weee that's a nice picture

Janet? have you been hanging our down round these here parts?


and you are righter than april rain - that thare be a mighty fine photo-graph.

 

[figment1986]

NostalgicDad, That is a brilliant shot.

I still experiment but usually don't have much time to experiment with fireworks yet. This is great information for armatures like myself.

I'm still getting night photos down with my Rebel XTi.

 

[NostalgicDad]

whooo weee that's a nice picture

Janet? have you been hanging our down round these here parts?


and you are righter than april rain - that thare be a mighty fine photo-graph.

NostalgicDad, That is a brilliant shot.

I still experiment but usually don't have much time to experiment with fireworks yet. This is great information for armatures like myself.

I'm still getting night photos down with my Rebel XTi.

Thanks for the nice comments!

 

[wdwensel]

I have done both ways too (with tripod and without). On my recent trip to WDW, there was one set of fireworks that were nothing but red orbs shooting up into the sky. I was set up with a tripod and 2-second exposures, but I thought those would look awesome as a quick shot. Below are a few of mine that I took a couple of weeks ago, all with a 2-second exposure:

This last one I took in Oct '07:

 

[Cherbear013]

Figment- I just got a Rebel XTI. What are good settings for fireworks and then how do you change the settings? Thanks!

 

[labdogs42]

I have done both ways too (with tripod and without). On my recent trip to WDW, there was one set of fireworks that were nothing but red orbs shooting up into the sky. I was set up with a tripod and 2-second exposures, but I thought those would look awesome as a quick shot. Below are a few of mine that I took a couple of weeks ago, all with a 2-second exposure:

This last one I took in Oct '07:

Any idea what the other settings were for these? I love those first two shots!

 

[wdwensel]

Any idea what the other settings were for these? I love those first two shots!

Yup,
For the first one of the Wishes fireworks the settings were:
2s f/8.0 at 28.0mm iso200

For the Illuminations one, the settings were:
1s f/4.5 at 28.0mm iso100

I typically set my camera to one specific time-exposure for the entire show, and let the camera pick the apeture for each shot. I might be able to get better pics if I control both but I'm still a newbie and still learning.

If you want to see more shots with their exif data, I have one page with all of my fireworks pics form Disney and the exif data is available on all of them. You can see them here.

 

[matthew_hull]

I like 1/15 myself. If that makes my fireworks photos weird, so be it. In the long run, they're only for your pleasure and no one elses. (Assuming you are photographing for pleasure and not business, that is.)

 

[annie1995]

Hello................I have a Rebel XTi, and am just really starting to feel comfy taking my camera off of Auto, and playing more on manual and other settings. My question is when we are at MK, how do I photograph the beautiful plumes of the fireworks and still not have the castle light wash out the photo because of the longer SS? Anyone have any setting suggestions? Thanks a million!!!

I would love to see some pictures too if anyone has some to share!!!

 

[DizneyNutz]

My pictures on the link below were taken using the Rebel xti. I used a tripod, a shutter release and bulb setting. You have to try to time pushing the shutter release in conjunction with the burst. I believe I had the camera set to ISO 100 and f/8.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1745458

 

[JR6ooo4]

the fireworks are brighter than the castle. The castle usualy exposes to a nice mellow light when using about 2 seconds to capture some fireworks trails.

Mikeeeee

 

[DisneySuiteFreak]

Mark has an excellent post about this in one of the stickies. Here's the link:
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1474329

 

[creativeamanda]

My fireworks shots were, to put it lightly, horrible last year. So, I'm hoping for better this year. This is what I have:

A Nikon Coolpix5200 P&S digital

A Canon PowershotA720 IS P&S digital

A Nikon N50 35 mm

I am thinking for the fireworks, my best bet is the film camera with a tripod or alternately, the Canon with a tripod (as it has the stability control).

Any other ideas?

 

[Master Mason]

your right on the tripod, the IS on the canon will not help you at all once it is on the tripod, infact, you should shut it off.

The SLR film will probably get you the best shots because it has the best control.

In general, you want a low ISO speed 100 to 200 an apeture of 8 or up and a shutter speed of anywhere from 1 second to 10 seconds depending on what fireworks are being blown up at any particular time.

Another thing that would help would be a remote shutter release or at a minumum use the timer delay so when you push the botton your not moving the camera as it is trying to take the picture.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

There was a thread on the subject a while back:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1474329

 

[aripantaloon]

I'm looking at travel/compact tripods that are inexpensive and I'm wondering what kind of height I'm going to need to be able to capture some castle with fireworks images. Of course this assumes that I can get a spot in the right location for the shots.

I saw one person's photos that were taken with a tripod, but the people in front were sitting down. Thus, a tall tripod to go over people's heads wasn't necessary. Will this be the general situation? No need to have a huge height on the tripod. Will a max height for the tripod of about 48" be enough? Do they even make them much higher????

I've also been thinking about monopods. Will they really help with taking good fireworks shots? With a longer shutter speed, the monopod won't really help with keeping movement at a minimum since I would still need to hold the camera in place - right?

 

[jfulcer]

I've used a monopod in the parks before - I generally will hold it up against a railing or trash can to help stabilize it.

I would think that the 48" tripod should be enough - just depends on where you are at and who is standing in front of you. If it's busy, don't expect to have a prime location to yourself to setup the tripod...