Fireworks

[Granddad]

I'm going to be taking photos at a neighbour's big, birthday party on Sunday that will have a firework display. I've never tackled fireworks so any tips at all will be welcome.

I have a Nikon D700 with a Nikon 24-70 f2.8 lens and a Nikon 80-200 f2.8 lens, I also have a tripod.

Thanks in advance.

[TPF Sponsor]

[Drake]

For the basic fireworks shots just mount your camera on a tripod, set the lens pretty wide (24 or 35mm would be a good start), focus on infinity, aperture at about f/8, 2 sec self timer and a shutter speed of 8 seconds or anything you like really. Fire away, look at the shots and decide what you would like to change. Longer trails? Try a shorter shutter speed. Should the fireworks be lighter? Try f/5.6. This is just a starting point. What settings you end up with is up to you really, and the conditions.

You can't really control the fireworks so it's pretty much guessing when to fire. Some shots will be good, many won't. To make things simpler, try using a cable release or a wireless remote instead of the self timer.

[JustinL]

full manual, low iso around 100-200, aperture around f8-f11, focus to infinity of course a tripod and remote trigger, mirror lock up if you have it and i would suggest bulb mode.

heres a few i shot about a month ago using these settings






both of these were f11 and around 30-45 seconds using a black card to stop it from blowing out in between fireworks.

its was a canon 17-40L and to add scale i like to include the ground not just a firework surrounded by black sky.

[Granddad]

Thanks guys, that's a big help. Those look good, Justin!

[cmariee]

Most camera's have a fireworks setting which automatically fixes all your settings for you to shoot fireworks properly, I've never had a problem with the firework setting on any of my camera's, but I don't know how it is for all cameras! Just a suggestion.

[cgipson1]

Most camera's have a fireworks setting which automatically fixes all your settings for you to shoot fireworks properly, I've never had a problem with the firework setting on any of my camera's, but I don't know how it is for all cameras! Just a suggestion.

EEEK.. she admits to using a AUTO setting! A Preset Scene! Get the Tar and the feathers... and a rail, we need a rail!

cmariee, a question! What if you didn't have the "firework setting".... what would you do? Do you have any idea what that setting does?

[tirediron]

The one thing that hasn't been speficially spelled out, and may not be immeditately apparent is that you need to be in manufal focus mode.

[Compaq]

I'd strongly recommend being updated on where the fireworks actually will be fired. Being surprised, and having to relocate to get around a house, tree or something really sucks.

Take a few test exposures to see that you aren't overexposing the surroundings, and that the surroundings turn up at all. Putting the fireworks in context helps them, IMHO.

[sm4him]

full manual, low iso around 100-200, aperture around f8-f11, focus to infinity of course a tripod and remote trigger, mirror lock up if you have it and i would suggest bulb mode.

heres a few i shot about a month ago using these settings



both of these were f11 and around 30-45 seconds using a black card to stop it from blowing out in between fireworks.

its was a canon 17-40L and to add scale i like to include the ground not just a firework surrounded by black sky.

Justin--those are nice! When you say "use a black card to stop it from blowing out in between fireworks," what exactly is it you DO with a black card? You're in bulb mode, so you just hold the black card up in front of the lens between fireworks?

[shutterbugmomma]

This is my attempt at fireworks. I wish we were further away, but we were right under the blooms.
15 second exposure, ISO 100, f/13

[kylehess10]

Here was my first attempt at shooting fireworks.

I focused on any light I could find in the frame, then set it to manual; Placed on a tripod, and used a remote. I noticed it's best to shoot at 8 seconds or longer. Ofcourse though, the longer, the better. I guess it depends on how much is being set off and how much you want in your photo.

10 second shutter
f/16
ISO 100
Tamron 10-24mm @14mm