Focusing for fireworks!

[tommac]

Hi All,

I'm all set to shoot some photos our some fireworks for tonight. I just have one query regarding focusing.

If my aperture is set at lets say F10 or F16 will I need to specifically focus on a certain distance? Should I be estimating the distance of the explosions and focusing on a point at similar distance on land?

Any help with this one point would be great!

Cheers Ears

 

[sovietdoc]

I am not a big pro but what I usually do for fireworks is one of two things, I either set the focus manually during the first few shots, or I just try and use AF on a big bright shot, then when its focused in turn AF off and lock the focus down manually.

f/10-16 should be plenty.

 

[tommac]

I think I will try to manually focus before the display starts as I really want to capture the first couple of explosions for a smoke free sky!

 

[j-digg]

Check out this thread....

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...oto-gallery/207053-fireworks-photography.html

 

[tommac]

Is focusing to infinity really neccesary at apertures of F10 - F16?

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Check out this thread....

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...oto-gallery/207053-fireworks-photography.html

:lmao:

 

[tommac]

Check out this thread....

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...oto-gallery/207053-fireworks-photography.html

:lmao:

Too funny. De Ja Vu

 

[myfotoguy]

you can auto focus on the first bursts, then switch to manual, many folks focus to infinity. I recently posted a short piece of info about fireworks: Myfotoguy: How To Photograph Fireworks

There are already several articles online, but figured I should have a version on my blog too since it's asked often. My readers appreciated it anyway.

 

[tommac]

you can auto focus on the first bursts, then switch to manual, many folks focus to infinity. I recently posted a short piece of info about fireworks: Myfotoguy: How To Photograph Fireworks

There are already several articles online, but figured I should have a version on my blog too since it's asked often. My readers appreciated it anyway.

The issue here is that I would really like to have focus sorted before the display begins so that I have a smoke free sky for my first shots. I think focusing to infinity will be my best solution.

 

[Josh66]

you can auto focus on the first bursts, then switch to manual, many folks focus to infinity. I recently posted a short piece of info about fireworks: Myfotoguy: How To Photograph Fireworks

There are already several articles online, but figured I should have a version on my blog too since it's asked often. My readers appreciated it anyway.

The issue here is that I would really like to have focus sorted before the display begins so that I have a smoke free sky for my first shots. I think focusing to infinity will be my best solution.

Probably. At least for the first few. After that, you can adjust if needed.

Also - you're going to have to wait till a couple of them go off anyway, so you know where to aim.

 

[tommac]

you can auto focus on the first bursts, then switch to manual, many folks focus to infinity. I recently posted a short piece of info about fireworks: Myfotoguy: How To Photograph Fireworks

There are already several articles online, but figured I should have a version on my blog too since it's asked often. My readers appreciated it anyway.

The issue here is that I would really like to have focus sorted before the display begins so that I have a smoke free sky for my first shots. I think focusing to infinity will be my best solution.

Probably. At least for the first few. After that, you can adjust if needed.

Also - you're going to have to wait till a couple of them go off anyway, so you know where to aim.

Not if its a wide angle shot . I've never done this before so I am looking forward to the results.

I guess AWB will be sufficient? I'll be shooting in RAW so it won't really matter.

 

[Josh66]

I guess AWB will be sufficient? I'll be shooting in RAW so it won't really matter.

I would use Daylight, but yeah - shoot RAW and you can change it later.

 

[RobNZ]

You will be using the kit lens EF-S 18-55mm which has no markings for focus.

Here is how I would do it step by step, so your ready to rock when you need to be.

Setup your camera on the tripod, spend some time prior composing the shot (winter festival in Queenstown I am guessing?) so you have something on the ground for reference and to compliment the shot.

Zoom a little to get it off the 18mm mark a touch, manual settings, bulb exposure, aperture /f5.6 up to 9?.

Turn off IS!!!!

Switch on live view, use the zoomy window thingy me bob and place it over a street light (it will be dark) off in the distance, about a third of way into the scene should be plenty. Zoom into the street light 10x, with your focus set to manual, dial the focus in, be sure to let the camera settle to check that its nice and sharp, at 10x the image will wobble a fair bit as you focus.

Shoot RAW.

Have a beer, bourbon or glass of red, chillax (optional).

Remote release in hand ready to fire.

Sourced from the interwebs ''From 18mm through 35mm or so, center sharpness is reasonable wide open and reaches its optimal sharpness at f/5.6."

Foreground may be a little soft but that may be ok as the fireworks are the feature so you could shoot at 5.6 if your wide for the best sharpness for this lens. The catch with shooting at 5.6 might be any constant stationary bright light may blow out if you expose for too long, but that can kinda look good too at times. Experiment beforehand.

As I said this is how I would do it, especially to prefocus.

Good luck and I look forward to seeing the results!!

 

[tommac]

Fantastic explanation above...Thanks.
Winterfestival...you're right!

 

[Derrel]

NO, do not shoot in Auto WB....shoot in RAW capture mode or RAW + JPEG, but shoot in Daylight WB. As for focusing, a lens that has a hard infinity stop is nice...in the dark just slam it to the Infinity stop,and it is focused at Infinity. You can also use substitution focus...focus on another target that is at least as far away as the fireworks.

One thing you really need to be concerned about is long exposure noise reduction. If long exposure noise reduction is enabled, it can take forever and a day to make a single exposure + the NR subtraction times.