Noob Fireworks?

DaveWrong · Nov 5, 2008

Just come back, took loads of shots. Used a tripod f12, bulb exposures, iso 100, here are three of the better ones, cc please

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Photog · Nov 5, 2008

IMO you'll get much better results if you include the ground in the frame as a point of reference. Without something else in the shot, it just looks like any other firework shot.

For what these are, they're not bad but I think I would've gone for a slightly shorter shutter speed, esp. for the first one. Then again, I've never tried fireworks and I can imagine it's quite difficult just guessing when they're gonna blow!

Chris Stegner · Nov 5, 2008

I agree. Every time I shoot fireworks I try to have a reference of size to the shot. Trees, crowd viewing, building, anything to give you and idea on the size of the display.

Good shots though. Try increasing the saturation and see what happens.

Arch · Nov 5, 2008

dude, you've only had that camera like 2 weeks?.... (Mr.wrong is my rl friend btw who has taken the plunge and bought a DSLR!)... i think you did very well, especially with the settings, im impressed, most first time firework shots are often blured or the timing is out.

Like the others suggested it is sometimes good to include something to the image which gives it scale, but at least you got the hard part down. Nice one! :thumbup:

DaveWrong · Nov 6, 2008

Thanks guys, and thanks Arch my mate. Point taken on the other ref points, and to be fair i knew this when setting up however, i picked a point right away from the small crowd and the fireworks guys even let me under the cordon tape, which was great! I think they thought i was press or something, which i am, but thats another story. Anyway, the position i picked was about 10m away from where the fireworks were lit, which meant they took off right in front and directly above me, oops! This with my 18 - 55 made it very hard to take anything else but the sky, however, i now know for next time though!
Cheers all

LaFoto · Nov 6, 2008

For someone who is SUCH a newbie to the hobby, you did well. They cry for some post processing, but other than that... but why bulb exposure? For fear you'd miss the nice parts?

I have an album with firework pics up on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11585&id=573372699&op=12 ), but I'm not sure it can be viewed by outsiders (i.e. people NOT on my "friends"-list) when the link is being given. If I try to test it myself, I'll always be able to see it, since I am me. Let me know. I felt I did nicely when I took those photos (if I may say so).

DaveWrong · Nov 6, 2008

LaFoto said:
For someone who is SUCH a newbie to the hobby, you did well. They cry for some post processing, but other than that... but why bulb exposure? For fear you'd miss the nice parts?

I have an album with firework pics up on Facebook ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11585&id=573372699&op=12 ), but I'm not sure it can be viewed by outsiders (i.e. people NOT on my "friends"-list) when the link is being given. If I try to test it myself, I'll always be able to see it, since I am me. Let me know. I felt I did nicely when I took those photos (if I may say so).

Hi and thanks very much for your comment.

The reason i went for Bulb escapes me, i think more for experimental reasons with time. I was not sure what time to set shutter speed, and was using a remote.
Thanks

Arch · Nov 6, 2008

Yea nothin wrong in using the 'bulb technique' dude, imo it gets the best results under difficult (and often cold) conditions. In fact one way some people use to (and possibly still do) capture fireworks is to fire the shutter on bulb and then place a black card over the lens, removing it when the fireworks are out, then closing it again. Its probably easier just to use a remote now tho