Dealing with fireworks through the lens is fun. You need patience and perseverance to get a good shot. Light is a subject.
Treat it, that way with a different way of thinking about how you use the camera because fireworks create their own exposure.
A long exposure is required to let a few fireworks trace out their patterns and form a shape of its own.
The brightness of the surroundings will be affected by your ISO and Aperture settings.
For this shot, I used ISO – 100 with 4seconds at F10/ 2.8 Av.
I use many tips for fireworks:
I will explain one of the techniques I use often which will help the first time fireworks shooters.
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I don’t shoot for the first few minutes /atleast.. 10-15 fire works bursts.
I calculate the time with a stop watch that how many seconds it takes for a firework to reach to the sky from the bottom to form a pattern.
Always I look at the bottom of the stage where people are triggering the fire work.
When I see a fire work is triggered then I switch on the stop watch in my iPhone to calculate the timing for few bursts.
For Canada place usually, it is 3-4 seconds on that day from where I was standing.
When I see a burst and I leave a second and then I open my shutter between 3-4 seconds to capture different formations.
Note down, when you click the shutter and how long you expose the light subject is the key for success.
Questions and Clarifications are welcome.
How to avoid the smoke in the picture? Usually after some bursts smoke stays there most of the time!
I use layers of brush strokes in post processing. This is a simple technique that you can do the patch work. Also need to expose less than 4sec so that you can avoid the smokes. I also try to avoid the bursts with smoke. If it’s a moist skyscraper you see more smoke. That’s why I don’t go to fireworks shoot if there was rain a day before. Unless it’s dry your luck is very minimized.
Sridar Elumalai Very helpful TIp! I never had any luck with Firework Photos. Can we all go one day to the Beach this year?
Sridar Elumalai Thank you so much
Sridar Elumalai Now I realize why all my pics in Niagara had huge smoke exposed! Unavoidable moisture!! Which tools do you use for post processing. Any open source? Very useful tips as usual!
Very useful tips. Thanks Sridar. I always thought for fireworks I need to keep my shutter speed value very low so I can get crisp n sharp sparks. About your pic, I understand 100 ISO, 4 sec and f10. What does 2.8av mean? The max possible aperture of the lens that u used?
Yes. You are right
I used a lens with capacities up to Av 2.8… but I used only f10.
My style is a little different. I will explain in the evening
Sridhar great picture and tips. I would like to hear from Bala as well. The fire works in this picture is busy but its really nice to have a clear sky and little smoke. Do you have other shots of fireworks?
Every photographer has a technique. Love to read Bala Murali comments.
One of the many smoked out pictures.
Your tips on avoiding smoke is nice. This was a windy night which blew the smoke towards where I was standing and spoiled the firework show and the pictures.
I would like to learn more about post processing. We should probably take this up as a hands on project depending on your availability. Thank you again for taking the time
As Sridar mentioned, every photographer will have his/her own techniques in photography. What I do is this : As Sridar mentioned I also watch the show for the first 10- 15 minutes to find out the trend of the show & know the variety of the crackers. Then, Fix my camera on a heavy tripod. ISO 400. Aperture widest possible ( f2.8 or f4 are my favorites ).Manually focus & leave the focus one step lower than the infinity. Keep the mode in bulb ( The shutter will be opened until you remove the lock or release the finger ). With the help remote control, I lock the shutter. While removing the lens cap, I cover the same with black color thick card. I remove the card manually & expose it to light for less than a second. I repeat this for 2 – 3 times. Result is tally too good. I then tweak it a bit in Photoshop ….I follow the same procedure for lightning shots also. It is truly unfortunate that I lost all my freedom works shots & lightning shots due to some technical problem.
Thank you both for these wonderful tips. The common denominator here appears to be when to open and close the shutter. 2 different methods from our mentors, Sridhar and Bala.
Bala Murali
Thanks bala for the details. Really helpful. The issue with North American fire works is the moisture in the air and smoke / fogs. My favourites are f 10- f8. Focus is infinity, manual. But when I went to Victoria fireworks the distils so small and i need a wide angle to cover. I used 5.6 with 2.5 secs.
Clear and crisp tips… will wait for the next fireworks to try these out