Going to an organised Bonfire and Fireworks display this week, taking the camera of course! Any tips on photographing fireworks displays, e.g. sports mode maybe, multi-burst shooting. What camera settings to use?

Think I might get some cool pics of my mates with the fire and sparklers lighting!

From what I used to read in camera magazines the trick is to set the camera up on a long time exposure and place a piece of card over the lens in between bursts to restrict the amount of light entering.

Apologies for quoting the obvious if you already knew that

One of the tricks with fireworks is to use l-o-n-g exposures, up to 30 seconds. Mount the camera firmly, on a tripod if you have one and lock the shutter open and get people to wave their sparklers around to get the light trails. Don't use the flash as it will destroy the atmosphere of the pictures.

Another thing to try is pointing the camera at the sky where the fireworks burst, again leaving the shutter open. Use an aperture of about f8 if you can manually set the camera. If you hold a piece of card in front of the lens between 3 or 4 bursts, you can get some very colourful shots. Stand well back from the crowds if you can.

Good Luck!

Andy

As others have said.

You don't want sports mode though

One of the tricks with fireworks is to use l-o-n-g exposures, up to 30 seconds. Mount the camera firmly, on a tripod if you have one and lock the shutter open and get people to wave their sparklers around to get the light trails. Don't use the flash as it will destroy the atmosphere of the pictures.

Another thing to try is pointing the camera at the sky where the fireworks burst, again leaving the shutter open. Use an aperture of about f8 if you can manually set the camera. If you hold a piece of card in front of the lens between 3 or 4 bursts, you can get some very colourful shots. Stand well back from the crowds if you can.

Good Luck!

Andy

White card?

Cheers!

or your lens cap.

or your lens cap.

Might be tricky using your lens cap and not knocking the camera in the process, hence the use of a piece of card

true

Digital Photography Tutorial - Fireworks - TrustedReviews - TrustedReviews

Well, I'm back and not at all singed, but the Sparkler Police were out in force!

Tried the really long exposures, but the intensity of the light from the explosions just whited everything out. So, did 1-5 sec exposures at ISO 400, 800 and 1600, handheld (didn't use tripod as the park was a veritable quagmire!). All on manual, F8 aperture and set the exposure to "BULB", which I love as the shutter opens and closes exactly when you press and release the shutter! So you can snap away like a paparazzi, or press and hold for longer exposures (up to about 5 secs it seems). Pics appearing shortly...

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/huwpicasa/Fireworks02?feat=directlink

Edited 5 November, 200916 yr by Buster
Pics uploaded!

1-3 second exposures should be enough. Looking at all those pics, I'd say they're still just a tad too over exposed. Did you have the camera in manual or use aperture or shutter priority?

Remember that if left on auto, 90% of the time, the metering is done before the firework goes off which is probably why they're all a bit bright.

I'd have a go on manual, but lower the ISO. Also, worth shooting RAW for this kind of stuff, you can recover a lot more and have more tweakability to play with

But I haven't shot fireworks for ages, so talking out of my bottom

edit, this was my last attempt, 4 years ago

Edited 7 November, 200916 yr by tfboy

Howdo, I pretty much only shoot in manual mode at the mo (rarely in auto unless I'm just shooting snaps at a party). I shot in JPEG and RAW, so will have a play with the RAW files tweakability. I also played with the ISO's, some at 200 (i fink!) most at 400, couple at 800 and 1600.

Cracking pic too, Xav!

Thanks, that was hand held at 0.8 seconds I think.

But I had just bought my D70 and was learning just like you are (still am too! :P). Sure is fun