Shooting fireworks

grandpaw

Senior Member
I am going to give you the settings I use when shooting fireworks in case you haven't done it before and want some ideas. Hope this helps some first timers.

Manual mode
Tripod
ISO 100
F stop F22
10 second exposure

Focus on the first burst, check to see if it is sharp and the turn off auto focus
if you shoot back button focus lock on to a burst, check for sharpness and then forget focusing

Take a wide angle lens because the bursts are huge and you will cut off a lot using a longer lens, you can always crop but you can't add the burst back if you use too long of a lens and cut parts off

I press the shutter and at the end of ten seconds press it again and repeat until the show is over.

Ten second exposures will give you several bursts in the same shot and make for a more colorful and interesting image

If you use a wide opening or f stop all the streaks of light will be wide and fuzzy

Using a small F stop will make the burst nice and sharp and give you much more detail

Make sure your batteries are charged and you have plenty of memory with you and take a small flashlight with you. Don't wait until you get there and it is dark to figure out how to get these setting on your camera, do it early so you won't be rushed.
 
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Blacktop

Senior Member
I am going to give you the settings I use when shooting fireworks in case you haven't done it before and want some ideas. Hope this helps some first timers.

Manual mode
Tripod
ISO 100
F stop F22
10 second exposure


Focus on the first burst, check to see if it is sharp and the turn off auto focus
if you shoot back button focus lock on to a burst, check for sharpness and then forget focusing

Take a wide angle lens because the bursts are huge and you will cut off a lot using a longer lens, you can always crop but you can't add the burst back if you use too long of a lens and cut parts off

I press the shutter and at the end of ten seconds press it again and repeat until the show is over.

Ten second exposures will give you several bursts in the same shot and make for a more colorful and interesting image

If you use a wide opening or f stop all the streaks of light will be wide and fuzzy

Using a small F stop will make the burst nice and sharp and give you much more detail

Make sure your batteries are charged and you have plenty of memory with you and take a small flashlight with you. Don't wait until you get there and it is dark to figure out how to get these setting on your camera, do it early so you won't be rushed.

With a wide angle lens you really don't need F/22. F/11 will get the whole shot in focus.
Also I don't know why 10 second burst? Bulb mode works better (in my umble opinion) with a remote shutter release. Push the release when it first goes off, and release it when you need to. Then do it again .

Not saying your way is wrong or it won't work, but the bulb mode seems simpler. Sometimes you don't need the whole 10 seconds.
 
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"CHRIS"

Senior Member
How do your dogs deal with the noise Sue Q? Mine do not do well........at all. So it is a night of loud TV or some Zeppelin to drown out the boomers.
 

grandpaw

Senior Member
With a wide angle lens you really don't need F/22. F/11 will get the whole shot in focus.
Also I don't know why 10 second burst? Bulb mode works better (in my umble opinion) with a remote shutter release. Push the release when it first goes off, and release it when you need to. Then do it again .

Not saying your way is wrong or it won't work, but the bulb mode seems simpler. Sometimes you don't need the whole 10 seconds.

There are many ways to get fireworks photos and I posted the one that works for me that is easy and works well in case some new to taking fireworks would want an easy way to take pictures with whatever camera and lens they have without having to remember to go on and off bulb mode or buy a remote. There is virtually no way to screw things up by doing the way I posted. Another plus is you don't have to pay attention to triggering the bulb on and off and that lets you actually get pictures and enjoy watching the show at the same time.There is no right or wrong to the many methods of taking the pictures, just use what works best for you.
I am of the school of KISMIF or "Keep it simple and make it fun".
 

Dawg Pics

Senior Member
How do your dogs deal with the noise Sue Q? Mine do not do well........at all. So it is a night of loud TV or some Zeppelin to drown out the boomers.

I wanted my husband to a accompany me to take some fireworks images, but he is a little concerned about leaving Payton with the neighbor's shooting firecrackers. He doesn't care for thunder or firecrackers. He does ok with the fireworks displays because they aren't as audible from here.

Lottie used to be really scared of loud noise and would shake, but she does better now. She sticks close by us. The other two don't seem to be bothered too much. Right after we got Guidry, there was a thunderstorm that blew up here. There was a loud clap of thunder, and he wanted to go outside to see what it was. Never had a dog do that before. .

One of my other dogs had post traumatic stress after the year 2000 fireworks fiasco. It sounded like WWIII echoing off the pines where we lived. She would freak if a stick snapped. It took a while for her to get over that.
 
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