[Ken T]

Hi, I've got into DSLR for 2 years now, and until now I still don't have a clue how to take pictures of fireworks. I would love to know how to do it . Would someone spares sometime to tell me the technique(s) on how to take pictures of firework. I am currently having a K20D and please tell me what I should set it to .

(Please excuse me for my bad English)

[Marc Sabatella]

If you do a search on this forum (and via Google), you will find lots of references to this, but there are basically two methods: tripod and long exposure, or high ISO handheld like an ordinary low light picture. There's no magic "setting" to use.

[Canada_Rockies]

For what it is worth, I use the tripod system so as to capture the light trails rather than pinpoints of colour. I set f/11, Bulb, ISO 400, set the focus to infinity, and use a wide angle lens (with film a 28mm, with digital 18mm). When I first see firworks going off, I hold the bulb to open the shutter (Remote F will hold the shutter open for you) and wait until the fireworks have "bloomed" fully.

Review your shots when you get home, and then you will know how to revise this for your personal look.

Enjoy!

[stormcloud]

i used aperture of f8-11 and 2-6 second exposures depending on the exact effect your after - obviously nees a tripod and produces results like

Fireworks - a set on Flickr

this was my first fireworks shoot

[Canada_Rockies]

i used aperture of f8-11 and 2-6 second exposures depending on the exact effect your after - obviously nees a tripod and produces results like

Fireworks - a set on Flickr

this was my first fireworks shoot

Nice shots! I prefer the longer trails as in your #6, 7 and 15. #13 is unique - I love it.

[pentaman]

For what it is worth, I use the tripod system so as to capture the light trails rather than pinpoints of colour. I set f/11, Bulb, ISO 400, set the focus to infinity, and use a wide angle lens (with film a 28mm, with digital 18mm). When I first see firworks going off, I hold the bulb to open the shutter (Remote F will hold the shutter open for you) and wait until the fireworks have "bloomed" fully.

Review your shots when you get home, and then you will know how to revise this for your personal look.

Enjoy!

In addition to what others have provided, here's some other hints:

- Take your viewfinder cap to make sure there is no errant light
- Use your hands/black cardpaper to cover the lens between the various fireworks. This can provide a cool overlay effect
- Turn the NR off - else saving the picture might take longer and you might miss the best shots
- Try to frame fireworks with buildings, etc. This will provide a great context
- Try to clone out smoke from your pics after

And for what's it's worth, here's one I took:

[MJB DIGITAL]

i learned to wait till just a tiny sec after the initial burst of the firework, that way you dont have a white spot in the middle....

i see the firework going up...waaaiiit for it!

i see the explosion!! wait a tiny sec!

open the shutter on bulb setting and wait till the firework is done to close it. viola ! 8)

[Lowell Goudge]

there are a couple of things you can do, and you need to spend time trying them all.

the shot below is at 1/60th of a second, F3.5 and ISO 1600 with a 85mm lens (I was kinda close) Hand held so I could follow the rocket upward and shoot when it exploded.

the high shutter speed still captures the burning embers, and if you shoot when you see the flash, you get the shot below. no trail leading up to the flash, just a star burst.

I like to get single shots because these can be added to any photo as an overlay.

Multiple starbursts take a wide open shutter but as others have noted you need to be concerned about light pollution

[Ken T]

WOW !!! Thank you all . To tell the truth, all of you make me feel bad, because only from a little post of mine, then you all give out years of experiences to guide me. This makes me feel so proud to be in this community with nice people - The Pentaxians .


PS. Pentaman & Lowell Goudge, I love your shots .

[res3567]

WOW !!! Thank you all . To tell the truth, all of you make me feel bad, because only from a little post of mine, then you all give out years of experiences to guide me. This makes me feel so proud to be in this community with nice people - The Pentaxians .


PS. Pentaman & Lowell Goudge, I love your shots .

Alright! When you take your shots (I presume for New Years) please post some of them! I'm gone take this advice and I will be ready and I will post mine.......

[Ken T]

Alright! When you take your shots (I presume for New Years) please post some of them! I'm gone take this advice and I will be ready and I will post mine.......

OK ! Deal then .

You are right. That's the reason and why I want to learn about it from now....to get ready...... heheh.

[alohadave]

i learned to wait till just a tiny sec after the initial burst of the firework, that way you dont have a white spot in the middle....

i see the firework going up...waaaiiit for it!

i see the explosion!! wait a tiny sec!

open the shutter on bulb setting and wait till the firework is done to close it. viola ! 8)

If you start the exposure right when the shell leaves the ground though, you'll get a nice palm tree effect if your exposure is long enough.

[B Grace]

I'll make the odd suggestion. You need long shutter speeds with the camera placed on a tripod so the surroundings are clear, I assume. You won't care that much about a little noise in the image. And you want to keep the metering of the shot as simple as possible. Use your point-and-shoot digi-cam! It sounds overly simplistic but the Fireworks setting on the little 4mp pocket camera I bought four years ago gives excellent results. Timing, well, that's the hard part.

[LeoTaylor]

Lots of interesting suggestions here, including people who like short images after the flash and long images that show the ascent.

I hit the remote when I hear the mortar THUNK so I have the palm tree effect aloha-dave mentioned.

Clone out the smoke pentaman? Never, I love the patterns left by each preceding firework, slowly drifting away!

[Lowell Goudge]

Lots of interesting suggestions here, including people who like short images after the flash and long images that show the ascent.

I hit the remote when I hear the mortar THUNK so I have the palm tree effect aloha-dave mentioned.

Clone out the smoke pentaman? Never, I love the patterns left by each preceding firework, slowly drifting away!

One problem about triggering the camera when you hear the mortar. \

Sound travells at 1000 feet per second, and the level of sound falls off with the square of the distance. Depending on the shot, you may either not hear the mortar, or the delay would be too long and you miss the shot.

One other thing here, to consider for post processing.

If you are at all concerned about light pollution, you can increase the black threshold to eliminate it.