Shooting Fireworks

[Edd]

Okay so over here in the UK we have Bonfire night (5th Nov) rapidly approaching.

There are many local Bonfires taking place with firework displays to go alongside them. I want to have ago and try to get some shots of the fireworks going off, so has anyone got any tips, pointers or advice please.

Just to advoid confusion the firework displays are done at night.

Thanks in advance

Ed

PS Bonfire night is when we celebrate the failure of a chap called "Guy Fawkes" who tried to blow up the Houses of Parliment a couple of hundred years ago. Big fires are lit to symbolise the Houses of Parliment burning down whilst the fireworks are left off to symbolise the gunpowder explosion(s). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes_Night A link if your interested.

[CG415]

Edd,

Here is some information that I posted back in July after my first attemt at shooting fireworks. I hope this helps.

I took my camera and set it up on my tripod and used a cable shutter release for mine. This was the first time that I ever tried it and I think I got some pretty good results. The times varried. I had the ISO set at 200, with the shutter set to "BULB" setting, picked what looked to be a good spot in the sky and would press the button and let it go when the explosion was over. Sorry it's not more definitive, like I said it was just hit or miss for me.

All were taken with a Nikon D80, Quantaray 18 - 200 set to 95 mm, F10, and these are all JPG file straight out of the camera with no processing at all.

Thanks,

Chris

[Mitchell]

So how did it go Edd?

[Edd]

Not very well, failed to make it to any of the displays.

My wife had double booked us for the night the displays started, so I had to dine out with friends instead. Then over the weekend the weather was poor, wet and windy.

Oh well there's always next year !!!

Ed

Thanks for asking.

[peter nap]

Ed, I took a bunch of them just after I got the Canon and was too stupid to know I was doing it wrong. I just set it to program and anticipated when the burst would hang in the air.

[Edd]

Nice Images Pete.

We have a large local firework competition thats happens in August, we went along last year just for fun and were totally blown away by the displays.

I've had the information through now on this years display, so i'll be booking the tickets soon and try to get some shots if I can.

Ed

[chuckdee]

Sometimes i'll put it on bulb and just waive my lens around in circles.


____________________
Chuck Dee - AKA Chris
"My job as a portrait photographer is to seduce, amuse and entertain." - Helmut Newton
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