When Brenda told me the local volunteer fire department was shooting fireworks this year, I knew where I would be. Budget issues prevented a show last year so it was a pleasant surprise. It was even better when friends wanted to go too. Because of other local displays the show took place on the 3rd of July. We even caught a break in the weather with beautiful clear skies and cooler temperatures than we have had lately.
As you look at a few of the 127 shots I took during the 15-minute display, I will offer a few tips that work for me.
These photos were taken with my Nikon D100 on a sturdy tripod.
Because you want to take long exposures you need a cable release or remote device.
Find an unobstructed location with a good view of the sky where the shells will explode.
Use a wide angle lens. These were shot with a 17-34mm zoom lens at 17mm.
Turn off auto-focus and set the focus at infinity.
Use shutter priority and set the shutter speed to 2-3 seconds. See why you need a tripod and cable release?
Use a low ISO to get the best saturation I used 200 which is the lowest on the D100. Set the white balance to "tungsten" (iridescent). Trust me!
Once you get the camera aimed at the sky the wide angle should catch all the action so you don't have to frame your pictures you can do that with the crop tool in post processing.
When you hear the shell launch, trip the shutter. It takes less than two seconds for the explosion in the sky and you should catch the action.
Take lots of shots! I took 127 in a fifteen-minute show. Remember...it is digital.
Post-processing is primarily cropping the photos.
I try to avoid sharpening as it seems to over-sharpen for my taste.
I hope you have a great holiday and get out and "shoot" some fireworks! W.
Wow! Spectacular photos, Wayne! Makes me feel like I was right there with you guys. No wonder my fireworks shots don't turn out - I was doing NONE of the things you suggested (other than the tripod)!
Posted by: Pat | July 04, 2009 at 06:23 AM
Wayne, thanks for sharing these fantastic photos and the tips although Phil is our picture taker for events like these. I stick to the easy point-and-shoot photos. :)
Posted by: Charlene | July 08, 2009 at 01:09 PM