taking fire works..

wee_wei · 22nd May 2006

need help on this... was trying to take fireworks during my recent trip... but ended up taking horrible pictures... I notice that the shutter opens for a very long time.. At least 5 - 6 s.
by the time the shutter closes, the fireworks are almost gone already... how do I adjust the shutter opening time and what are the best settings to take fireworks?? I have no experience on this...

Canew · 22nd May 2006

Maybe this would help: http://www.clubsnap.org/display.php?.../fireworks.htm

donkuok · 22nd May 2006

Originally Posted by wee_wei

need help on this... was trying to take fireworks during my recent trip... but ended up taking horrible pictures... I notice that the shutter opens for a very long time.. At least 5 - 6 s.
by the time the shutter closes, the fireworks are almost gone already... how do I adjust the shutter opening time and what are the best settings to take fireworks?? I have no experience on this...

If u r using DSLR...set ur cam to Manual with f/11 and 2-3s, set ur lens to infinity. When u see the fireworks shooting up half way, release ur shutter.

selamatlzh · 22nd May 2006

Originally Posted by donkuok

If u r using DSLR...set ur cam to Manual with f/11 and 2-3s, set ur lens to infinity. When u see the fireworks shooting up half way, release ur shutter.

Personally I use F8, 3s, MF, MWB

Works most of the time

OlyFlyer · 22nd May 2006

Originally Posted by wee_wei

need help on this... was trying to take fireworks during my recent trip... but ended up taking horrible pictures... I notice that the shutter opens for a very long time.. At least 5 - 6 s.
by the time the shutter closes, the fireworks are almost gone already... how do I adjust the shutter opening time and what are the best settings to take fireworks?? I have no experience on this...

The way I used to do with film is this: Aperture set to 16, normal (in that case 50mm) lens at infinity, time used is bulb, i.e. you open shutter manually and close when you consider having caught enough fireworks in one picture. Usually, it looks better if not only one firework shot is in the picture. I think this works also in digital world with our E-500. Anyway, you have to do that manually, camera has no way of selecting speed, aperture and no chance to focus. Using the bulb mode gives you the freedom of closing when you think it is ready. The light intensity in fireworks is actually huge, but since it is only present on a tiny spot at a time, travelling very fast, it will draw nice lines even if more than one shot is caught in the same image. Use low ISO, set it manually to 100. Fireworks are tricky, and is all manual photography. Use RAW format, not TIFF or JPEG, that way you will get the freedom of adjusting afterwards if WB is way off. Even other parameters can quite easily be adjusted in RAW using Olympus Studio or Olympus Master.

Remember, manual focus is a bit tricky if the lighting is bad, even if you want to find infinity. Unfortunatly, the infinity is not at the end of 14-45, so you have to try to find something to focus on. Why it is so, I don't know. Problem is that there is no good way to find infinity without actually focusing, since the lens has an electronic focusing ring, not a mechanical like manual focus lenses. The infinity point is also changing with changing focal length, not making it easier for us. Using other than 14-45mm may be easier, for example the 40-150mm front part is rotating from one end point to the other, makning it possible to mark infinity points. You have to be quite far from the fireworks to be able to use that lens. Try manual focus practicing on moon for example.

u2nofear · 24th May 2006

what lens is the best to shoot firework ? 11-45mm / 11-54mm /11-22mm /40-150mm ?

JWT · 24th May 2006

Originally Posted by selamatlzh

Personally I use F8, 3s, MF, MWB

Works most of the time

Hi,
Visited your Homepage. You have a impressive collection of great shots.
Do you use a black-card to cover the lens and remove it to get muliple shots ?
I tried it and it works at times. You fireworks shots, however, are neat/clean shots.
Appreicate your comments and advice.

How did you create your homepage ? What is the OTO cost and maintenance cost ?

Regards

William
jwteo8@gmail.com

OlyFlyer · 24th May 2006

Originally Posted by u2nofear

what lens is the best to shoot firework ? 11-45mm / 11-54mm /11-22mm /40-150mm ?

I would say that depends on how far you are from the action. I would try to use something between 20 and 30 mm. That would minimize the risk for blurred image due to camera shake.

selamatlzh · 24th May 2006

Originally Posted by JWT

Hi,
Visited your Homepage. You have a impressive collection of great shots.
Do you use a black-card to cover the lens and remove it to get muliple shots ?
I tried it and it works at times. You fireworks shots, however, are neat/clean shots.
Appreicate your comments and advice.

How did you create your homepage ? What is the OTO cost and maintenance cost ?

Regards

William
jwteo8@gmail.com

No, I did not use anything tricks on my fireworks. All single shots. NR is OFF too.

My homepage running from my home ADSL connection.

OlyFlyer · 24th May 2006

Originally Posted by selamatlzh

Personally I use F8, 3s, MF, MWB

Works most of the time

I think your home page shows that you have been practicing a lot. The bigges advantage with digital photography is that onece you invested in your equipment, taking photos does not cost money, except for the charging of batteries. One can take pictures by the hundreds, throw away most and keep only a few without hurting the wallet any more.

Your home page shows a few things.

1. You love your family.

2. You love to take a walk with your camera.
3. You love to photograph.
4. You love to photograph in every situation.
5. You love fireworks and know how to capture them.
6. Always looking for something to photograph.

Like in the picture below.

http://selamatlzh.homeip.net/20060501/target3.html

Very nice work!

u2nofear · 26th May 2006

where is the best place to take fireworks on National day ??

thevar · 2nd June 2006

If at all possible when taking digital photos of fireworks, bring along a tripod and securely connect your digital camera to this device. Although this may seem like a lot of extra trouble, a tripod can greatly increase the quality of your shots.

In low-light situations such as the pitch-black night sky, it is almost impossible to take good photos with fast shutter speeds - there just isn't enough available light for the camera to record an image. Thus, either manually or automatically, digital cameras should be set to take longer exposures. However, it is difficult to keep a camera steady when taking longer exposures. This results in what is called 'camera shake' in that the photo turns out blurry due to the camera movement.

With a tripod, you can take longer exposures in these low-light situations and still result in crisp, clear photographs.
To help remove blurriness due to 'camera shake', when taking digital photographs of fireworks, as you press the shutter button to take your picture, keep the button held down during the entire length of the exposure. Even though you may be taking photos with a tripod, it is still possible for the release of the shutter button during an exposure to shake the camera a tiny amount, just enough for a crisp photo to become slightly blurry.
As in any other type of digital photography, when shooting fireworks, composition is critical. Before the fireworks show begins, scout out a good vantage point that provides you with a clear shot of the upcoming show. Try to avoid streetlights that may compete with the brightness of the fireworks. Also important is to find a spot that will minimize the chances of people walking in front of your digital camera. Do not trespass on private property and be safe where you go at night, but look around for an area that can give you a clear shot of the brilliance that is to follow.
Fireworks explode at high altitudes far away from you in the night sky. To record them in the highest possible clarity, set your digital camera focus to infinity. If your digital camera has a pre-set landscape mode, enable this before shooting fireworks. Check your manual for more information, but this mode is usually symbolized by a mountain icon either on a camera switch or in a menu. Due to the imperfect lighting conditions of the night sky, it is difficult for even an accomplished photographer to take perfect fireworks pictures every time.
To increase your chances of taking that 'perfect picture', you should plan on taking lots and lots of photos. Thus, make sure to bring along plenty of empty digital memory cards.

If possible, when scouting out a vantage point for your digital fireworks photography, try to capture a landmark in your field of view. This can add perspective to your shot as well as localize the photograph. Capturing a bridge, skyline, or national monument can add much to your pictures.

To decrease the amount of light needed to take fireworks photographs in the night sky, thus slightly reducing the exposure time needed to take pictures, consider increasing your digital camera's ISO setting from 100 to 200 (check your digital camera manual for information). This might introduce a slight level of grain (noise) in your photo, but it should not be too prevalent, and can possibly be removed with digital photo editing software if it is noticeable.

If desired, and if your digital camera can handle it, you may want to consider increasing your ISO sensitivity even higher, but note that except for the absolute best digital cameras, the noise introduced may start to be clearly visible at 400 or above.

OlyFlyer · 2nd June 2006

Some of the advices in the above message do not apply to DSLR.

wee_wei, with your E-500 you can use Bulb setting if you have RM-1. Use the remote to open shutter, don't have to hold down the button, just press 'W' once on the remote, that opens the shutter. Press 'T' when you want to close the shutter. Remember, shutter closes automatically after 8 minutes. In between fire work shots you can cover the lens with a black board to prevent ambient light entering. That is if you want to catch more than one explosion in the same image.

I would not use high ISO, but set manually to 100. High ISO introduces noise which is not very easy to handle. Better to have longer time. NR mut be enabled tho.

The use of tripod is I think essential. Forget good pictures if you don't use some kind of stable platform for your camera.

Infinty focus only works with wide angle, if you are over 25mm with your camera, infinity may not be good, at least not as a default, you have to verify. Also infinity is not at the end of focusing. Don't ask me why, it just isn't. What makes using zoom even more difficult is that infinity is not at the same spot in the whole zooming range, changes for every setting. Use manual focus only. So, beware of infinity, focus instead on something at about the same distance as the fireworks.

Use RAW, that way you can correct a few things at home and also, the results will be much better if you use Olympus Studio or Master to convert to JPEG instead of doing conversion in camera.

22nd May 2006	#1
wee_wei Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 64	taking fire works.. need help on this... was trying to take fireworks during my recent trip... but ended up taking horrible pictures... I notice that the shutter opens for a very long time.. At least 5 - 6 s. by the time the shutter closes, the fireworks are almost gone already... how do I adjust the shutter opening time and what are the best settings to take fireworks?? I have no experience on this...

22nd May 2006	#2
Canew Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Tampines Posts: 2,091	Re: taking fire works.. Maybe this would help: http://www.clubsnap.org/display.php?.../fireworks.htm

24th May 2006	#6
u2nofear Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,487	Re: taking fire works.. what lens is the best to shoot firework ? 11-45mm / 11-54mm /11-22mm /40-150mm ?

26th May 2006	#11
u2nofear Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 1,487	Re: taking fire works.. where is the best place to take fireworks on National day ??

2nd June 2006	#12
thevar New Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 38	Re: taking fire works.. If at all possible when taking digital photos of fireworks, bring along a tripod and securely connect your digital camera to this device. Although this may seem like a lot of extra trouble, a tripod can greatly increase the quality of your shots. In low-light situations such as the pitch-black night sky, it is almost impossible to take good photos with fast shutter speeds - there just isn't enough available light for the camera to record an image. Thus, either manually or automatically, digital cameras should be set to take longer exposures. However, it is difficult to keep a camera steady when taking longer exposures. This results in what is called 'camera shake' in that the photo turns out blurry due to the camera movement. With a tripod, you can take longer exposures in these low-light situations and still result in crisp, clear photographs. To help remove blurriness due to 'camera shake', when taking digital photographs of fireworks, as you press the shutter button to take your picture, keep the button held down during the entire length of the exposure. Even though you may be taking photos with a tripod, it is still possible for the release of the shutter button during an exposure to shake the camera a tiny amount, just enough for a crisp photo to become slightly blurry. As in any other type of digital photography, when shooting fireworks, composition is critical. Before the fireworks show begins, scout out a good vantage point that provides you with a clear shot of the upcoming show. Try to avoid streetlights that may compete with the brightness of the fireworks. Also important is to find a spot that will minimize the chances of people walking in front of your digital camera. Do not trespass on private property and be safe where you go at night, but look around for an area that can give you a clear shot of the brilliance that is to follow. Fireworks explode at high altitudes far away from you in the night sky. To record them in the highest possible clarity, set your digital camera focus to infinity. If your digital camera has a pre-set landscape mode, enable this before shooting fireworks. Check your manual for more information, but this mode is usually symbolized by a mountain icon either on a camera switch or in a menu. Due to the imperfect lighting conditions of the night sky, it is difficult for even an accomplished photographer to take perfect fireworks pictures every time. To increase your chances of taking that 'perfect picture', you should plan on taking lots and lots of photos. Thus, make sure to bring along plenty of empty digital memory cards. If possible, when scouting out a vantage point for your digital fireworks photography, try to capture a landmark in your field of view. This can add perspective to your shot as well as localize the photograph. Capturing a bridge, skyline, or national monument can add much to your pictures. To decrease the amount of light needed to take fireworks photographs in the night sky, thus slightly reducing the exposure time needed to take pictures, consider increasing your digital camera's ISO setting from 100 to 200 (check your digital camera manual for information). This might introduce a slight level of grain (noise) in your photo, but it should not be too prevalent, and can possibly be removed with digital photo editing software if it is noticeable. If desired, and if your digital camera can handle it, you may want to consider increasing your ISO sensitivity even higher, but note that except for the absolute best digital cameras, the noise introduced may start to be clearly visible at 400 or above.

2nd June 2006	#13
OlyFlyer Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Europe, Sweden, outside Lund Posts: 2,038	Re: taking fire works.. Some of the advices in the above message do not apply to DSLR. wee_wei, with your E-500 you can use Bulb setting if you have RM-1. Use the remote to open shutter, don't have to hold down the button, just press 'W' once on the remote, that opens the shutter. Press 'T' when you want to close the shutter. Remember, shutter closes automatically after 8 minutes. In between fire work shots you can cover the lens with a black board to prevent ambient light entering. That is if you want to catch more than one explosion in the same image. I would not use high ISO, but set manually to 100. High ISO introduces noise which is not very easy to handle. Better to have longer time. NR mut be enabled tho. The use of tripod is I think essential. Forget good pictures if you don't use some kind of stable platform for your camera. Infinty focus only works with wide angle, if you are over 25mm with your camera, infinity may not be good, at least not as a default, you have to verify. Also infinity is not at the end of focusing. Don't ask me why, it just isn't. What makes using zoom even more difficult is that infinity is not at the same spot in the whole zooming range, changes for every setting. Use manual focus only. So, beware of infinity, focus instead on something at about the same distance as the fireworks. Use RAW, that way you can correct a few things at home and also, the results will be much better if you use Olympus Studio or Master to convert to JPEG instead of doing conversion in camera.