night photography

[willyfoo]

Hi WillyFoo,

Where was the fireworks shooting from and where did you go for your shots? I think you went to the correct place and have a nice shots. Actually, I've no idea where to go on that day so I just simply find a place in front of esplanade and finally wasted my time to got the lousy shots.

Alvin

The place that we went to was out of bounds to public unfortunately.

 

[Yildun]

The place that we went to was out of bounds to public unfortunately.

so we can only take pics at that location if we join you?

btw, about taking pictures at high street centre. I went there once to take photos (at the car park levels) and was chased away by the security guard.

 

[willyfoo]

No... even now the location is not available to me too...

We will have to be a bit discreet and not create too much of a racket to minimise the possibility of that...

 

[chunger]

Too bad I can't make it to the previous outing. But I am sure that on this coming Friday outing. I confirmed can go for it. Can't wait to meet and chit chat with all of you guys and girls about photograpy.

Anyway, do all of you guys got this annonying issues about the server keep forgeting our login? .

 

[jbma]

Yup. I just got this problem only recently.

 

[ordinaryless]

so we can only take pics at that location if we join you?

btw, about taking pictures at high street centre. I went there once to take photos (at the car park levels) and was chased away by the security guard.

Might wanna hear this:

I don't know how true is this but heard from my friend that the multi-storey carpark security guards will chase off any photographers that they see becos there's complaint from the nearby condo(i didn't know theres condo nearby) that they don't feel safe cause they once see 'potential peeping toms' at the carpark using long lens to aim their condo.

I dunno how true is the above info but u guys might jus wanna take note

 

[shortcake]

Hi Guys,

I got the index print for my fireworks done (cos I wasn't too confident).

I used different settings throughout the fireworks. F8 3 - 5 secs and F11 3 - 5 secs. (ISO200). There are a number of washed out photos interspersed throughout the index print. In between these are some photos with the expected black background. The last 3 which I did at F11; 2.5 secs were fine. I'm puzzled... did I use the wrong settings (ie: 5 secs too long for ISO200?).

Or is there another reason? There was this one guy standing next to me who used a p&s camera with his flash on... If this is the case, what countermeasures are there in such a situation (apart from telling the guy to shove off).

Is it a combination of these factors?

(using F100)

 

[gooseberry]

There was this one guy standing next to me who used a p&s camera with his flash on... If this is the case, what countermeasures are there in such a situation (apart from telling the guy to shove off)

Well you can tell him that he should turn off his flash since the flash won't be useful for fireworks shots. But I don't think his flash would have affected your shots (unless you had something in the foreground that was lit up by his flash)

Probably because the ambient light from the city lights 5 sec was too long an exposure at F11 for ISO200 - hard to say without actually seeing the photos.

 

[gooseberry]

Ugh... unfortunately you guys are holding the night shot this Friday - can't join you guys. It's a long weekend !! Aren't you guys going away on holiday like me ?

Oh well.. hopefully there'll be another one.

 

[shortcake]

Well you can tell him that he should turn off his flash since the flash won't be useful for fireworks shots. But I don't think his flash would have affected your shots (unless you had something in the foreground that was lit up by his flash)

Probably because the ambient light from the city lights 5 sec was too long an exposure at F11 for ISO200 - hard to say without actually seeing the photos.

I was just kidding about telling him to shove off... I wasn't even game enough to tell him to turn off his flash! :embrass:

Well, thanks anyway. I'll try a smaller aperture and faster shutter speed next time. Don't think it can get worse.

Is anyone going to take pictures of the ndp fireworks (over the kallang river)?

 

[Yildun]

Might wanna hear this:

I don't know how true is this but heard from my friend that the multi-storey carpark security guards will chase off any photographers that they see becos there's complaint from the nearby condo(i didn't know theres condo nearby) that they don't feel safe cause they once see 'potential peeping toms' at the carpark using long lens to aim their condo.

I dunno how true is the above info but u guys might jus wanna take note

No lah, actually the security guard was polite. He explained to me that the parliament house is just opposite the road and the management is concerned about terrorists.

 

[willyfoo]

Ok... we'll have to be very dipolomatic and polite if the security confronts us then...

 

[willyfoo]

Ok... for those who are going to try the fireworks again and wants to try the black card method.... here's the tricky part which may need some dry runs to get acquainted with the drill before the firework happens..

Do some test shots on manual mode first to get the optimal exposure for the background... eg. if at ISO200 @ F11, it takes 8 seconds for the background to get exposed properly... during the fireworks, you need to count the time that the film/CCD is exposed for 8 seconds...

The drill for me goes like this...
... wait for big burst (you can usually see a tell tale shot that fires high up, you probably know it's going to burst into a big one)
... depress and hold on to trigger in bulb mode
... Count in your head "Firing .... 1 thousand ... 2 thousand ... 3 thousand"
... First big burst should end about here, cover lens with black cloth and stop counting
... watch for secondary mid level bursts, not the low level ones
... remove black cloth and continue counting
... "4 thousand ... 5 thousand ... 6 thousand"
... cover lens and wait for pause of fireworks
... remove black cloth and continue counting for remaining 2 seconds
... release trigger

Of course this is just 1 more complex scenario...
If co-ordination poses a slight problem you may get a friend to depress the trigger when you start and release when you shout "8 thousand" or whatever timing is optimal for exposure...
This of course is if you want to expose properly for the background scene.

Another scenario can go like this...
If I estimate each burst takes about 2.5 seconds and I want to get 2 bursts, 1 high level and 1 mid level, then I set my shutter to 5 seconds, adjust aperature accordingly to get the optimal exposure.

The counting will be simpler like
High level Burst ... "Firing.. 1 thousand... 2 thou..." ... cover ... mid level burst .. expose "..sand... 3 thousand ... 4 thousand ..." release trigger.

 

[quekky]

sorry cant make it this fri. maybe can join u all this coming sun and mon for fireworks

 

[justarius]

Hi Guys,

I got the index print for my fireworks done (cos I wasn't too confident).

I used different settings throughout the fireworks. F8 3 - 5 secs and F11 3 - 5 secs. (ISO200). There are a number of washed out photos interspersed throughout the index print. In between these are some photos with the expected black background. The last 3 which I did at F11; 2.5 secs were fine. I'm puzzled... did I use the wrong settings (ie: 5 secs too long for ISO200?).

Or is there another reason? There was this one guy standing next to me who used a p&s camera with his flash on... If this is the case, what countermeasures are there in such a situation (apart from telling the guy to shove off).

Is it a combination of these factors?

(using F100)

Hi shortcake, this is the other person using a film camera that day (also F100 ). Anyway, my meter reading for that night was 8-10secs @ f11 with ISO 200 film, so my shots were generally around there or 4-5secs @ f8. I must wait for my photos to come back though to see how it turns out...

 

[chunger]

I was just kidding about telling him to shove off... I wasn't even game enough to tell him to turn off his flash! :embrass:

Well, thanks anyway. I'll try a smaller aperture and faster shutter speed next time. Don't think it can get worse.

Is anyone going to take pictures of the ndp fireworks (over the kallang river)?

I thinking of taking the NDP fireworks also. But i really have no idea of the ideal location to take it. Kallang river a good choice? You all will have a gathering for that also? Do let me know, coz I am quite interested in fireworks shooting.

Shortcake, do you ever consider to get a Digital SLR? For me, to learn photography the fast way is the DIGITAL way. ^_^ Anyway, as a beginner now I am just using Canon A80 for a start.

 

[chunger]

Ok... for those who are going to try the fireworks again and wants to try the black card method.... here's the tricky part which may need some dry runs to get acquainted with the drill before the firework happens..

Do some test shots on manual mode first to get the optimal exposure for the background... eg. if at ISO200 @ F11, it takes 8 seconds for the background to get exposed properly... during the fireworks, you need to count the time that the film/CCD is exposed for 8 seconds...

The drill for me goes like this...
... wait for big burst (you can usually see a tell tale shot that fires high up, you probably know it's going to burst into a big one)
... depress and hold on to trigger in bulb mode
... Count in your head "Firing .... 1 thousand ... 2 thousand ... 3 thousand"
... First big burst should end about here, cover lens with black cloth and stop counting
... watch for secondary mid level bursts, not the low level ones
... remove black cloth and continue counting
... "4 thousand ... 5 thousand ... 6 thousand"
... cover lens and wait for pause of fireworks
... remove black cloth and continue counting for remaining 2 seconds
... release trigger

Of course this is just 1 more complex scenario...
If co-ordination poses a slight problem you may get a friend to depress the trigger when you start and release when you shout "8 thousand" or whatever timing is optimal for exposure...
This of course is if you want to expose properly for the background scene.

Another scenario can go like this...
If I estimate each burst takes about 2.5 seconds and I want to get 2 bursts, 1 high level and 1 mid level, then I set my shutter to 5 seconds, adjust aperature accordingly to get the optimal exposure.

The counting will be simpler like
High level Burst ... "Firing.. 1 thousand... 2 thou..." ... cover ... mid level burst .. expose "..sand... 3 thousand ... 4 thousand ..." release trigger.

Hi, does this method apply for those camera that do not have bulb function?

 

[willyfoo]

Hi, does this method apply for those camera that do not have bulb function?

For the cameras that do not have bulb... experiment with how many seconds it takes for a properly exposed background... say you found out it is about 6 seconds. You would then set your shutter to 10-12 seconds.

Watch for the tell tale fast moving shell going up (indicating that it needs the speed to get to a height and therefore a potentially big burst) fire and start counting...
When the burst finishes, stop counting and cover the lens. Wait for the mid level bursts and continue counting, when you reach 6 seconds (or whatever time is tested) cover the lens till the exposure is completed.

 

[peteryeo]

Hi willyfoo,

May I ask you what is a black cards use for during night photo.

Thank you very very much.

Regards Yeo

 

[jnet6]

hi willyfoo,
just to let u know that i not able to make it on friday nitght shooting.. but keep mi inform of the 8th aug fireworks. venue/time that u all are meeting, thks alot!!!