Post your fireworks photog tips

[Razeus]

The day is coming and will be getting shots of my first July 4th on my new XSi. Of course, being new to this type of shots, I need help. Post your tips for getting great fireworks!

[jampat]

If you have bulb mode on your camera, a remote release and a tripod you are in business. Manual focus at infinity, stop your lens down a bunch (look at the first couple pics, you want to keep the sky relatively dark), turn your iso to something with relatively little noise and aim the camera at the sky.

Try to close the shutter after one or two shells or things quickly get out of control. If you don't have bulb mode, I usually do exposures from 1 to 10 seconds depending on how fast the shells are coming up. For interesting effects, try zooming or intentionally moving the camera while a shell is exploding and the shutter is open.

[HBOC]

yes, what jampat said is great. Use MLU (mirror lock up) if you have it. A shutter remote, such as the RC-30N or the like for Canon, is great. If you dont have that, but have bulb mode, which almost all DSLRs have (and SLRs), if just as great. A tripod is a MUST.

here is a shot i did with an EOS-3 a few years back..

i am going to use my G9 and try and see what i can do. I think she has a maximum of a 15 second shutter, as the tiny sensor would get way to hot.

and dont judge me on it not being perfectly square....I was wasted when taking these, lol:) I mean it WAS the 4th of July, after all!!

[Kebabselector]

http://www.scphoto.co.uk/pages/galleries/misc/pictures/fireworks.jpg

Taken on Film, but it's the same process on digital.

Setup on a tripod, set camera to bulb mode, aperture around f8-f11, focused manually to approximate distance, kept shutter open and just uncovered the lens when I wanted to capture the firework.

(think the camera was a cheapy Russian Lubitel TLR - not my Mamiya).

[jjividen]

Go to my site and hover over the picture of each fireworks display and it will show you my settings. No tripod for me as I just hold the camera steady for the 2 second exposure up up against a telephone pole. Have a great 4th!
http://jjividen.com/Fireworks%20Kent%2008/album/index.html
http://jjividen.com/Akron%20Fireworks/album/index.html
Jerry

[HBOC]

companies also sell a fireworks trigger as well, although i have never used anything of the sort.

[CJS7070]

F/11 aperture, bulb mode. Open the shutter as the rocket bursts, and when the trails start to die, close it.

Probably self explanatory, but you want to zoom in all the way to fill the frame as much as possible.

[Razeus]

should i use my 18-55 or my 55-250?

[GT41]

should i use my 18-55 or my 55-250?

Depends how far away you are. I'm going to be at the other side of a reasonable sized lake and plan on using my 300mm lens. If you are right close to the action, 55mm or less may be needed.

[Afterthecalm]

Here are some good tips as well

http://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-fireworks

[Grimace]

Let see what people came away with!

I botched a lot of mine but this one looked interesting:

[bootedbear]

Here's one I grabbed last night using these tips. Thanks!

http://homepage.mac.com/bootedbear/IMG_5788.jpg