Fireworks

[Danielle10]

Help needed once again by you fabulous photographers.
I am doing the Relay for Life on saturday to help raise money for cancer research.
Not looking forward to it one bit... however I am looking forward to getting some shots of the fireworks. BAHAHAHA

SO, I'd love some info/tips ok anything you guys can suggest to help me get some noice shots.

Thanks in advance.

[infl3xion]

tripod + long shutter?

[Gollum]

There are others here far better qualified than me, check the sticky under Night and Astro. One thing I did wrong (that I couldn’t find mentioned here) was to remove any filters you may have (e.g. if you use a UV filter just as protection). They caused ghosting on all of my night shots.

http://toothwalker.org/optics/filterflare.html

Here is a link to a very good site that explains optics.

Hope this helps.

[OzzieTraveller]

G'day Danielle

Good on you for the R4L ... my co-pilot Alayne does it every year too [loves the free t-shirt that comes with it]

As to fireworks - they're pretty easy overall
1- tripod
2- ISO 100 or 200
3- 18-55 lens, + MANUAL focus on infinity ... anywhere in the zoom range
4- Shutter priority x 10 to 30 seconds at f5,6 Aperture
5- if several bright bursts go off during the same exposure, place hand over lens till exposure time finished [to 'save' the early bursts]
6- optionally remove UV filter - occasionally I have had lens-refractions from bright spots off-centre to the fireworks

Extra Notes
11- do not have fun - fun not allowed at events such as these ~ remember that all serious photographers are serious at all serious occasions
12- occasionally take camera off tripod and during the 10 - 30 seconds the shutter is open, wave the camera at the stars and clouds and get lots of wiggley lines
13- maybe rotate camera thru a circle to see what you get
14- do this also with street lights, car red-tail lights [1-5 seconds will probably do here]

and show us some of the results .... please
Regards, phil