Picture That
Posted by Mark Neville on April 17, 2012 0 Comments
Whatever the occasion, whether it be a wedding, New Years or good old bonfire night fireworks are an infrequent treat that we all relish. Normally, if you want a memory to last you take a photograph and can keep it forever. When it comes to fireworks, we've all tried to capture those beautiful moments but how many of your were disappointed with your results? Photographing fireworks isn't as hard as you might think and by following these handy hints you can produce pictures with your SLR to be proud of.
Firstly; TRIPOD! Camera movement will cause the smooth streaks to appear squiggly so make sure your tripod is set up in good time. If your camera has them, shoot on ‘M’ (or manual) exposure mode, and set it to ‘B’ (bulb) - with this feature the camera will open to light and remain open until you remove your finger. If you don't have this feature set long manual exposure for many seconds - you can use your hand to start and stop exposure.
For the best results shoot at the lowest ISO. Make sure you turn off ISO auto as it will try and set it high due to darkness. You should try an aperture of f/5.6 at ISO 50 and ISO 100, and f/8 at ISO 200. Open the shutter before the first burst and hold it open until one burst completes (or for longer if you wish) - they will all “draw” onto the film and all appear in the shot even if not released at the same time.
Take a look at your first photo. How's it look? Too dark? Open up to f/4. Too washed-out? Stop down to f/11. Try again until you get an exposure you like, at whatever aperture you need. Before all the Diamond Jubilee and Olympics celebrations kick off why not host your own mini firework party to test out your new skills. Order online at Stealth Fireworks and we can deliver straight to your door...
