Sunday, 05 July 2009
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Fireworks . . . .
Having read numerous instructions and tutorials, I decided to take on the challenge of capturing fireworks with my camera.
The settings were perfect with ISO 100, f8.0 and a 2.0 second exposure which allowed me to take in enough light. I locked my focus on infinity and fired away.
Well, I ran into problems right off the bat. First of all, I wasted several shots just finding out where in the sky I needed to point the lens.
Then I discovered that the "rule of thirds" is pretty much nonexistent when I am guessing where the next flash occurs.
Initially, I tried to zoom in to 70mm to 140mm but could not locate the blasts.
So I zoomed all the way out to 35mm and discovered that the flash was far too small to differentiate a fireworks explosion.
So my first twenty or so photos were unusable.
After locating the area of the sky, I soon discovered that the timing was going to be a challenge. When I saw the flash and pressed the shutter, the minor delay caused me to catch just a tiny bit of the long faded streams.
Then I got too anxious and pressed the shutter as soon as I heard the report of the mortar. Now my shots were too soon.
Since I was only about a hundred meters from the launch site, I decided to use a quick two count (one, two, click) to time my shots.
Finally I was able to capture a few usable displays.
It did not help that these were illegal fireworks launched from a few houses down the street.
Unlike a professional fireworks display, these shots were timed erratically (probably working around the police who were patrolling the area looking for the perpetrator).
So I would stand there from awhile and then walk in circles to keep from falling asleep.
The I would hear the mortar firing and run back to the camera (mounted on the tripod) and press the button.
These are certainly not the greatest fireworks shots but they are my first attempt which actually impressed me.
Enjoy.
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Comments (5)
LOL ~ you made me laugh throughout with your write up. And I now know what 'rule of thirds' is now. I have joined a photographics site and get my photo's critiqued etc. I have just totally fallen in love with photography. You got some awesome, awesome, awesome shots here. I can just picture you aiming at the wrong part of the sky.....LOL. I enjoyed this so much!
@Neeka1 - What was even more frustrating was that, after finding the spot in the sky where I finally needed to aim, the police would drive through the neighborhood looking for the perpetrator (these types of fireworks are legal only for the trainied professionals). So they would quit shooting them off for anywhere from five minutes to a half an hour. So there I was standing in the shadows of my front lawn waiting for the report of the mortar. As the police drove by, they realized that I was trying to photograph the fireworks. They looked at the camera and drove off in the direction that the lens was pointed (not realizing that I always pointed the camera in the opposite direction during the lull in activity). All in all, I stood for about an two hours to capture just sixteen usable photos. Ah, the dedication of the photographer.
@gamachesr - BAHAHAHAHA ~ oh.....sorry....you are certainly dedicated. LOL.
wow, Dad, those shots are awesome!!! love 'em! well done!!!
*hugs* miss you.
Zee