Quote (doyleo @ Fri, 28 Nov 2008, 17:07)

Now then!!

If i wanted to shoot fireworks with a 450D what sort of settings would i use? i was thinking somthing along these lines, please correct me if im wrong.

MUST HAVE:
-Camera with wide angle lens (18mm with the kit lens)
-Tripod
-Remote trigger

First steps:
-Turn IS off
-Set camera to manual mode

Settings:
-Shutter speed of 5+seconds//bulb
-Apature of f8
-Tungsten WB
-AI Servo AF
-ISO 100



Does this sound good to you?

Quote (Astragony @ Fri, Nov 28 2008, 06:40pm)

yeah it sounds about right. Setting vary alot depending on the kind of fireworks, ambient light and other stuff.
Try and error is a good strategy when you don't know how to work it out.
Digital photographers are blessed with the screen in the back. Use it.

Quote (doyleo @ Fri, 28 Nov 2008, 20:47)

thanx for the advice

"blessed with the screen in the back." do you mean to use live view functions? or to keep checking my settings?

Cheers Mate!!

Quote (Qhotex @ Fri, Nov 28 2008, 07:54pm)

I think he means the live view.

Quote (Qhotex @ Fri, 28 Nov 2008, 19:54)

I think he means the live view.

Quote (Astragony @ Sat, Nov 29 2008, 11:35am)

I did not mean live view actually. live view only helps focus and composition.

I actualy meant previewing the pics you took on the rear screen.

If your pic is too dark open up the aperture.

If the fireworks in your pic don't leave enough trails then use a longer shutter speed...

etc...

Also don't use the widest zoom setting "just because".
Zoom according to composition.

A nice thing you can do is include some foreground elements so that when the fireworks go off you get some really cool backlit subjects.

Cheers.

Quote (doyleo @ Sat, 29 Nov 2008, 17:35)

Wow that's really helped me mate!

Thank you

Quote (doyleo @ Fri, Nov 28 2008, 10:07am)

Now then!!

If i wanted to shoot fireworks with a 450D what sort of settings would i use? i was thinking somthing along these lines, please correct me if im wrong.

MUST HAVE:
-Camera with wide angle lens (18mm with the kit lens)
-Tripod
-Remote trigger

First steps:
-Turn IS off
-Set camera to manual mode

Settings:
-Shutter speed of 5+seconds//bulb
-Apature of f8
-Tungsten WB
-AI Servo AF
-ISO 100



Does this sound good to you?

Quote

  1. Camera on tripod
  2. Go to manual mode - aperture somewhere around f/8, shutter speed on Bulb (ISO @ 100)
  3. Switch the lens to manual focus, focus to infinity. Aim it where you think they'll be going off (check the LCD to make sure you're getting the whole thing in the frame).
  4. When you see one go up hit the shutter button (using a remote) just before it explodes, when it finishes push it again to close the shutter.

That's pretty much it. Try to get an interesting background, but that's not always possible...

Quote

Fireworks can be hit and miss. It really depends on a lot of things...like the amount of ambient light and the effect that you want to create.

For starters, it will probably be dark, so you will need a tripod. From there, you might need to experiment. A longer shutter speed will give you more opportunity to capture many fireworks and it will also give you more light trails. This can be a nice effect but it can also make the shot look messy if there are too many things going off in one area. A faster shutter speed will give you less light trail. The aperture probably won't matter much, because you will mostly likely be shooting them from far off and the DOF won't be an issue.
You can set the shutter and aperture together to control how much ambient light you get. Less exposure will can give you darker skies and foreground (if you included it) but sometimes more exposure can look good...sometimes not, that's why you need to experiment.

Lastly, sometimes you need to guess when they will go off and trigger the camera first. It takes practice.

Quote (Futurama @ Sat, Nov 29 2008, 07:27pm)

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