Has anyone here ever photographed fireworks?  Could you please give me some tips on how to do it?  I am using a Canon Digital Rebel XT with a Sigma 18-125 lens. 

I am a member of a non-profit organization that is going to be selling fireworks for a fundraiser this year.  We are going to be attending a private showing of some of the new fireworks for this year and I want to get some pictures to use to promote the upcoming fireworks sales.  I was thinking about using some of them on a flyer or something -- any ideas?  I'm depending on your help!  Thanks.

Give 15sec @ f11, 100ISO a try.  Set the camera on manual and use a tripod.  I'm not sure if the XT has it but turn the noise reduction setting to ON.  This will add to the processing time for each image in the camera but will get rid of that nasty low light noise.

When I have photographed fireworks in the past (when I used to shoot film) I have found that they look like everybody else's firworks shots... not very interresting.  If I were doing it again, I would include something else in the shot like a sign, people, even a tree.  If you provide a context or a setting for the fireworks, I think they will really pop (pardon the pun).

Hope all goes well...

Jeff

Good idea Jeff.  Should be easy enough to take fireworks from a black sky and paste them in with something else shot with a black sky. =D  I'm looking forward to shooting a lot of fireworks this summer - there are festivals at the lakeside festival grounds every weekend and I think all of them either start or end (or both) with a big fireworks display. :)

OKay in my photography class last year this is what the instructor said to do to shoot fireworks, It was for film cameras, it should work for digital.
 first off it is a must to have tripod, then if you have the option, put your manual shutter speed setting on bulb, & F28 or so, that way everything will be sharp, my film camera has a trigger release cord, so you don't have to touch the camera, so as not to shake it. I know my digital camera doesn't have this option, maybe you should take both cameras just in case. To have pictures w/ more than one firework in it, just take a piece of cardboard w/ you & between the fireworks put it over the lens & move the cardboard when another goes off thats in a different spot, since your cameras on bulb, it will keep capturing until you release the button, that where the release cord comes in handy, because I don't know about you, but I can't hold comepletely still for more than a minute. Hope this helps.
Tiffany

jjhat1 wrote:

Give 15sec @ f11, 100ISO a try.  Set the camera on manual and use a tripod.  I'm not sure if the XT has it but turn the noise reduction setting to ON.  This will add to the processing time for each image in the camera but will get rid of that nasty low light noise. When I have photographed fireworks in the past (when I used to shoot film) I have found that they look like everybody else's firworks shots... not very interresting.  If I were doing it again, I would include something else in the shot like a sign, people, even a tree.  If you provide a context or a setting for the fireworks, I think they will really pop (pardon the pun). Hope all goes well... Jeff

Ok, trying to quote the previous message messed me up.

So, I've heard the same f/11 number @ 100asa.  Shutter speed really isn't that important as the fireworks usually expose themselves (insert joke here).  Of course if there's other subject matter in frame you'll need to expose for that.