Anybody up for a fireworks photo challenge??

It's that time of year!!!!

I guess we need a few ground rules to start.

I'd have to say let's keep it simple. limited post processing and no multiple exposures (except maybe HDR's) images should be captured in the camera and limit processing to  enhance the image.

Any one care to jump in and setting some ground rules? Share your technique? Come on folks grab those tri-pods and cable releases and let's have some fun!!!!

 I'm in...But I get to practice more.... Sea World has them every night.. I think I'll go...tonight

Moose:

 I'm in...But I get to practice more.... Sea World has them every night.. I think I'll go...tonight

Practice makes perfect!!

Don't forget to share your technique for the others.... 

I have never tried but I would be up to the challenge.

What's the rules?  No multi exposure, anything else?  Could be fun, but not much fireworks in my are, sizable that is.  Piccalo Pete's anyone.

Margies3:

Do they have to be from this year?

the idea is to get out there and shoot 

Eric L:

No multi exposure, anything else? 

I'd just like to see most of the work done in the camera not on the computer.

It's about shooting them not PP'ing them 

Honest, I do understand that. But since we don't do fireworks here very often, just thought I'd ask.

ChefDave:

Share your technique? Come on folks grab those tri-pods and cable releases and let's have some fun!!!!

I received this email the other day, sorry if I am pointing to another site, but it was very helpful and very specific.

http://www.webphotoschool.com/all_lessons/free_lessons/Shooting_Fireworks_with_the_E-3/index.html 

I have some cool shots that I took. I hope I can post 3 images, If I wasn't susposed to don't be mad. These are SOOC. Well the size was edited, but that is all. I didn't use a tripod and these were taken with a Kodak Easy Share Z740.

Pam

picsbypam:

If I wasn't susposed to don't be mad.

No no post away

Nice shots for hand held. 

OK, here are my first Batch.

Not super happy with them. Seaworld's Free nightly fireworks only last 4 minutes and they are ...free. So not a lot of time to experiment plus they are not real spectacular.

Plus I of course didn't want to pay $59 for free fireworks so I had to find a spot across the bay, which actually was good because I wanted some water reflections... BUT. I had no idea where they would actually come up from or how high so I chose the wrong lens and there was no time to change it in the dark...so there fore, these are all crops

Set-up was pretty standard. On Tripod. I tried to open the shutter before they went off in order to get the Stream into the sky followed by the bursts. Also since these are long exposures, they have captured multiple launches in one exposure.

Next time I may try a slightly higher ISO (200) just to bring up the background a little. But maybe not and then try shorter (5 Sec) and longer (25sec) Exposures...f11 to f16 seems to be a good range but I may try f8 

I think they would have been a lot better with the right focal length though...cropping seems to loose something 

OK here goes

Closer crop just for fun

Ooooohhhhhhhhhhh!  Isn't there just something so exciting about fireworks? Makes my stomach do flip flops.

Love all the shots everyone. Especially loved the cropped image from Moose.

I wished I lived close enough to see them over the bay ; ( Maybe I'll have to visit one day.

Great thread ChefDave!

Karma! Where are ya girl? They're posting fireworks for our birthday...early !

Ok, I know these are supposed to be current. But I couldn't resist sharing these from last year's 4th of July. I had only had my new camera for about 2 weeks when I did these, so I was pretty happy with what it could do...

Sorry to hog so much space. If it's too much, feel free to remove any.

okay our big en is next weekend but man we are so close sometimes the schrapnel falls on us, not sure if i'll get any worth sharing or not, but you can bet i'll give er my best shot, thanks for SS and iso info up there MOOSE, that helps me out TONS....

We won't do your show until the 4th so no fireworks pictures til then. But DH has already started wiring them up. I should get a picture of that. I'll post some when we shoot them off.

I discovered this technique last year. I call it accidentally hitting the shutter.

ironically, it was the best of all my fireworks shots last year.  

okay did i read this wrong????  i thought this was for shots from THIS year in order to get us out there and shoot?  ah well I will go read back thru from the beginning...

 Nice looking stuff Moose.

I got to do my first round of fireworks this weekend while camping. These were in a small upstate NY town so they weren't going to be very long so I did m typical set-up.

ISO 100 f/10@8 seconds. I just found out my towns fireworks are next weekend than I'll be doing some more on the 5th. The ones on the 5th are at the US Military Academy I tend to get some really great shots there and have some time to try a few things.

But here are Saturday nights.

 As you might be able to tell I was behing a baseball backstop. I was with a bunch of friends all with little kids so we were kinda far back. And I really didn't have the right lens to be that far back. I had my 17-35mm.

 I'm going to toss this 1 in from last year only for an example

This is something that I like to optain. Nice view of the scenery,  something to add to the perspective.

This set-up was ISO 100 f/8@15seconds. I will be moving way left this year to avoid the trees.