[Leica] Re: Fireworks

[lrzeitlin at optonline.net (Lawrence Zeitlin)]

Sonny,

These are wonderful fireworks pictures. I especially like your use of  
foreground people and objects to set the scale and establish a  
feeling of depth. The disadvantage of shooting from a boat is that  
there is nothing in front of you except water. But I'll see what I  
can do. Maybe push someone overboard.

Larry Z


On Jun 26, 2007, at 8:20 PM, Sonny wrote:

> A couple things to consider.  I usually either use a tripod or  
> monopod,
> though with anti shake, I got a few good frames on a Pentax hand- 
> held last
> year.
>
> http://www.sonc.com/FW_fant/
>
> On a boat that size, they will probably idle the engines, even if  
> you are at
> anchor.  There is likely to be some deck vibration, so think about   
> some way
> to dampen that.
>
> I usually go longer exposure than you, sometimes up to several  
> seconds.  Of
> course, I am usually closer to the fireworks than you will be, and   
> I like
> to get other details in the shot, so capturing the fireworks  
> themselves is
> usually not my priority.   I try to expose long enough that other  
> things
> become evident, So I might have several bursts  in one shot.
>
> I usually shoot at about f 4 or 5.6.
>
> Here's some more:
>
> http://www.sonc.com/fw_06_02/index.htm#4Sometimes, I  barely show the
> fireworks at all.
>
> http://www.sonc.com/watching_fireworks.htm
>
> Sonny
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 6/26/07, Lawrence Zeitlin <lrzeitlin@optonline.net> wrote:
>>
>> I had given up taking fireworks photos with my P&S digital cameras
>> because of the long shutter lag. By the time the camera had focused,
>> set the aperture, and snapped the picture, the fire had long turned
>> to ash. One of my former clients invited my to view the Macy's 4th of
>> July fireworks show aboard his 80 ft. yacht anchored in a choice
>> location in the Hudson River. I've been a good union member for 30
>> years but I have never been aboard an 80 ft. yacht so it was an
>> opportunity I couldn't pass up. Swallowing my egalitarian pride I
>> accepted his invitation. I hope they serve good caviar with the
>> champagne as a compensation for my feelings of guilt.
>>
>> I will be taking my Oly 500 DSLR. What lens openings and settings
>> should I use? The Oly lag is pretty short but I'm afraid that the
>> auto exposure settings will tend to over expose the fireworks in
>> adjusting for the dark background. With Kodachrome in my M3, I simply
>> set the lens at f4.0, the shutter at 1/50, and blasted away. Any
>> advice on fireworks settings?
>>
>> Larry Z