Photographing Fireworks

 

Extracted from Tom Garcia’s notes on Fireworks Photography

(EOH 27 July 2009 Meeting, Member’s Presentations)

 

 

The following provides the rule of thumb used in the past for color slide and negative film:

 

- -   ISO of the film used is the square of the closest f/stop  - -

 

For example for ISO 100 - the square root is 10, so,  the closest f/stop is f/11.

This rule applies to ISO settings from ISO 50 to 400 as shown on the table below:

 

 

 

 

This rule applies to digital cameras also. So, whatever digital camera you are using - set your camera to manual mode, also your auto-focus to manual. Go to your settings and set ISO using the table above. Oh, also, carry an electronic cable release and set your shutter speed to B (bulb). You want to give a maximum of 4 burst, any more and you will over-expose the fireworks, this is about the equivalent of about 4-5 sec. and you should get a photo of the fireworks.

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Don’t laugh – A sailor came to my class at Hickam AFB and asked what f/stop should I use for the photographing the missiles as they leave the launchers. He told me all he had was 400 color negative films and I told him to use f/22 and use his camera on bulb and gave him an approx. time from 4-8 secs. His shipmates laughed at him and believe it or not he got the photographs of the missiles leaving the pods. He got the last laugh on his shipmates.