Tips for Fireworks on Film

[B-9]

Hey guys,


Figured some of us could use a little primer/refresher on some of the finer points of photographing Fireworks with an emphasis on film capture.

I’ve always just chimped the DSLR (pray and spray) and typically walked away with atleast 6-10 good shots.

Not wanting to waste a ton of film (as I’m full stride with my 1 cam 1 lens 1 year challenge) so some good tips will go a long way.

Oh and if your not in the USA, the 4th is kind of a big deal here 😉

 

[oftheherd]

First, tripod. 2nd, determine where most of the fireworks will be exploding and how big a ball/circle - done simply by observation. Use short or long exposures depending on what you hope to get. Sometimes you may and to go to portrait mode to get the trail of the firework(s) rising. Normally you will wish to use a medium to small aperture for sharpness. Color film is usually used but sometimes b/w can give pleasing effects.

One or two shots with a small flash to get reactions of the crowd. Don't do it too often nor with too powerful a flash. The flash should be hand held and usually set off just at the end of the firework going off.

Look for static displays if there are any.

Good luck. Others hopefully can give more details and refinements. Experiment as much as you wish for film.

 

[B-9]

Great little tid bits! Thanks!

Shooting Fuji 400H

Canon EOS 1 50/1.8 MKi

Tiltall tripod. Self timer.

unfortunately no interesting foreground in my case. Just a snap or so of a good trail or a dozen in the finally. We do our own show (it’s grown over the last 5 years) and it’s rather large. Also privy to when the sh!t fires off as I am typically guiding the teenagers with time to step back for a good view.

Either way it’s fun good photo or not.


P.S./ Edit: Honeslty really missing our friend Blake (NikonosGuy) today and have been pretty low on the staff and have not posted in a short bit. My way of keeping him with me. Mucho appreciated!

 

[WJJ3]

Hi, fireworks photos are definitely good fun. I haven't shot a ton, but have gotten some decent results on film over the past few years.

I see you listing tripod and self timer in your setup. I think opening and closing the shutter at the right times to record trails will be very difficult with a self timer.

Here a couple samples of my shots, along with exposure info:

Shot with my Minolta X-500 and W-Rokkor SI 28mm on a tripod with a cable release.

Focus set to infinity (naturally)
ISO 200 film
Aperture 11
Shutter opened and closed to capture the fireworks trails (2-3 seconds)

2017 Summer Night Kagoshima

Shot with my Minolta SRT-101 and Minolta 35-70mm zoom on a tripod with a cable release.

Focus set to infinity (naturally)
ISO 400 film
Aperture 11
Shutter opened and closed to capture the fireworks trails (2-3 seconds)

2015 Tanabata Fireworks Niseko

 

[Dralowid]

Don't forget double exposures, some short, some long.

Of course, not every camera is capable of double exposures...

 

[donkee]

Been a while since I shot fireworks but when I do I use 100 asa color slide, f16, shutter release, tripod, and shoot vertically. Position your camera in the vicinity and when the first couple go off compose. Vary the exposure by grabbing one or two bursts then 3-4 but be careful with the time otherwise the ambient light will start to brighten things up a bit too much. This one I exposed a little longer than usual. It is the first I found on my computer.

Bay City Michigan around 1994
Minolta XD-11, Minolta MD 50mm 1.4, Kodak Ektachrome 100 bulk, developed with Kodak E-6 kit, f16 on bulb

 

[B-9]

Oops, yeah no self timer, meant to say cable release lol.

Pretty sure my camera will do double exposures. Question now is how much fuss it is to set. I’ll have to look into it.

Thanks again everyone

 

[Steve M.]

Honestly, I don't think you need to worry, and a tripod is probably not needed. I took some fireworks photos using an old Canon AE 1 w/ a 70 200 f4 zoom, and I just let the camera take the exposure and went w/ it. Every shot turned out perfect, w/ black sky and just the exploding part of the fireworks in the air. It was a piece of cake. Now, the hard part would be finding those photos 20 years later!

Being a cat person, I generally don't like the whole 4th of July thing because it scares them.

 

[donkee]

Honestly, I don't think you need to worry, and a tripod is probably not needed. I took some fireworks photos using an old Canon AE 1 w/ a 70 200 f4 zoom, and I just let the camera take the exposure and went w/ it. Every shot turned out perfect, w/ black sky and just the exploding part of the fireworks in the air. It was a piece of cake. Now, the hard part would be finding those photos 20 years later!

Being a cat person, I generally don't like the whole 4th of July thing because it scares them.

The main reason I don't shoot fireworks much these days. I have 2 Dobermans and one of them is terrified of fireworks so I stay home to make sure she is ok. My cat finds them (the dogs and fireworks) annoying if anything, no fear with the cat........

 

[WJJ3]

Been a while since I shot fireworks but when I do I use 100 asa color slide, f16, shutter release, tripod, and shoot vertically. Position your camera in the vicinity and when the first couple go off compose. Vary the exposure by grabbing one or two bursts then 3-4 but be careful with the time otherwise the ambient light will start to brighten things up a bit too much. This one I exposed a little longer than usual. It is the first I found on my computer.

Bay City Michigan around 1994
Minolta XD-11, Minolta MD 50mm 1.4, Kodak Ektachrome 100 bulk, developed with Kodak E-6 kit, f16 on bulb

Great shot!

 

[oftheherd]

Oops, yeah no self timer, meant to say cable release lol.

Pretty sure my camera will do double exposures. Question now is how much fuss it is to set. I’ll have to look into it.

Thanks again everyone

Even if it doesn't have a mechanical or electronic double exposure setting, you can hold the film tight, push in on the rewind button, cock the shutter by advancing the wind crank and take another photo. Done carefully you have a perfectly usable double exposure.

I forgot to mention above sometimes taking a photo handheld and moving it for the blur effect. You can sometimes get some interesting shots that way. Done with double exposure can also give some interesting effects.

 

[B-9]

Unfortunately the Canon EOS 1 I’m shooting these days does all that fancy stuff inside with no means to manually trip it up. Fortunately it’s as easy as pressing two buttons on my camera.

Thanks again!

 

[donkee]

Hey guys,


Figured some of us could use a little primer/refresher on some of the finer points of photographing Fireworks with an emphasis on film capture.

I’ve always just chimped the DSLR (pray and spray) and typically walked away with atleast 6-10 good shots.

Not wanting to waste a ton of film (as I’m full stride with my 1 cam 1 lens 1 year challenge) so some good tips will go a long way.

Oh and if your not in the USA, the 4th is kind of a big deal here 😉

Did you get out and shoot those fireworks?

 

[Corran]

One nice thing about shooting fireworks on film is retaining the highlights on negative film and still getting decent shadow detail. I was really happy with the results I got this year, intentionally throwing the fireworks out of focus:

Shot with a US Army Signal Corps Speed Graphic equipped with a Kodak 6" Aero-Ektar f/2.5 and custom f/4 stop since it has no iris.

 

[WJJ3]

One nice thing about shooting fireworks on film is retaining the highlights on negative film and still getting decent shadow detail. I was really happy with the results I got this year, intentionally throwing the fireworks out of focus:

Shot with a US Army Signal Corps Speed Graphic equipped with a Kodak 6" Aero-Ektar f/2.5 and custom f/4 stop since it has no iris.

Wow, that is a really interesting photo! Thanks for sharing. I wish Kodak still made Portra VC!

 

[Corran]

Thanks, and me too! The few photos I took that night were my last sheets of it 🙁.