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Snapper
 United Kingdom
4243 Posts
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
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Snapper
United Kingdom
4243 Posts
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
Status: offline |  Posted - 27 Mar 2005 : 23:46:09  
| As a bit of an experiment I wanted to see whether it's possible to get decent fireworks photos without using a triopd. I think the results work OK. If anyone wants to try this there are a few notes below for how to setup the camera.
There are a couple of things worth mentioning. These are all taken at an extremely high ISO setting (more on this in a few lines) and so the originals come out really grainy; that is they have speckles here and there. This is quite normal. These tend to jpeg out of existence when reducing the size of the picture for using on the web so aren't too much trouble. It's also fair to say that these should print OK at 6x4 but there is no way they are going to stand being blown up to 10x8 or 20x16. You've gotta make a trade-off somewhere, and that's where it is. The other thing to mention is that the make, model, type of camera used shouldn't matter. These were all taken with the Nikon but there is no reason why a snappy point and shoot should get the same results.
So to the settings:
ISO: Set the camera's ISO setting to ISO 1600. This is going to make things really grainy but it's the only way the camera is going to pick up enough light.
Exposure Mode: Forget any automatic settings, forget any program settings and switch it to manual. You'll need to set a shutter speed and a aperture value. Set the shutter speed to 1/25, one twenty-fifth of a second, and set the aperture to f3.5, or as close as you can get it.
Focus: Switch off the autofocus and focus manually. Focus on the castle and then forget it. The autofocus won't be anywhere near fast enough and you'll just miss shots.
Zoom: Use the wider angle end of the lens' zoom; it's easier to hold the camera steady at wider angles and you can always crop the photos later.
Taking the photos: The golden rule is to take heaps of photos. Take dozens. Aim to take between 50 and 100 and you should get a handful of good ones. Start with a new flash card and shoot, shoot, shoot. Don't try to sort anything out until you are back home and can view the photos on a much bigger screen. Use the gaps in the fireworks to check the image previews to make sure they look clear, in-focus and not too dark or light. If they look too dark try setting the shutter speed down to 1/10 but this might make things blurred if the camera doesn't have image stabilisation. If they are too light, try setting the shutter speed fractionally faster; 1/40 or 1/50 depending on what the camera will give you. Tempting though it will be, don't try to photograph Tinkerbell. She is way too small to get a good shot, she moves too fast to focus and you'll spend the rest of the show trying to re-focus on the castle and reset everything.
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Steve.
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trevlad
 United Kingdom
1632 Posts
Joined: 24 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 00:00:23
| absolutely fantastic steve. youre not a paparazzi or scenes of crime officer are you?. nowt against either but you have, some skill there
i take it the camera is a digital version of one of those larger 'proper' 35mm ones ? |
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ORLANDO_MAGIC
 United Kingdom
404 Posts
Joined: 07 Jan 2005
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Newhomebuyer
 United Kingdom
1387 Posts
Joined: 01 Feb 2004
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brizzle
United Kingdom
1127 Posts
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 09:53:34
| Great pictures.
This will be my way of taking again later this year...no tripod.
I have in the past tried to stick to a lower ISO, to avoid the grainy images, but I will try my highest setting which only goes as far as ISO 400.
Nice to see the new bits on the Castle too. I can't wait to get some new pictures of the Castle with all of it's 'birthday gear' on.
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eagleydo
 United Kingdom
2048 Posts
Joined: 20 Aug 2004
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KJH
 United Kingdom
1025 Posts
Joined: 23 Aug 2004
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chunkichik
 United Kingdom
611 Posts
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 15:35:05
| Well done again Steve, absolutely fantastic and must be the best firework pictures I've seen
Fireworks are one of my favourites at Disney and wish I was there now, but only got to wait til Oct!!! |
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Epic
 United Kingdom
249 Posts
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
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Cruella DeVilla
 USA
10605 Posts
Joined: 18 May 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 16:35:03
| quote:
Originally posted by chunkichik
Well done again Steve, absolutely fantastic and must be the best firework pictures I've seen
Fireworks are one of my favourites at Disney and wish I was there now, but only got to wait til Oct!!!
Anita,
You love fireworks? Get yourself to Hong Kong or China for the New Year celebrations! Although when the new Disney opens in Hong Kong you can bet your bottom dollar the fireworks will be something else. When I lived in Hong Kong the New Year celebrations were awesome, (puts Disney etc in the shade). One year hey had a dragon which lit up the sky and it was massive. They spend millions of dollars on it! |
CDV
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Orchid
United Kingdom
14 Posts
Joined: 17 Mar 2005
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Snapper
United Kingdom
4243 Posts
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 18:14:20
| LOL Trevlad.  I'm neither. I think I'd prefer being Lockheed's or Boeing's launch photographer or travelling the world with the BBC or National Geographic paying the bills if I had the choice. Not that I'll ever have the choice, but we can all dream!
Brizzle - when are you back out there? That castle is still a pain in the proverbial for getting a good photograph. That big mirror monstrosoty on the front of it hides the clock nicely but it's so big that it just dominates everything. There is still no obvious way to frame the castle for the fireworks. I'm sure that Disney do it on purpose! I didn't get a chance to photograph it during the day so it'll be great to see what you can conjur up. It really needs one of those gorgeous clear blue skies behind it.
That ISO vs. Image Quality trade-off is always a tough one. The day will come eventually when we can shoot at ISO 1600 or 3200 with no loss of quality and the camera's imaging electronics will have a grain-on or grain-off setting. Dreaming again! |
Steve.
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LiesaAnna
 United Kingdom
11770 Posts
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
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bluebirds
 United Kingdom
274 Posts
Joined: 03 Oct 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 19:00:17
| | Fantastic photos makes us wish we there right now. We are hoping to get some really great photos in May when we are out there. Thanks for the tips on taking the firework photos thet are very useful | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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brizzle
United Kingdom
1127 Posts
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 19:32:52
| quote:
Originally posted by Snapper
<snip>
Brizzle - when are you back out there? That castle is still a pain in the proverbial for getting a good photograph. That big mirror monstrosoty on the front of it hides the clock nicely but it's so big that it just dominates everything. There is still no obvious way to frame the castle for the fireworks. I'm sure that Disney do it on purpose! I didn't get a chance to photograph it during the day so it'll be great to see what you can conjur up. It really needs one of those gorgeous clear blue skies behind it.
That ISO vs. Image Quality trade-off is always a tough one. The day will come eventually when we can shoot at ISO 1600 or 3200 with no loss of quality and the camera's imaging electronics will have a grain-on or grain-off setting. Dreaming again!
Not back until October now. 
The eldest now being at school kind of limits when I can get away.
Isn't that mirror going to show 'live pictures' from the parks around the world during the 50th celebrations?
Maybe you cuold get access to a roof on Main Street for a good angle of the Castle...
Do you think they'll ever get noise free high ISO pics?
Is it even possible due to laws of physics etc..?
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Snapper
United Kingdom
4243 Posts
Joined: 11 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 28 Mar 2005 : 20:43:36
| Yah cannee change the lawrs a physics!!! Dunno Brizzle. I have to admit to not knowing how CCDs and CMOS sensors dynamically change their ISOs. It must be something to do with voltages and things but I don't know.
The Main Street roofs could be the answer. I did write to Disney once asking if it would be possible to use them but I didn't get anywhere. Half the battle is even getting to talk to the right person. I wish I'd made a note of the name of the fireworks imagineer I was chatting to at Epcot just before Christmas. He could probably have pulled a few strings. Maybe I'll send a print over to the Epcot fireworks team and try to get in touch that way. |
Steve.
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rosie
 4171 Posts
Joined: 14 May 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 29 Mar 2005 : 06:41:46
| | I've been waiting to see these pics since I knew you went to Wishes Steve, they are fantastic yet again Thank you for posting them and please keep "snapping" away and posting for us all to enjoy |
Rosie
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debbie
United Kingdom
86 Posts
Joined: 06 May 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 29 Mar 2005 : 21:58:13
| What fantasic photos - wishes is for us a very emotional sight and you have captured this (I think) splendidly! We were there again but a little more awake!
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mizzy
 United Kingdom
4401 Posts
Joined: 19 Oct 2005
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CarolAnn
United Kingdom
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