Fireworks - One Approach

[P3D Bill Davis <bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Tom Martin writes:
>Now to completely change the topic, I have not seen our annual (at least
>for those of us in the US) "How to shoot fireworks" thread. Several of
>our more experienced List members have had some really good
>recommendations in the past. Should we share them again for our newbies,
>or should we let them look them up in the archives?
>
 
Most of the discussions on shooting fireworks tend to lean towards
hyperstereo, since the fireworks generally are too far away to show stereo
using standard lens separation.  Hyper is fine if you want only the bursts
in the frame and are willing to go to the extra lengths (ouch!) required,
but I am a minimalist when it comes to equipment and prefer to carry just
the one camera. Even lugging a tripod and cable pushes my limits. (Is that
minimalism or laziness, though?)

Some of my better night shots have been taken at carnivals, where the 10-30
second exposures capture the moving rides as Spirograph-like patterns.
Here you can see stereo quite well, as the subject is well within the range
for a Kodak or similar format stereo camera.  

Combining this as the foreground, with fireworks beyond or through the
rides should give great results without fiddling with two cameras.  The
fireworks at our local (Webster) Firemen's Carnival are launched a few
hundred yards away from the rides, allowing this point of view to work
well. Find out where they will be launched at your location, scout out the
proper camera position and wait.  The crowds tend to converge towards the
bursts, so you should have plenty of room to maneuver if you're back a ways. 

I'll be using this method for at least one of my entries in the After Hours
competition, where I intend to win that Realist hat, irrespective of that
famous guy who is entering after all. :--) 








Best regards,
Bill Davis
mailto:bd3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxx



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