Fireworks question...

[Joe Forks]

I'm wondering how to do this shot, here's my plan tell me if it's flawed.

We've got a class A&B Fireworks show that will last 4-6 minutes. They want me to set up 7 miles out of town on a (slight) hill. There's also a giant Yucca on the side of the road at that location which I'd like silhouetted in the foreground right. I'd like to use 8x10 but I don't have provia for it so I'm thinking 4x5 with provia 100. For the lens I'm thinking normal focal length, maybe 150mm but it's an F9. I could use the 210 because I think I might need F5.6, probably a better plan. My real question - wonder how dark the chrome will be.

Should I push it a stop or two? This will be the first time I tried this and I need to get a couple decent exposures.

Forks

Should have mentioned this is in Marathon Texas. - and no moon to worry about, it rises at 4:43 am the next morning

[nelsonfotodotcom]

Uh, I shot a fireworks display this July 4th, from close range... like, 100yds from the battery... Nikon D70s and an 18-35mm lens, mostly on the short end. I would think that at 7 miles you'd have fireworks that were mostly an afterthought in terms of subject matter. Why so far away?

I'd go with short-tele length at 1/2 mile or so, and that would provide plenty of detail in the fireworks. Better still, I'd do what I did this summer and get as close as I could with as short a lens as I can manage absent wild distortion.

At 7 miles, I doubt they'll look like much in relation to the surrounding landscape, and if there is any contamination from city aura near the battery, it will further limit the quality.

Best,
Craig

[Joe Forks]

Craig,
I have not inspected the site yet, but I'm probably going to have to do just exactly as you say. It's a pretty small town, and probably one of the darkest skies in the country as far as light contamination. The clients idea is to shoot both the city and the fireworks. The city is nothing really, 600 folks total population and no buildings over two stories.

I just got the call an hour ago, and the shoot is Saturday the 8th. I hadn't really thought about the distance yet, but I bet you are right. Might have to get close and do the 110mm.

But.... I like the client's idea, IF it is workable. BUT .. I can't be in two places at the same time. So it's one or the other.

[Walter Calahan]

Fireworks are very bright. You'll want to stop down to f/11 or f/16 depending on how many bursts you want in an exposure. The time the shutter is open is dependent on what you have in the frame other than fireworks. If the town is in the frame, you need to set your exposure time to the town's exposure at f/11 or f/16.

Say there is a building that is 15 seconds at f/11, then each fireworks exposure is 15 seconds at f/11. All you have to do is open the shutter at the beginning of a set of fireworks bursts.

Me, I'd shoot it on 8x10 color negative. More latitude.

7 miles away is a ridiculous distance to be, 'cause the fireworks don't shoot very high.

[Joe Forks]

Thanks Walter.
You're absolutely right. I was just looking over a medium format shot I did back around 1980 or so from maybe a mile away and that's exactly what I was noticing. I think I'll get on google earth and see if I can pinpoint a location MUCH closer that will still give some credence to the client's idea, or maybe a roof top.

Best
Joe

[naturephoto1]

Hi Joe,

I can not find my old Kodak Available Light book right now. However, I have just checked my Black Cat Exposure Guide. According to the Black Cat with the shutter speed set to B (multiple bursts) for aerial fireworks for ISO 50 and 64 films the aperture should be set to f8 and for ISO of 100 or 125 it should be set to f11. However, as I recall these numbers appear to be off from my memory shooting on 35mm I thought that my Kodak book indicated f5.6 and f8 respectively (but I may be wrong; the book is around here somewhere).

Rich

[Gordon Moat]

Last time I shot fireworks was on a 6x9 folder. I used f8.0 for one minute exposures, and with Kodak E100VS (ISO 100) film. I was probably around half a mile distance.

If you really want that Yucca plant, why not do a separate shot of that? You could shoot it on 8x10, or 4x5. Then do your fireworks shots on different film. You could combine the shots later using several methods, including reshooting on a light box onto one new frame of film. The other way would be to scan and composite the shots together.

Ciao!

Gordon Moat
A G Studio (http://www.allgstudio.com)

[Joe Forks]

Thanks to all you fine folks, I think I got it. I'll get much closer, but still with a nice vantage point. I'll use 8x10 which is what I really wanted and I'll bracket a few frames on both sides of F11. I'll try to get my hands on some astia if possible, but it's short motice so I may be stuck with kodak 100 VS. wish me luck.

Best
Joe

[jetcode]

Uh, I shot a fireworks display this July 4th, from close range... like, 100yds from the battery...

Isn't that fun? I got to help light a show one year. The rounds come out of those launchers with a thump! I was about 20 feet from the tubes and responsible for passing rounds to the runner who took them to the fireman who lit them. I can only imagine what the percussion was like standing 2 feet from the tube. The fire department was smart and stood a good 50-60 feet behind us. It was a rush for sure.