| These days there seems to be a firework
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| | shutter speeds and aperture settings.
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| display at almost every outdoor event,
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| | How to set up your shots
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| and there are also plenty of other
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| | The intermittent and unpredictable nature
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| opportunities which you can use to
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| | of fireworks means that the automatic
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| perfect your Firework technique. The
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| | exposure systems will rarely give you
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| unpredictable nature of the position,
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| | good results. Instead you'll need to set
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| color and shape of each firework
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| | the camera to manual exposure mode and
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| explosion means that no two shots will
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| | set the shutter speed and aperture
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| ever look the same. But follow our advice
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| | yourself. As it will be dark then bright
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| and you'll be able to get some stunning
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| | as the fireworks explode, it's also very
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| fireworks shots.
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| | difficult to use the metering to gauge
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| Capturing the spectacle of a firework
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| | the exposure needed. Although you're
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| display is all about predicting when and
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| | working 'in the dark' when it comes to
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| where the most dramatic events are going
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| | exposure it's not as difficult as it
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| to take place. Try to find out where the
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| | first appears, as there are some handy
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| main display at your event will be taking
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| | tricks that will help you to get the
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| place, and where the fireworks will be
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| | results spot-on.
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| fired from. To capture the wider view of
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| | Using a Tripods
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| large public displays it's often best to
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| | You'll need a longer shutter speed to
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| avoid the most popular spots close to the
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| | capture several bursts than if there are
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| action. At popular events you'll struggle
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| | loads of fireworks going off in quick
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| to find enough room to set up your tripod
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| | succession. For most displays a shutter
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| - a necessity to shoot the display - and
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| | speed of between 8 seconds and 30 seconds
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| you'll also often be too close to the
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| | will give you plenty of action. Your
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| action. It's much better to find a spot
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| | shutter speeds will run into several
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| that gives you a viewpoint over the whole
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| | seconds, so you'll need to put the camera
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| display, to allow you to capture as many
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| | on a tripod and release the shutter using
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| of the individual fireworks as possible.
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| | the self-timer, or ideally a remote
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| It's worth going back to the busier areas
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| | release to combat camera shake.
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| if you want to try some portraits of
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| | Select manual exposure
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| family and friends around the fire
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| | The light will vary from almost
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| though.
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| | pitch-black to bright during your
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| When searching for a place to shoot the
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| | exposures, so you need to select the
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| display, look out for things to use to
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| | manual exposure option and ignore any
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| enhance your images. Flood-lit buildings
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| | reading from the metering. With very
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| are great for giving a sense of place,
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| | little light you'll find that the
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| while water can create amazing
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| | auto-focus will struggle, so set the
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| reflections to add an extra element to
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| | camera to manual focus. As you'll be some
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| your pictures.
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| | distance from the subject set the focus
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| Unless you've been to the same display
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| | on the lens to infinity. The shutter
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| before, trying to predict where many of
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| | speed is more about the number of bursts
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| the fireworks are going to explode can be
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| | that you capture than the exposure of the
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| tricky. Some rockets can go hundreds of
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| | result. When it comes to ISO, set the
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| feet in the air before they create their
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| | camera to the lowest ISO possible lo
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| light show. The wide-angle end of a
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| | minimize noise. You can try fast settings
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| standard zoom will give a broad enough
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| | such as ISO 800 or 1600 to allow you to
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| view for most displays, but if you have
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| | shoot portraits using the glow of the
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| one it's worth taking a wider lens just
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| | bonfire, but expect plenty of noise or
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| in case the rockets go much higher. While
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| | grain.
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| the results can be pretty hit or miss,
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| | Aperture & shutter speeds
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| the unpredictability can lead to some
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| | With the camera set to ISO 100 you should
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| great results. Don't expect every shot to
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| | try exposures at apertures of f/8 and f
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| be a winner and make sure you shoot
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| | 16. As a guide, if you're close to the
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| plenty!
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| | fireworks use f/16 and if you're shooting
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| If there's a fire (or floodlights) near
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| | from a distance use mainly f/8. If you're
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| to the fireworks display you can include
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| | using ISO 200 then set f/22 for close
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| the light from this to give your shots an
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| | subjects and f/16 for distant displays.
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| extra glow, rather than simply recording
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| | The shutter speeds are less critical than
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| the fireworks against a black sky. As the
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| | the aperture for the brightness of your
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| subject is much brighter than the
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| | image, but they do affect how many bursts
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| surroundings the exposure times are a
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| | and how much of the display you will
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| little more hit or miss than for just the
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| | record in a single frame.
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| fireworks themselves, so experiment with
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