How to capture Diwali & Fireworks?

[hitanshu]

Folks,

Need your ideas and thoughts on capturing Diwali. I've realized that unless well set, the 500D can massively let me down. Hence, i want to make sure I don't make a fool of myself.

Cheers

[KrishnenduKes]

Diwali techniques Discussion Approved

This should get interesting.

[hitanshu]

bump shump hai rabba!

[Xavier]

The same as lightning pics.
Aperture around f/8, Shutter speed : ~30 seconds and hence a tripod is a must.

Wider focal lengths are preferred.

[hitanshu]

30 seconds?

One is about lightning.

I am talking about a family celebration - think typical impish kids playing with chakri, anar, etc fireworks

[anvancy-(macro analyst)]

25-30 secs is ideal.when you shoot long,chances of getting more fireworks in one shot is more.the best place to shoot,is to go on a high rise bldg or your terrace and shoot.



also the focus should be set on infinity for proper sharpness.

an example of 25 secs.i did not go on my terrace of bldg to shoot.this time i will.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2986619186_ffec65aea9.jpg

anvancy

[srikeerthi]

Let me put it in brief:

There are mainly 3 kinds of shots you would want to take in Diwali

1. Daylight shots: Family shots or decorations in daylight. Nothing too technical here, so get the right framing and composition of your subject and click on :)

2. Fireworks at night: As Xavier said, what you probably need is a long exposure shot.

Set up the tripod and angle the camera to where you expect the fireworks to be. Frame it well so that if you want to include any landscape in the image that should be positioned in the correct position.

You can try the lightning method and just keep the shutter open for 30s. Else what I'd suggest is;

Once the camera is set in the position that you need, keep taking long exposure shots and expose the camera just after the fireworks explodes.. Kinda like multiexposure.. Let me explain.

Say if you are using 30s exposures, it might actually overexpose some elements of the scene. So the idea is keep the shutter open, but cover the lens up. Since this a fireworks shot, its much more predictable than say a lightning. The trails of fireworks flying up is usually not as attractive as the explosion itself. The explosion itself would create a lot of light, so if its a scene with lots of fireworks going off in 30s that you exposed for, you might get some overexposed blotchy pictures.

So what you could try is:

1. Set tripod and set the frame right.
2. Use 30s exposure or longer if your camera allows that.
3. Cover the lens with a black sheet and open it out just a fraction after the explosion (good luck timing it :) ), and close it as soon as u feel the explosion effect is over.
4. Repeat :)

This could get you a good multiexposure kinda night fireworks picture.

3. Family with fireworks: This is probably the shot you actually wanted Hitanshu jee... Kids with phuljhadi and all. Since this is also at night you would want a shot that is exposed longer than a daytime shot. I'd say the region of 1/50s and slower.

Here you would want to get the fireworks effect (sparkles flying and the likes) with decently lit faces of people in the frame. So choose your location of fireworks if possible so that there is some kind of street light that could throw some light on the people too.

Its tough to say what exact settings you would use here since the lighting of the place itself would matter a lot, but start from ISO 200, f9 and 1/50s on your kit lens and works things out till you see decent pics on the LCD (wonders of digital camera :P ). This would be a handheld shot, so a steady hand and IS would help a lot (or a monopod).

You can also try 2nd curtain flash (rear sync) to avoid blurring of people in these conditions.

Since this is your "izzat ka sawaal". Try these shots now before the actual occasion so that you know what you are doing and there is no experimenting required then.

Best of luck jee...

[hitanshu]

Thanks everyone.

Its actually quite paradoxical. As a friend once warned me before dSLR purchase, some of my pics are actually worse off than before. I just want to ensure that I end up with some lovely Diwali pics and don't become a laughing stock for getting totally crappy shots!

[rio008]

^^^ had the same issue :)
when we upgrade from P.S to a DSLR we gets more and more options and tools to play / shoot with, because we experiment alot with these the result wont be satisfying usless we gets the right setting for the right moment. Kabhi kabhi lagta tha that my old P.S was better. :D

[shutterbug]

Thanks everyone.

Its actually quite paradoxical. As a friend once warned me before dSLR purchase, some of my pics are actually worse off than before. I just want to ensure that I end up with some lovely Diwali pics and don't become a laughing stock for getting totally crappy shots!
+1 to that! Performance pressure!

Hitanshu, thanks for starting this thread! Been wondering since i botched up trying such shots in Goa during Ganeshotsav celebrations there.
Sksy, thanks a whole lot for the detailed instructions.

[hitanshu]

Let me narrate another instance.

In June, I went to a party with a friend who had a Sony ~7k camera whose pics on LCD seemed to be brighter, better, more dynamic range than my S3. It was a downright embarassment among friends - you know how college buddies can make a big joke outta these things!

Thankfully, the final pics came out fine, and with some Picasa brightness adjustment, I had the final laugh.

But with 500D, i am painfully aware that stupid setting selection can get drastically worse pictures! ergo the question.

[anvancy-(macro analyst)]

Thanks everyone.

Its actually quite paradoxical. As a friend once warned me before dSLR purchase, some of my pics are actually worse off than before. I just want to ensure that I end up with some lovely Diwali pics and don't become a laughing stock for getting totally crappy shots!

he warned you that your pics after taking DSLR have come worse??or before?

thats what it is.a blend with the equipment and your mind takes shots.so give time to your mind to adapt to the new mama..

taking shots properly is one thing.

combining the shots with some proper editing produces images that you can show to friends time and again.to me a shot never stops once its clicked.for me a shot is complete when it has gone thru the whole workflow.seriously i m not that person going ga ga over SOOC images.each photo has potential when you sit and edit.

choose your subject properly,judge the shot,shoot,edit,post,and show that friend of yours how wrong he was!:p

and regarding your second instance..shoot nice things,go to that friend and show him the shots from ur LCD..920k vs some 230k..zameen aasman diff.if he cant understand that..pat him on the back and forget it.you know whos the winner now!;)

anvancy

[Xavier]

Nice tips by Srikeerthi. They will really make a lot of difference to the long exposures.

Hitanshu, do you shoot in JPEG or RAW?
Also, for candid shots of children playing with firecrackers (example (http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3021/2983949829_7002aca32a.jpg)), a fast prime is your best bet.

Oh and long exposures can work wonders (example (http://www.flickr.com/photos/streetcorner/3114217239/)) for such shots too.

[hitanshu]

JPEG.

And doh. The prime 50mm suggestion is so correct. How did I miss it. Now for me to beg borrow source one :D

EDIT: With it, I will be able to do it hand held much more easily too! Time to prepone the purchase, maybe?

[Xavier]

JPEG.

And doh. The prime 50mm suggestion is so correct. How did I miss it. Now for me to beg borrow source one :D

EDIT: With it, I will be able to do it hand held much more easily too! Time to prepone the purchase, maybe?

Try RAW perhaps? You don't need Photoshop or Lightroom to process them, Canon Digital Photo Professional is a pretty able software. If you still find it a hassle, continue shooting in JPEG, however a simple trial of DPP shouldn't harm, right? ;)

And yes, do go for the nifty fifty. You won't regret the decision.

[hitanshu]

Is that why you don't carry one? :p

[anvancy-(macro analyst)]

unlike me where i require 4secs buffer for RAW u can shoot in seconds.RAW will give you more freedom in shooting and post processing.

anvancy

[hitanshu]

arre no no. agree with u. question was for xavier, why he doesnt carry a 50mm prime :)

[Xavier]

Is that why you don't carry one? :p

Don't tease the poor fella :P

Anyway, 3 more weeks and I shall have one ;) And I have used the nifty fifty (borrowed) pretty extensively.

[hitanshu]

i've heard from friends that the 18-55 being IS USM focuses faster than the nifty fifty inspite of the f1.8

true/false?

[Xavier]

i've heard from friends that the 18-55 being IS USM focuses faster than the nifty fifty inspite of the f1.8

true/false?

From when did the 18-55 get USM? :eek:

And yes, the 50 f/1.8 isn't great at AF. Wide aperture doesn't necessarily mean better AF. On the contrary, the AF system has to be bang on each time due to the very thin DoF.
This is why the 85 f/1.8 has a better AF system than the 85 f/1.2 L which is like Rs 100k more expensive. (both have ring type USM)

[srikeerthi]

There was a 18-55 USM, but that was without IS (came as part of the kit with 300D), now you get IS, but no USM.

Unless its the more expensive 17-55 f2.8 IS USM.

[KrishnenduKes]

I thought we were discussing capturing Diwali Fireworks!

[hitanshu]

arre this is a horses for courses discussion. if for diwali and soon pushkar camel fair, i need to have a 50mm prime, then i better buy it - as simple!

but just want to understand the caveats before i'd buy

[KrishnenduKes]

arre this is a horses for courses discussion. if for diwali and soon pushkar camel fair, i need to have a 50mm prime, then i better buy it - as simple!

but just want to understand the caveats before i'd buy

Yeah, I figured.

Just go buy it, coz it is for just 4.5K odd!

[anirban]

Anticipation is indeed the key!
Camera all set. All settings made. Wrapped up warmly against the cold wind. Body braced for camera shake. Camera pointed at the place where most of the fireworks have been going on for the past hour.

And then, just when all boils down to pressing a button, a spectacular show starts in the opposite direction! I turn around to capture that, miss it completely, and the original place is all ablaze! I miss that too!

I'm having a problem, my camera isn't able to focus in the dark properly sometimes. Can anyone please suggest how to correct that? Only solution is to restart the camera as of now, and even that always doesn't work!

[powerslave]

Manual Focus, high f-stop.

[anirban]

Manual Focus, high f-stop.

Its a P&S, powerslave...abslolutely no control over anything except the slow shutter speeds!

[powerslave]

Oh, I was assuming it had a Manual mode. Well, I never use those presets, but did you try 'Fireworks' mode on the settings?

[anirban]

Oh, I was assuming it had a Manual mode. Well, I never use those presets, but did you try 'Fireworks' mode on the settings?

Yes, that sets a shutter speed of 2s and centre-weighted metering (I cannot change any setting other than Single & multi-shot). I used the Long shutter scene mode instead, ISO 100 and 5s.

I changed the focus mode from 'normal' to 'infinity', that helped in getting some of them in focus.

[powerslave]

Great. So let's see some more pictures.

[robin234]

Festival of lights

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6228/6281069626_96beb295a6_z.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=270270003012083&set=a.270269929678757.62404.112549338784151&type=1&theater

[powerslave]

^ Nice!

(No this message is not too short)

[srikeerthi]

+1

Very nice idea and execution. Happy Diwali to all!

[KrishnenduKes]

Festival of lights



Excellent execution.

[KrishnenduKes]

1. Good distance from launches.
2. Known place of launches.
3. Hurdles overcome.
4. Clear vision.
5. Set up tripod.
6. Setup several exposures to get the right one.
7. Start shooting once it starts going up!

Choose later.

Post on TPIN.

Fireworks 2011

http://www.thephotographer.in/galleries/data/500/IMG_6402.jpg

[robin234]

^ I saw that on flickr .didn't knew it was your picture.
loved it :)

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6218/6285916190_e68e663d03_b.jpg

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=270978282941255&set=a.270269929678757.62404.112549338784151&type=1&theater

[anirban]

Those are just beautiful Abhinav & Krishnendu Sir! Wish you a very Happy Diwali too!
http://www.thephotographer.in/darkroom/attachment.php?attachmentid=2481&d=1319717293

[KrishnenduKes]

^ I saw that on flickr .didn't knew it was your picture.
loved it :)




Thanks robin! :)

Those are just beautiful Abhinav & Krishnendu Sir! Wish you a very Happy Diwali too!


Thanks.

Get it down to f6