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Dear Subscriber,
This Sunday is July 4th!
We'll be celebrating our country's 234th birthday with barbeques, family get-togethers, block parties and most of all...fireworks.
Here are a few simple tips on how to take fireworks pictures from writer and photographer Jon Sienkiewicz.
We'd like to help! We're offering memorable prints...at 20% off...with our four-day July 4th sale on iPrints.com – specifics at the end of this newsletter.
Enjoy your Independence Day celebrations!
Dale
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 Tip #1: Location is Everything!
If you’re sitting on the grass, take the higher ground so those who arrive after you do not block your view.
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Tip #2: Bring a Tripod
If carrying a tripod is inconvenient, bring a monopod.
Your tripod is an accessory that can improve EVERY image you capture.
For sharp fireworks pictures it is almost a necessity.
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Tip #3: Set Your Camera’s ISO to 400
Keep in mind high ISO settings and undesirable image "grain" go hand-in-hand.
Experiment with ISO settings of 800 and 200, and other ISO settings, too. But, for the best results...and minimal noise...we'd suggest keeping your ISO to 400 max.
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Tip #4: Turn Your Camera’s Built-in Flash OFF
This setting is generally indicated by the circle-slash-lighting bolt icon.
You may want to try a shot or two using the Night Portrait flash setting on your camera if there are people in the shot. Try it at least once.
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Tip #5: Set the Camera on Manual and the f/Stop to the Largest Setting (Remember, that’s the smallest number, like f2.8 or f3.5)
Set the shutter speed to 1/60th of a second for starters. Later you’ll shoot at 1/30, and 1/15 settings until you find the right combination. If you’re quick you can shoot two or three shots of each burst of fireworks, and if you’re really quick you can change shutter speeds on the fly.
Use the LCD monitor to judge whether or not you’ve achieved proper exposure. When you do, continue to shoot at that combination. Fireworks are much brighter than you think. So, err on the side of under exposure and you’ll probably be right.
Enlarge your images on your LCD and check to be sure your shots are sharp.
No manual settings? Then you’ll have to shoot on Auto. The only way you can adjust the camera is by increasing and decreasing the ISO setting.
If your camera incorrectly selects too long a shutter speed you'll get over-exposed pictures with white streaks instead of the brilliant colors of the fireworks.
Begin with the highest possible ISO setting and work your way down to the lowest ISO that gives you both sharp pictures and brilliant color.
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Tip #6: No Need for Autofocus Here!
If your camera has Manual Focus, Landscape Mode or forced Infinity Focus setting, you’re in luck.
If not, you’ll probably still be okay, but you may lose some time...and a shot or two...while your camera searches for its correct focus.
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Tip #7: All Photography Requires a Good Sense of Timing
Anticipate the rockets' flash point and snap the shutter so that it’s open during the peak brilliance of the explosion. Light travels faster than sound, so you’ll see the flash before you hear it.
Use your infrared remote release (if you have one), which allows you to trigger the camera without touching it. Touching the camera, even when it’s on a tripod, transfers movement which can reduce sharpness in the picture.
If you must press the shutter release button by hand, do it ever so gently.
If you’re lucky enough to be watching fireworks launched over water try to include some reflections.
At baseball or other sports stadiums, catch part of the scoreboard to add a sense of the surroundings and better tell the story of the event.
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Tip #8: Fireworks Are Small Explosions
Fireworks burn on their way to the ground and leave a trail of sparks and smoke.
Watch which way the wind is blowing and, if practical, have the wind at your back. It will blow the debris away from your view and you’ll get better pictures.
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Tip #9: A Few Words of Caution
- Don’t set your camera down on the ground (as in wet grass) or it may become damaged.
- Since you’ll be running the LCD monitor continuously for up to thirty minutes, bring a spare battery if you have one. Buy a spare battery if you do not.
- High ISO settings will cause image noise to appear in your otherwise perfect pictures. Try, if at all possible, to use ISOs of 400 or less.
- Bring a small flashlight.
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Tip #10: The Best Fireworks Often End the Show
Many times the end of the performance is signaled by a rapid fire barrage of white concussion rockets.
Although not as colorful as some earlier rockets, these displays still create interesting pictures—especially because they illuminate so much of the ground below them.
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Our July 4th Sale:
20% Discount on All iPrints.com Orders From 4" x 6" Photos To 20" x 30" Enlargements ... Including Metallic
Here's how to participate in our four day July 4th Sale:
- From Sunday, July 4th through Wednesday, July 7th you may submit any print or enlargement order through www.iPrints.com and receive a 20% discount on the entire order.*
There are just two requirements:
- The 1st requirement is that at least one picture in your order must show July 4th celebrations. These can include:
- Fireworks photos
- Community events or parties
- Family gatherings
- Any patriotic subject
- The 2nd requirement is that you let us know you're taking advantage of the sale by keying in the words "July 4th Sale" in Special Instructions
- Prices will show online at our regular prices but will be reduced in our lab by 20% prior to billing.
The weather, family togetherness and fireworks make Independence Day festivities the perfect occasion for memorable pictures.
Take advantage of our sale for pictures you'll cherish for years.
You snap the pictures ... we'll do the rest!
Best wishes,
Dale
Dale Farkas
President, iPrints.com & iPrintsPro.com
(Online services of Dale Laboratories)
Questions? Call (800) 327-1776. We're here to help!
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* All orders must be submitted online on iPrints.com. The 20% discount excludes postage. |
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