Comments on: Fireworks! I has it! http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2008/01/10/fireworks-i-has-it/ Two lawyers and a larrikin on life, law and liberty. Thu, 29 Jul 2010 12:46:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Andrew Reynolds http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2008/01/10/fireworks-i-has-it/comment-page-1/#comment-9279 Andrew Reynolds Thu, 10 Jan 2008 06:27:54 +0000 http://catallaxyfiles.com/?p=3357#comment-9279 Heath, I have tried snowflakes and the results are normally disappointing. As the ambient lighting is generally dull you normally have to use a slower speed even with a fast ISO - giving the streaks. Using a flash will normally over-expose the flakes and under-expose the background. That said - this was with old-fashioned 35mm. The way I got even slightly satisfactory results was to use the flash and an even slower speed with a small aperture - the flash to freeze the flakes and the low speed to catch the background. On a tripod, drop the ISO as far as you can, stop the aperture down as far as you can (to get the speed as slow as you can) to give you perhaps a one to two second exposure (or longer) and then add in a flash. With long exposure the streaks are less noticeable but the flash captures the flakes - and the small aperture means there is a good chance the flakes will not be over-exposed. With a good digital is should be a bit easier to take a few shots and look at the screen to get the exposure right. With a 35mm it was a nightmare. Heath,
I have tried snowflakes and the results are normally disappointing. As the ambient lighting is generally dull you normally have to use a slower speed even with a fast ISO – giving the streaks. Using a flash will normally over-expose the flakes and under-expose the background. That said – this was with old-fashioned 35mm.
The way I got even slightly satisfactory results was to use the flash and an even slower speed with a small aperture – the flash to freeze the flakes and the low speed to catch the background.
On a tripod, drop the ISO as far as you can, stop the aperture down as far as you can (to get the speed as slow as you can) to give you perhaps a one to two second exposure (or longer) and then add in a flash. With long exposure the streaks are less noticeable but the flash captures the flakes – and the small aperture means there is a good chance the flakes will not be over-exposed.
With a good digital is should be a bit easier to take a few shots and look at the screen to get the exposure right. With a 35mm it was a nightmare.

]]> By: HeathG http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2008/01/10/fireworks-i-has-it/comment-page-1/#comment-9278 HeathG Thu, 10 Jan 2008 02:52:21 +0000 http://catallaxyfiles.com/?p=3357#comment-9278 Axctually - for fireworks (asusming you want the long trails) then you need a longer exposure time (i.e. slower shutter speed). So turn the ISO right down (to help get rid of the noise) and stop the aperture down a bit as well. To avoid everything else being blurry and only the fireworks being streaks, you probably want to have a tripod. Axctually – for fireworks (asusming you want the long trails) then you need a longer exposure time (i.e. slower shutter speed). So turn the ISO right down (to help get rid of the noise) and stop the aperture down a bit as well.

To avoid everything else being blurry and only the fireworks being streaks, you probably want to have a tripod.

]]> By: skepticlawyer http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2008/01/10/fireworks-i-has-it/comment-page-1/#comment-9277 skepticlawyer Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:49:15 +0000 http://catallaxyfiles.com/?p=3357#comment-9277 Thanks Heath. I had a feeling I'd have to open the aperture. I found getting rid of the flash and fairly quick shutter speed helped with the fireworks, but it took some fiddling! Thanks Heath. I had a feeling I’d have to open the aperture. I found getting rid of the flash and fairly quick shutter speed helped with the fireworks, but it took some fiddling!

]]> By: HeathG http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2008/01/10/fireworks-i-has-it/comment-page-1/#comment-9276 HeathG Thu, 10 Jan 2008 00:34:39 +0000 http://catallaxyfiles.com/?p=3357#comment-9276 The streaks from the snow come about for the same reason you get streaks from the fireworks... they are moving fast relative to your shutter speed. I haven't photographed snow but I'm assuming it's going to be similar to trying to photograph rain. To stop the streaking and "freeze" the flakes you are going to have to have a much faster shutter speed. To achieve this then yu are probably going to need to 1) Push the ISO up to it's maximum. This will introduce some noise into the image but should help you speed up th shutter speed a bit. 2) If pushing up the ISO doesn't speed it up enough, open up the aperture (i.e. lower "f" number). This will soften your background so you may want to make the snowflake rather than the background your subject. 3) Try flash - but beware of the reflections this can cause as well as potential to overexpose. The streaks from the snow come about for the same reason you get streaks from the fireworks… they are moving fast relative to your shutter speed.

I haven’t photographed snow but I’m assuming it’s going to be similar to trying to photograph rain. To stop the streaking and “freeze” the flakes you are going to have to have a much faster shutter speed. To achieve this then yu are probably going to need to

1) Push the ISO up to it’s maximum. This will introduce some noise into the image but should help you speed up th shutter speed a bit.

2) If pushing up the ISO doesn’t speed it up enough, open up the aperture (i.e. lower “f” number). This will soften your background so you may want to make the snowflake rather than the background your subject.

3) Try flash – but beware of the reflections this can cause as well as potential to overexpose.

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