With the American Independence day holiday right around the corner I thought it would be timely to have a quick how-to post on shooting fireworks. In the first part of this video I share basic fireworks tips and tricks for getting great shots.
You must have a tripod or something to hold the camera steady or a few seconds. I love the Leofoto Tripod
Use manual mode on your camera - Shutter speeds between 2 and 8 seconds, Aperture f/5.6-8.0, ISO 100-200 if you have a P&S camera use the fireworks scene setting (still need a tripod)
Use a remote release device to trigger your camera- I recommend Intervalometer with multiple connections: http://amzn.to/29xNO3M
Be ready! Some of your best opportunities happen early on, as the smoke builds your shots may get hazy unless you have a breeze removing the smoke. So I suggest you start to setup before it gets dark, frame your composition and take a few test shots - use trees or light poles near the fireworks launch spot to focus on - review the photos watching for stray objects or horizon lines that might distract from the fireworks. If you end up setting up in the dark, use the following tips - set your ISO to MAX and your shutter speed long enough to get a well lit photo, we don't care if it is grainy, we just want to get quick feedback on focus and composition. Once you have those set then use the suggested settings in step 2 for the actual fireworks shots.
Try to time your shots to start just as the rockets head up, longer shutter speeds are going to capture more of the action
Experiment but don't forget to enjoy the show some too
Finally, watch out for the Grand Finale - shorten the shutter speed during that fireworks-heavy period or you will end up with an overexposed image.
UPDATE: April 10, 2019 - Sony released firmware 3.0 which includes in-camera intervalometer. learn more. You may still want the MIOPS device below which does offer additional features and advantages.Sony ditched the internal apps for the a9, a7RIII and a7III - if you want automated time-lapse functionality you will need a separate device - I share some options for time lapses with Sony a9, a7iii and a7Riii.Time-lapse captured with Sony a7Riii and Miops Mobile Remotehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1Xo0eVldWQ
Scroll to the bottom for a few tips for shooting a time lapse -
S&Q - Slow and Quick on the dial(Free)
Pro
Free
Nothing required
Creates a video in camera, no software required
Con
Limited to 1080p
Slowest limited to 1fps, no pause between captures - not good for longer time lapses
Limited editing with the video file
Standard Intervalometer ($25)Pro
Cheap and simple to operate
Powered by 2 aaa (easy to find or carry backups)
Con
Cheaply made
Limited control - basically delayed start and fire every x seconds/minutes/hours
Limited feedback on progress - countdown only
Dangles from camera (unless you spend more for the wireless version)
Control camera remotely - smartphone does not need to stay on or connected
Over a dozen ways to trigger your camera from simple trigger, intervalometer, sound motion etc
Good feedback on progress of timelapse
Build scenarios for additional and powerful customization (e.g. setup a trigger that with a noise above x db will start a timelapse)
exposure ramping options for day to night time lapses
Very portable remote (tiny, really)
Great battery life and auto shut off (when not running a timelapse)
Con
Expensive
Orange light flashes brightly when triggered - fine during the day but too bright at night- I cover mine with a lens cloth to hide the light
USB charging
Occupies hotshoe or you can let it dangle which is awkward
Time Lapse Tips:
Full Manual Settings
Manual focus
A 2-3 second gap between shots
Playback at 24fps means 24 shots will equal 1 second of video.
Most viewers only want to see a single scene for 10-15 seconds
Make sure camera is VERY stable. If on soft ground/snow/ sand it is possible that the camera will drift a little during the timelapse and that will be visible in playback.
Work in Progress post. Updated as I add new material and followup video showing how to "develop" the time lapse into a video file rather than a series of images.Summary of video
set the camera on a sturdy tripod and choose your composition and exposure (Manual Mode or AV Mode)
Set file size to JPEG or smaller RAW(if an option) you don't want to deal with 3,000 plus RAW files unless you really want an ability to edit before creating the timelapse.
Disconnect the lens while holding down the depth of field preview button to the "sweet spot" to avoid flickering in your TL
Wait A LOT- e.g. if you set the DSLR to take a photo every second and run that back at 24fps. 1 minute of real time equals 3 seconds of video. Shorter intervals give smoother results. Longer intervals allow you to speed through time more quickly.
Dump every photo into editing software, do a little magic (Video how to on this part coming soon)
A GoPro has been on my wish list forever and with the recent update to line I used that as an excuse to buy, along with the fact that I am currently reviewing the competitor model from Garmin, the VIRB. I will have full reviews of both as well as a comparison of the two- quick thoughts. GoPro offers a huge ecosystem and sweet video quality. Virb offers really slick integration with a variety of ANT+ adapters letting you overlay info on the video, wouldn't we all like to see athlete's heart rates as the fly down the mountain side? You also get a built in screen with the Virb - nice for quick composing of shots/footage.
Early thoughts about the new GoPro Hero3+
It is small, tiny really!
It doesn't come with a Micro SD Card? Not sure how I missed that, see list below for recommended Micro SDcards.
The user interface on the camera is not the best, thankfully the WiFi works well and in seconds I was connected to my GoPro, I renamed its wireless littlehero ;) and was controlling the camera with a nice live stream.
So many mount options and many of them are affordable. See my list that I have ordered below.
Early Thoughts on the Garmin VIRB
It is heavy and feels SOLID. Only waterproof to a meter, separate WP housing not included. I worry about the convex lens that sticks out - seems it screams for scratching.
The user interface is lovely and navigating it is dreamy
Mounts are hard to find and/or more expensive - to be fair it is a much newer product with smaller ecosystem
The integration with various Garmin GPS sensors and ANT+ devices is awesome and I have just barely scratched the surface - lots more thoughts soon.
Recommended microSD Cards for the GoPro Hero3 or 3+ Black Edition
IMPORTANT- I have hard that when you use the SanDisk cards GoPro firmware limits the bitrate to avoid issues because of the super slow SanDisk Ultra cards. Basically those cards suck(I haven't tested the Micro SD version of the Ultra cards but I have an SD version and it is the only card I have seen repeatedly fail during video) and as a result GoPro limits the speed for all SanDisk cards. It is difficult to wade through anecdotal evidence but I am forming a consensus that the Samsung 64GB SDXC card is going to give you some of the best results. Now - all the cards listed above will work fine this really only becomes an issue when you want to use the higher bitrate ProTune mode.Mounts I have bought for the Go Pro
The video is long and only covers a few of the functions of the Triggertrap app/system - that's how cool this app is (or how much I like to hear myself talk?)I have one more Triggertrap to give away (given away 4 so far) Like my Facebook page and stay tuned for the last giveaway.Also seen in this video -Hotshoe Tripod Mount: http://goo.gl/FqLFbSmartphone Tripod Adapter: http://goo.gl/pcNcfI love making or creating time lapse movies and although I don’t get to do it nearly as often as I like I am always on the lookout for gadgets that help. I have talked about the little Neweer intervalometer before, it is only $13 bucks and does a great job of telling your camera to take a picture every X seconds, it can also allow you to control bulb mode on your camera which allows you to set your shutter speed to longer than 30 second exposures. The Neweer Intervalometer does its job well but doesn’t offer much in the way of options beyond the standard picture every x seconds.We have another option that is lots smarter and it only costs a bit more but does require a smartphone or tablet. For the last few weeks I have been testing and app from a company called Triggertrap. They make apps for android and iOS and a small dongle that you plug into the headphone jack of your smartphone or tablet. The benefit of a setup like this over the standard intervalometer is the sky is really the limit – your smartphone is a powerful computer and using that as the brains of the intervalometer allows dozens of creative ways for you to control the shutter of your camera.Some of the functions of the Triggertrap app include
HDR timelapse lets you combine the power of HDR and timelapses,
TimeWarp, a feature unique to Triggertrap, uses algorithms developed for animation to create more dynamic and natural-looking timelapses.
Sensor Controls: Leverages the smart device’s on-board sensors to release the shutter; Sound Sensor Mode uses the microphone to trigger at a set audio level, Seismic Mode fires based on vibrations, bumps or knocks, and Metal & Magnetism Sensor Mode can be used to fire the shutter in their presence
Facial recognition: Takes a photo once Triggertrap detects the programmed number of faces in the frame
Multiple HDR Capture Modes: Provides expanded control over bracketed exposures for Long Exposure HDR, or automates Long Exposure HDR Timelapse capture
DistanceLapse: Unique to Triggertrap, this mode relies on the smart device’s on-board GPS chip to fire the shutter over pre-determined distances
Motion detection mode: Triggers camera whenever motion is detected in the
Star trail mode: Allows external cameras to automatically take a series of long exposures in sequence to reduce noise
Wireless mode: Unique to Triggertrap, this new Wi-Fi triggering technology enables photographers to leverage the range and speed of a Wi-fi network to control the dynamic features of the Triggertrap Mobile app wirelessly
The Sensor controls are missing from the Android app, the devs tell me that they will be added soon, the Android app is also a bit laggy on my rezound, I also tested on the nexus and it was much smoother but still missing the sensor controls found on the iOS version.There are actually three parts to the set up – Your smartphone running the triggertrap app, the dongle and the camera specific cable. Make sure you get the new v2 dongle (red wire) I bought the original dongle, with a black wire and although it works fine with my iPad refused to do anything when plugged into my android phone – I contacted support and Lucy was awesome, she walked me through a series of tests and even though it seemed it was more of my phone as the problem she sent me the newer red wire dongle free of charge, it arrived just a few days later and works perfectly. I love working with people that take an extra step to make things right.My phone and my camera go everywhere with me and now I just throw these two little cables in my bag and I have a very smart and versatile trigger system for my camera. I have added a little hot shoe tripod adapter that I use for some of my microphones and a generic cell phone tripod holder and now I can easily use the facial feature to snap photos.What am I most excited about –The wireless control is pretty niftyOn Black Friday 2011 I picked up a suction cup mount and have tried a few drivelapses (timelapse while driving) Now I can use the GPS to trigger over distance instead of time, this should give a different look and feel more true to the trip)Bulb Ramping Timelapse – Sunset and sunrise is very difficult to capture - you either lose light quickly or you use P mode and the light remains constant through the sunset totally ruining the idea of capturing a lovely sunset. Did you know that as the sun sets you lose about a stop of light every 10 minutes. Using the Bramping mode (for bulb ramping) you can pre-adjust for the light lost and really extend the length of time your timelapse will run while actually capturing the decreasing light.
Recommended microSD Cards for the GoPro Hero3 or 3+ Black Edition
