Explosions in the Sky

Light whether it comes from the sun or from a bulb beams with a lot of energy. Light radiates not only energy but also beauty and liveliness. Imagine a room full of darkness, there is emptiness, loneliness and solitude. Just one simple lighted candle in that dark room will change the whole scenario, hope, joy and happiness will prevail. An empty sky can be like a dark room. At night, when there are no stars that glitter above and beyond the dark space, there is no beauty except solitude.

How Important Is Light For Digital Photography?

In photography, light is the medium that creates the image of a picture. Without light, photographs would show darkness and emptiness. Just a small radiating energy of light produces a fraction of an image. With enough light, there is a clear and a well-illuminated image that develops in the photo. Light has become the photographer’s best friend. Whenever he carries the camera, he seeks for the light so he can aim at his target. When there is energy, there is light and when is there is light, there is energy and when both energy and light exist there is fire. Man discovered fire long ago. With the element of fire, man was able to cook his food, build tools, weapons, machines and new discoveries. With man’s vast intelligence, he was able to make good use of fire and shape the world around him. With the many uses of fire, man was able to build things but this element can also destroy and wipe out civilization. The Chinese however learned how to play with fire. They were able to create a fire that would soar and light up the sky with magnificent colorful display. This creation is known as Fireworks. A dark sky with a glittering colorful light is one beautiful scene a photographer would wish to see during night. Colorful display of light during night does not usually happen. There were some photos that were captured showing the aura of the sky with spectacular hazy colors. That photographer who took the photo was very lucky, such events happen only once in a thousand years.

Probably a photographer expects something amazing to happen in the sky that he wants to take a photo, something colorful. Birds are colorful objects in the sky but they are a common view and they can only be seen at daytime. A rainbow is one magical colorful view that appears in the sky after a rainfall. The same with birds, they can be also seen during daytime. What is really that spectacular moment that a photographer wishes to see in the sky during night? Could it be something explosive, like fireworks? The Most Awaited Event: The Fireworks Display If you have seen a Disney movie film where at the beginning there is a castle and fireworks hailed through the sky with vivid and glittering colors, it sure is awe-inspiring, hair-raising moment to watch. But it is just a segment of the movie and an animation. What the photographer wants is the real thing. Well, celebrations such as New Year’s Day, the 4th of July or even sometimes during Christmas, Fireworks take their moment of recognition. They are the center of attraction. People gather to watch this colorful event. This is one night that the sky becomes illuminated with bright colors. Even when there are no stars that twinkle, the fireworks display promises an evening of joy, happiness and hope. In the excited crowd, professional and amateur photographers take part in the gathering. They start preparing their equipment especially their camera while they search for a better spot where to take the photographs.

Nobody is more excited than these photographers who have been waiting for this chance probably for the entire year. A responsible photographer will make preparations for this event. He will try to locate where the venue the fireworks display will take place. The day prior to the event, he will go to the site and find a good spot. Preparations do not happen at an instant, its takes enormous time if you are dealing with an event that only happens once in a while. You would not want to miss the opportunity and blame yourself later if things did not work too well because you were a second too late. Fireworks happen so fast, once they explode in the sky, there is no stopping them.

How To Prepare For Photographing Explosions?

Professional photographers arrive to the venue well prepared. It is their job and photographs they make are there source of living. In the event of fireworks display, they will bring the best tools they can have, tripods, powerful lenses and cameras possibly like the digital single reflex (DSLR) cameras that have the faster shutter speed. Since there will be a waiting period, they would bring their own chairs, food to fill their stomach and water to quench their thirst. The early bird catches the worm, so they should come early prior to the event since a lot of crowd is expected to arrive. If you were to photograph the event and get the best quality photos, you should do the same things like what the professional photographers do. It is important that you also have the right tools. So, you need a tripod which is very important in securing your camera to avoid any movement since you will probably be using longer shutter speeds. With the use of the tripod, it eliminates unnecessary movement.

When you have positioned properly with your tripod, which should be level to the surface, your next goal is to get a good view of the prospective sight where the fireworks will be launched. You need to get a clear vantage point in order you’ll know where to aim your camera. You can take some practice shots to make sure that your target is on the line. If you have a DSLR camera well it sure is a great camera, but mounting it with your tripod will not ensure you that you have already a really safe and secure set-up. DSLR cameras have shuttle release cables which typically can eliminate the slightest camera shake that can give you problems with your photographs, so make good use of it. What you are basically doing is anticipating what is going to happen since there is no repetition when the fireworks are released to the sky. Your responsibility in handling the situation depends on the actions that you do.

Anticipation is matter of being responsible. Now, that you have the proper aim and position of your camera, you can decide what framing you can apply, it could be either horizontal (landscape) or vertical (portrait) mode, but with fireworks display, vertical movement is more observed so it is best that you choose vertical mode with your framing. Focal length is also vital when taking shots with objects at a very distant range. Your camera has different focal lengths so it is up to you on what adjustments you will make. It is very convenient that you first test your camera with the focal length. But with fireworks display, you better use a wider focal length which can range between 14mm to 24mm to get a better view of the picture. What Is The Right Combination Of Settings? Other particular controls of the camera that you must carefully set-up are the aperture, shutter speed and ISO. These three controls basically make up the quality of photographs you are taking. During a fireworks display, since you are dealing with speed and brightness, you need to get the right combination among the three controls. Otherwise, your photograph will appear just a light from the dark sky. The aperture should be adjusted to middle or small range since fireworks already generate a bright light. The shutter speed is perhaps more important in setting up compared with the aperture.

You can experiment with the shutter speed before taking the final shots with the fireworks display. This means that you have to be at the location earlier since you a have a lot of adjustments to make. If go to the venue 15 minutes or 30 minutes before the event, this will not be enough, better be there an hour earlier. Another control that you must properly set up is the ISO. Since you will be taking photos at night, you can use low numbers like 50 or 100, which can give you clear results. Another thing that you need to do is to turn off your flash. Since you will be taking photos of fireworks, you do not need to use it. Flashes are only effective at a certain range and besides fireworks already project a bright light. You may think that this all what you need, setting-up the camera, the controls and finding a good spot, never forget that when taking photos that move fast require proper timing. So, when taking photos with fireworks display, you also need skills. Skills can be learned and with practice, you will be able to achieve in creating fascinating photographic explosions like fireworks display. If the photos did not come out too well, you will learn from your mistakes and the next time around you can do better.