Shooting Pictures of Fireworks

[Vinny Ohare]

Hi all

I am heading to Hoboken/Weehawken tonight to shoot fireworks. I went last year and had some great pictures. Anyone going to be in the area, I am sure it is also a good spot to get helicopter pics as I had a lot of them last year. I will be somewhere around 12th street.

[moose135]

Have fun, Vinny. I was over that way a few years ago, the first time Macys moved their fireworks to the Hudson. I was up near Alexander Hamilton Park, up on the cliff across from the Intrepid.

[Vinny Ohare]

Last year I went but I was a little too low around 20th street. I was playing around with this image last night in HDR.

http://vinnyohare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/fireworksvinnyoharenyc.jpg

[moose135]

Here's the view from the hillside at Alexander Hamilton Park in 2009.

http://www.moose135photography.com/New-York-City/Macys-Fireworks-July-4-2009/JM20090704MacysFireworks004/582261361_fMi5c-L-3.jpg

[Vinny Ohare]

That is beautiful and what I am looking for. I also need to learn how to post process to get rid of smoke. I am taking a NAPP photoshop class in a few weeks at the Javits.

[Just_Lucas]

Nice photos,My camera doesn't have a good Night Shot sadly i am hoping to Get a better camera as well,For video recording Anyone got any Ideas of a good Night Shot camera as well as day light?

[moose135]

Vinny, I don't think there is a way to PP out the smoke - you just have to hope for a nice breeze to keep the area clear.

Lucas, what are you shooting with, and what are you looking to upgrade to? Any of the newer Canon/Nikon consumer-level DSLRs should give you a good starting point. It's more about learning how to use it in different conditions, and practice, practice, practice. My Canon 40D is a (relatively) older mid-level camera, many of the new entry-level cameras have the same or better features, including video. You can shoot fireworks with just about any camera that lets you control shutter speed. You want to mount it on a tripod or other steady surface, and use a long shutter speed - anywhere from 10 to 30 seconds - to capture the shots.

[gonzalu]

The trick for the smoke is the absolutely NAIL the first few bursts... unfortunately, that's the only way to deal with the smoke. After the smoke becomes a problem, one way to deal with it is to make sure you position yourself so that the wind is from the side in relation to your position to the fireworks... If you're in the same direction as the wind, the smoke will never be out of view :-(

Some of mine from years past...

http://www.pbase.com/gonzalu/image/114905337/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/gonzalu/image/114905338/original.jpg

[megatop412]

from 2009 @ West NY, handheld
http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/396780/20090704/b_205616.jpg
http://media8.dropshots.com/photos/396780/20090704/b_205448.jpg
from my backyard tonight, some of the rinky-dink stuff they shoot off in my town(this time I had the sense to tripod the shots)
http://media9.dropshots.com/photos/396780/20120704/b_220404.jpg
http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/396780/20120704/b_220411.jpg
http://media11.dropshots.com/photos/396780/20120704/b_220550.jpg
http://media10.dropshots.com/photos/396780/20120704/b_220702.jpg

[jerslice]

Seattle's big show (wanted the city in the background badly...but not so badly to show up at 5am...ended up showing up instead at 8:30pm and got these two:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7506257430_056455d0ff_b.jpg

[Vinny Ohare]

Here are a few from yesterday. I really didn't like where I was shooting from. https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ahpK7n_mc50/T_ZdL8CqCPI/AAAAAAAAD1Q/3_EB8fKAEro/s1101/fireworks-2012-1.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_A-oE8HoZM8/T_ZhZKZvGfI/AAAAAAAAD1w/hRVgx5ZL0lo/s1101/fireworks-2012-2.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-YCFqR_yOBnM/T_ZlLqFBcxI/AAAAAAAAD2s/IFGzT4jxza0/s1101/fireworks-2012-4.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-GyNCnwM7yfU/T_ZlUPmYFYI/AAAAAAAAD2s/aOIhB3rKGlM/s1101/fireworks-2012-3.jpg

I walked 3 miles each way to get to a location and the park was closed. The barges were also more south on the river than last year.