ND Filter and fireworks

S

Sonny Eclipse (Colin C)

Member
So I have recently been given a Tiffen 77mm 0.9 ND filter and am planning to try and use it next week to photgraph fireworks. Can anyone tell me the best way to photograph using the filter? Should I let the camera determine the shutter speed or use bulb mode?
 
I have to hold the shutter open much longer with the ND filter correct? Most exposures I have seen are like 80 - 120 sec. Sorry to sound clueless but I have read a little on the ND filter but still don't quite get what to do in bulb mode as most of my previous fireworks shots have been by setting the shutter speed. I want to make sure I am prepared as it seems like I won't have too many opportunities to get it right during Wishes/Hallowishes next week.
 
Very good advice...test it out before you get there. ; Try heading outside one night and test out the bulb mode - try a nearby building with lights on and see how long you need to expose to get it to show. ; Try out a road with cars going by - from a little distance - the headlights and taillights streaking will approximate the firework lights in the dark sky, so you can get an idea of how long to expose to pick up those streaking car lights without blowing them out. ; This will start to give you the hang of exposing with the filter and how long in bulb mode is best. ; Also - if you have a remote shutter release (wireless or wired), use that in bulb mode as it is better than pressing the shutter button on the camera.
 
set up on a tripod on a highway, at least some traffic, busy is ok, the object here is to get a feel for your particular camera, manual all the way around, manual focus on something and then screw the filter on LIGHTLY, and check focus, .9 might still have enough light to verify focus, f8 iso 100, now start at 10 seconds and do interval shots, spacing at whatever your camera will let you do, this is where one of the programmable remotes is worth spending the money on, all the way out to 50-60 seconds, now go back and go f11, repeat series, and maybe repeat at f13. your kind of looking for light streaks that are colorful and not too blown out. for instance the last illuminations we did as pixelmania using a 35mm f1.4 on the full frame 5dmk2 i was in the range of 25 seconds a shot and down to 15 seconds for the whiter finale at the end.now that was with my singh-ray vari-n-d dialed all the way dark, which is about 6 stops. ; go over to the 2011 pixelmania threads and look for the various posts from members, some have the exif or tech data posted, to get an idea what to ballpark it at
 
Programmable remotes, i.e.-intervalometers, are a must. ; Canon has a wired one that is great and there is also an off-brand wireless one that works great on my Canon 7D. ;
 
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