Fireworks

Sergio

Hi all,
In about a month I will be taking my 6 year old to Disney. I'm hoping to get some really good shots of fireworks. What are some concerns I should be looking for? What's a desired opening or timing techniques I should know? I will be taking a tripod, and I have a 18-200mm and a 28-105mm lens.
Thanks,
Sergio

PBked

Hi again Sergio,
You have the nifty-fifty which would also work well. However, the 18-200mm used at wide angle of 18mm would be my choice.
You have a tripod so camera shake should not be a problem, but remember to switch off the IS on the lens when using a tripod. As for settings, there are dozens of combinations but here is a suggestion:
ISO set to 100, aperture of f/16, shutter between 2 and 6 seconds in bulb mode. The average duration of a firework burst is between 2 and 6 seconds. As a rule of thumb, press the shutter when the firework explodes and release it when the firework starts to fade. You will probably find that the time is about 4 - 5 seconds.
If you have not taken fireworks before, can I suggest an experiment? Go to your local store and buy some sparklers. Set your camera up with the settings one night as I have suggested and take pictures of the sparklers. If you don't like the results, work around my settings until you get clear pictures that you are happy with and make a note of the settings. This may help you when shooting your fireworks at Disneyland.
Best regards,
PBked