Photographic Fireworks - 5x4 on Velvia 50

scovell001 · Post by **scovell001** » Mon May 11, 2009 7:33 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

So,

I want to photograph some fireworks later this year, but want to do it on 5x4 for the superior resolution.

Has anyone out there got any experience of shooting fireworks with a 5x4 or similar large format camera? Or, maybe you used a roll film back.

Looking on the web, f5.6-f8 is mentioned, whilst opening the shutter for the bursts of fireworks. My question was, is it possible to use 5x4 at f5.6 or f8 and what does it look like?

Thanks for all you comments in advance.

Matt_Bigwood · Post by **Matt_Bigwood** » Mon May 11, 2009 8:39 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

When I used to work for a weekly newspaper I photographed fireworks many times on 35mm or on a Rolleiflex 6x6, usually on Tri-X 400asa on Bonfire Night.

The technique involved stopping down to f16, opening the shutter on B and covering the lens when there weren't any fireworks going off to stop too much ambient light overexposing the neg (quite often there were bonfires and well-lit fairgrounds nearby.)

After four or five good bursts of action I'd close the shutter and wind on. It's all very much luck of the draw, choosing the right lens to get high-flying rockets in, and picking a spot where there aren't any telegraph poles in the foreground that you don't spot in the dark but later see on the neg!

I'd guess that F5.6 or F8 would be about right on slower transparency film.

Good luck!

RichardP · Post by **RichardP** » Sat May 16, 2009 10:57 pm Etc/GMT-1+01:00

Here are some firework pictures I took on Velvia 50 120 roll film with a Mamiya 6x45

F8 15sec.

F8 30sec.

F8 30sec.
Hope this might give you a starting point.I guess as Matt say's it's the luck of the draw.

All the best.
Richard