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Fireworks


Steve Ford

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Hi gang

 

I just got told that I will be shooting fireworks this coming 4th as well as a person watching fireworks. Any idea what settings would work best for fireworks, and what kind of lighting you would use to at least illuminate the person watching them?

 

Steve

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Hi gang

 

I just got told that I will be shooting fireworks this coming 4th as well as a person watching fireworks. Any idea what settings would work best for fireworks, and what kind of lighting you would use to at least illuminate the person watching them?

 

Steve

 

Fireworks:

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...omaniaP.shtml#p

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/motion/newslett...y2001/suv.shtml

 

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/membersGal...workIndex.shtml

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As a base setting, you might want to start with Panasonic / Robert Goodman's VIVID settings file, which will give you some great color in the fireworks. I personally would try 24P with FILMLIKE1 gamma at a slope of around .50, pretty standard stuff. I might also try opening up the blacks a bit with BLACK STRETCH, only a couple points, maybe +3. Make sure HICOLOR is ON, which helps preserve saturation in the highlights.

 

You won't have any trouble getting exposure for the fireworks and I'm sure shots from behind the onlookers will yield some great silhouettes. For the faces, I might suggest a 30" China Lantern with a PH212 on a dimmer. Bring 211's and 213's in case you need 'em. If you don't have AC, you can use a battery powered KINO or bug light to similar effect. Back it up as far and high as you can and try to get just enough exposure to bring up the faces so they don't go completely dark when there's no fireworks in the sky AND without completely drowning out the flashes from the fireworks.

 

My bet is that the less light you use, the better it'll look. It'd be worth using +3 gain if you had to.

 

J

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