Photographing Fireworks Pt. 2
In Photographing fireworks 1 we found a good location and got the camera set up and ready for the fireworks to begin. My location is Beaulieu in the new forest and I had expected the beautiful Palace House to be floodlit during the display. The image I had in my mind was of the whole scene. Palace house looking amazing with fireworks bursting overhead.
However it wasn't floodlit which was a disappointment - but these things happen and you have to make the most of whatever you have to work with. If this happens the choices for you are to stay put or to find somewhere else at the risk of missing most of the display.
Take a couple of test exposure to find a starting point and fire the shutter using a remote so you don't risk camera shake during the long exposures. You need to keep the shutter open long enough to capture several blooms at once. The brightness of the fireworks is controlled by the aperture. Try using different apertures during the shoot to find the one that gives you the best detail and colour in the fireworks themselves.
