my 1st attempt at shooting pyro

(c)

py·ro·tech·nics – noun
1. the art of making fireworks.
2. the use of fireworks for display, military purposes, etc.
3. a display of fireworks.

Apples and I, along with about 10 other bloggers/photography hobbyists and their significant others just came from the World Pyro Olympics show at the Mall of Asia… this was my 1st attempt at shooting something like this, but i learned a lot just with this one show from people who already have experince doing this…

here’s what i learned:

1. when shooting pyro, use the lowest possible ISO setting that you have… if you have ISO 100, better… my setting was ISO 200…

2. use either f8 or f16 aperture…

3. if you have it, use the bulb exposure… this will allow you to keep the shutter open for as long as you like while holding down the shutter… using this technique, you can shoot while the pyro is going up, close the lens with something black [i just used my hand], and open it up again just when the same pyro is about to burst… with this, you can have several bursts in one shot alone… if none, use manual…

4. beforehand [before the start of the show], make sure that you already have the camera focused [or framed]… again, if you have it, focus at infinity so as not worry that your shots will hbe out-of-focus [OOF]…

5. don’t use flash!! this will have no impact on your shots…

6. and most important of all, use a tripod if you have one if you hope to use the longer shutter speeds… i’ve used one, but my shots still have those wiggles… 😀

perhaps, what is foremost of all these is to simply have fun… right?

anyway, here are 2 of my best shots:

nice, no? i am thinking of going back and do it again, just to make sure that i don’t do those same mistakes again [looks at wife]… hehehe… but then again, i think these shots are good enough for a hobbyist like me [wife nods]… 😀

for more pictures of my shots, go here and select the last album…

EDIT: samples using PhotoFlick

thanks Anton for the lessons, and Abe for the tickets…

Ciao, sweetie… 8)