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Fotos On The Fly - Happy 4th of July - Fireworks from Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow NY

Reblogger
Home Builder with The Flooring Girl

These are some of the best, if not THE best firework shots I've ever seen, and they are by our own Ruthmarie Hicks and right here in Tarrytown on the Hudson river.  She has some great tips for those looking to take great shots of the elusive fireworks.

Original content by Ruthmarie Hicks

Fireworks are really fun to photograph, if you know what you are doing.  Personally, I love taking photos of fireworks on the water because you get the added benefit of the water reflection which seems to make them extra special.  Sister villages Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow joined forces once again to create a wonderful display on the Hudson River right next door to Lighthouse Landing.

I managed to get there about 2 hours ahead of the main event.  I decided to work from the vantage point of the River Walk  on the Tarrytown just south of Sleepy Hollow.  I  was early enough to get a nice spot and I shared a bench with a very nice family who had two adorable little girls who were having the time of their lives enjoying the River Walk.  Another benefit to being on the water is that although it was a sweltering day, the breeze off the Hudson made it far more comfortable than I had anticipated.

For those who want to try their hand at fireworks and are forever frustrated with the attempt, here are a few tips:

First, you can't go into it worrying about what you missed.  You are taking still photos on something that is dynamic and moving.  You will miss shots.  You just have to keep shooting and if you've done your job well, when you get home you will pleasantly surprised and what you got.  Your angst over what you missed will have been wasted energy.  

Second, you need to use a tripod.  I'm going to say this again so it sinks in...you need to use a tripod!  There is no substitute for this because you need a slow shutter speed in order to capture the "burst" not to mention that you are shooting at night!  That means slow shutter speeds, and slow shutter speed means camera shake.  Camera shake ruins most shots in low light.

Third, don't use flash, use a slow shutter speed. I set my aperture at a high f stop which I opened gradually as it got darker out.  I started at about f11 and moved down to f7 over the course of the display.   I worked with several shutter speeds until I got to what worked best for my circumstance.  In my situation the ideal speed varied between 5-8 seconds throughout the display.  My ISO was set at 800 throughout.    Everyone's circumstances are different, but this is what worked for me.

Hope this helps - Enjoy the video!

 

© 2013 - RGHicks - http://fotosonthefly.biz - All rights reserved.

Original Post: Happy 4th of July - Fireworks from Tarrytown & Sleepy Hollow NY

Comments (8)

Kevin J. May
Florida Supreme Realty - Hobe Sound, FL
Serving the Treasure & Paradise Coasts of Florida

Debbie, that was quite the display although I miss the concussions.  I was amazed at the amount of personal mortar fireworks surrounding us.  The sky was lit up in every direction.  Thank You! 

Jul 05, 2013 11:43 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

One of the best 4th displays of the day on AR! :)

Jul 05, 2013 12:59 PM
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

I got some good shots, but it is almost impossible to time it perfectly, but each year I repeat the attempts. I guess it just needs to be done.

Make it a great weekend!

Jul 05, 2013 08:13 PM
Sheila Anderson
Referral Group Incorporated - East Brunswick, NJ
The Real Estate Whisperer Who Listens 732-715-1133

Good morning Debbie. I agree with you, these shots are simply incredible. Thanks for the tip and now off to tell Ruthmarie.

Jul 05, 2013 09:58 PM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Debbie Ruthmarie really managed to get some great shots.  Capturing fireworks is no that easy.

Jul 06, 2013 03:51 AM
Gay E. Rosen
Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty - Larchmont, NY
As Real as Real Estate Gets!

Hi Debiw- I have to go onto Ruthmarie's blog- she took some wonderfu lphotos!

Jul 06, 2013 05:35 AM
Ruthmarie Hicks
Keller Williams NY Realty - 120 Bloomingdale Road #101, White Plains NY 10605 - White Plains, NY

Hi Debbie - and everyone!

Thanks for reblogging...

To sort of contribute to the conversation....you really can't try to "time" the shots. Impossible.  Just keep shooting.  Yes, you will draw a lot of blanks.  But if you just keep shooting you will get more than you imagined.  I put in about 25 shots into the video.  I captured about 100 usable shots - But I shot about 250 total shots.  Some were just to get the settings right.  So by continuously shooting I got close to 50% "usable" and then picked the best 25 - which is more than ample. 

You do need the tripod.  Camera shake destroys more low light shots than anything else and it really is important to control the aperture and shutter speed. It may not be the easiest thing to do with a point and shoot.  And don't use flash...

 

Jul 07, 2013 08:21 AM
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

Thx Ruthmarie.  yes, that sounds like a great plan, and it shows in your end result.

Jul 07, 2013 08:52 AM