Who doesn’t like photographing fireworks? It’s a blast if you’ll excuse the expression.
Ever been disappointed when you returned from session photographing the incendiary display? (I have in the past) Part of the problem is fireworks contains lots of challenges for the photographer and if you don’t study up previous to your shoot on proper techniques you set yourself up for failure.
Even if you’ve had success in the past it’s wise to review because we don’t get very many opportunities to practice.
This is a composite I put together for fun. (first fireworks image I could put my hands on to illustrate this post)
This was imaged during a trip to Chicago. The skyline was to the left and the fireworks were to the right from my vantage point. I took a bit of creative license with this.
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Lumix LX100. Built on a solid magnesium body with all necessary controls on the exterior of the body with machined knurled knobs or solid switches. Fast f1.7-2.8, 24-75mm, Leica DC zoom lens. While this camera is only 12.8 MP, it has 4K video and Photo Mode which enables printing of images pulled from still frames. Features are coming out the wazoo of this camera including several ways to capture HDR images, bracket your aspect ratio, bracket white balance, 11 frames per second burst rate, and more.
Here’s an image I created from a three-stop bracket of the red rocks. The frames were processed in Aurora HDR software from MacPhun.
Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona – High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photo
Here’s the three stop bracket. Images Straight Out of Camera (SOOC) Middle exposure was 1/160th sec f8 ISO 200 34mm (FF equivalent 75mm)
I’m liking the Aurora HDR software as it has LOTS of controls for processing the image without having the ‘HDR halos’ and other problems I always associated with using software to process multiple exposures. There are many presets for getting into the ballpark of the image you would like to create. You can still go HDR crazy if you want to push it that way. It’s up to you.
Aurora HDR software window. There are many more controls available by scrolling the right-hand panel. There are also a plethora of presets with the ability to create and save more of your own.
I feel we are living in a time of unlimited creativity. Between the new camera capabilities and software options imaging is moving into a whole new world. Yes, it’s easier for the average person to obtain a correctly exposed image. But, for those of us who have been working photographers for a long time, we can leverage that knowledge and push the tools to give us more possibilities for creating images with solid depth and dimension.
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One of the original, and leader of French Romantic painters, Eugene Delacroix was quite the prolific artist. That may be an understatement.
That may be an understatement.
I recommend you take a few minutes and head over to the Wikipedia page and view the gallery images there. Be aware that the gallery is only a small sampling of his work. Then poke around the web for more.
“Bob, why should I be studying this painter’s work? I’m a photographer!” The simple answer is that photography is rooted in art. Composition, color, ad the assembly of subject matter is all part of both arts. Delacroix was a master at the use of color and its effects upon a scene and how it interacted with his subjects.
The simple answer is that photography is rooted in art. Composition, color, and the assembly of subject matter is all part of both arts. Delacroix was a master at the use of color and its effects upon a scene and how it interacted with his subjects.
I believe the study of his work, and other artist’s paintings, can inform your work and move it to a new level.
“The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.” Eugene Delacroix
At the very least we can take Delacroix’s words to heart as in the quote above. These words can pertain to the art we create as well as in our marketing and business. I know of many photographers who spend so much time trying to reach perfection on a piece of art, or a business campaign for that matter, that they hardly ever show their work or move on to the next business idea. They frustrate themselves and deprive the world of their creations.
I remember being in art class as a high school student tearing up art, that according to my instructor Henri Yost, was perfectly wonderful. Had I taken some time away from the work and not felt the need to be ‘perfect’ I might have shared some fine work.
Self Portrait – Eugene Delacroix 1867
Note the color harmony and the sometimes bold, sometimes subtle, brush strokes. The sharper strokes and lines attract more attention, the softer brush strokes work as supporting characters. This kind of study has led me to sharpen parts of my photo images selectively to help lead the viewers attention where I want her/his eye to go.
What other lessons can be gleaned from study of the master artists that came before us??
There’s a new rendition of Esteban and company on the Wall of Fame at Sound Bites Grill in Sedona. It was time to get drummer Joe Morris in place as he’s been playing for the last two years. Some great music at the bottom of this post. You might want to click play on that as you read the rest of the info.
Esteban – Teresa Joy and drummer Joe Morris
Here’s the rundown on the creation of art for the SBG Wall of Fame. I start with images of the musicians captured during live performances. They are individually extracted from the scene and then reassembled into the final composition.
In Adobe Photoshop the pieces are composited while adding layers of texture in various Blend Modes. Drop Shadows add depth. The Inner Glow Mode is used to create lighting effects. Artists are asked to add messages and autographs in black Sharpie Marker. These are inverted and added to the image as it would be almost impossible to track down people after they have completed their gig.
My cameras of choice are either the Lumix GH4 or the GX8. Both cameras have the density range and frame rate to handle the LED stage lighting which can be tough as there is only pure color in the lights. My primary lens choice for getting the individual photos is the 35-100mm f2.8 Vario. The lens is equivalent to a 70-200mm full frame.
Full stage at Sound Bites
For the entire group and stage publicity photos, I use the 12-35mm f2.8 Lumix Vario lens. It’s a solid wide angle zoom that teams up well with the 35-100mm.
Esteban – La Paloma Classical Guitar with Teresa Joy on violin
I have been fortunate to live in places with some spectacular scenery and would probably have a hard time living in an urban environment or someplace dull and flat. Sedona, Arizona is the gorgeous place I now get to call home. Red rock vistas and a dry climate that showers us with sunshine two hundred seventy-eight to three hundred days per year.
And, after residing here seventeen years, I still find different ways to view the majestic red rocks thanks to visitors spurring me on. Some visiting friends asked if a helicopter tour would be worth a go and would I be interested in joining them? I said, “Yes indeed!” I was surprised I hadn’t thought to fly the skies with my camera in all that time.
Sedona’s famous Cathedral Rock from the air. Lumix G7 with 12-35 f2.8 Vario G lens @f5.6 1/400 sec. 12mm (24mm FF equivalent) ISO 200
More Red Rock formations. Same gear as above. @5.0 1/400th sec, 19mm (38mm FF equivalent)
Processed in NIK Silver FX Pro2 (available free from Google)
Cathedral Rock is one of the state’s most photographed destinations. I know that I have photographed it on numerous occasions, but never from the air. An artistic rendition of Cathedral Rock was one of my first Merit images in Professional Photographers of America image competition.
Let’s talk about photographing from the air.
I have done photography in the past from the air, but it was always a charter flight where I was calling the shots for the position of the helicopter or plane and the possibility of staying on station or revisiting until I had the shot. With that kind of luxury, there was time to check settings of the camera ensuring they were correct. This flight was going to be a horse of a different color. A sightseeing tour lasting 17 minutes and no do-overs.
I thought about the new technology I have access to in the Lumix cameras and decided to place my trust in it. I’ve talked about this setting once or twice before. It’s called Intelligent Auto. I jokingly refer to it as the ‘Honey, stop the car!’ setting. It calculates the f-stop, shutter speed, and ISO. I have always used it sparingly as I want to make the decisions that control the final look of the image. In this case with no time to devote to changing settings I decided I would concentrate on framing and composition and see how well the camera would do. Shot in RAW to have more latitude to cover exposure but the SOOC files were pretty darn good.
After looking at the metadata for exposure settings (see above) I was surprised to note that the camera had automatically recognized the scene as a landscape and set the camera for ‘Landscape Mode’ – “For landscape photos with background in focus.”
Once again I was pleasantly surprised. Shutter speed was high enough to freeze the scene in spite of the helicopter’s vibration and motion. Exposure was solid for the scene. All-in-all it’s a winner. If this were a commercial shoot for a paying client, I would be working this entirely different but this is a great help in quickly changing situations.
Thinking about visiting Sedona? Check out http://www.sedonaairtours.com for your aerial view of the red rocks. really enjoyed my experience with Sedona Air Tours. They work together as a great team!
Learn more about other attractions in Sedona at theVisit Sedona website.
For infrared conversion of my cameras I use LifePixel. Infrared allows you to put an older camera to use and opens up a new time time of day for productive image creation.
Fotopro tripods are well worth checking out. You can learn about the ones I use and recommend by clicking on the Fotopro Tripods link at the top of this page. If you want to see what other tripods might fit your needs check out the Fotopro.com website. Check back with me before you buy as a Fotopro Ambassador I’m able to get you discounted pricing including complementary continental USA shipping for my followers that you won’t find through retail outlets.
Learn Photoshop in a fun environment. Aaron Nace applies the right amount of fun with easy to understand and follow tutorials. Actions and brushes are included with lessons!
Lightning, waterdroplets, sound, time-lapse, HDR sequences, smiles and much more control for your camera!
Cameras Get Smarter -
A High Speed Smart Camera Remote
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Platypod has become a great resource for being creative in getting your camera gear easily into unusual places. As an Platypod Pro I get to work/play with the gear even before it comes out. Head over to Platypod, subscribe to the newsletter and you will get special discounts reserved only for subscribers.
