How do I properly expose a bride and groom with fireworks in the background?

Question

I'm shooting a wedding next weekend and would say I am an intermediate level photographer. The couple has arranged for fireworks and want a shot of them with the firworks in the background. Can anyone offer advice on how to best expose this? Would it be easier to shoot them separately and meld them together in Photoshop?

Answer 1

Fireworks usually last kind of long. I'd set it all up and once they start have the couple stand in where you designated and try some pics. Then take a some where you expose for them with your light meter without worrying about the back ground and then have them step out and go enjoy themselves and take the fireworks from the same angle. This way you can practice trying it straight, but you also have what you need to get it on photoshop incase the pics didn't come out well. If you're prepared ahead of time you shouldn't take up too much of their time.

No reason why you can't do both. You can get practice out of it yet still get what you need.

Answer 2

Your biggest issue will be exposing both parts of your image correctly. I would expose to get the fireworks correct and use a small amount of fill flash to light the bride and groom.
Antoni has a very good answer, but maybe a bit more complicated than it has to be.
Take a couple of shots of the fireworks as they begin to be sure that you can expose correctly for them. Then add the couple to the shot. Set your flash on manual and take several exposures at 1/2 power, 1/4 power, 1/8 power and 1/16 power. Correct exposure for the couple and the fireworks should be somewhere in that range. It will all depend on how much ambient light is falling on them at the time. All of this depends on your being pretty comfortable/competent with the manual settings on your camera.
Also, the idea of practicing with a streetlight in the background is a very good one and should give you a feel for the shot.
Good luck.

Answer 3

Antoni has a great answer. I shot a wedding with fireworks on 7/4 this year using the same technique. I have seen a great fireworks wedding picture on photo.net that was not a composite, if I can find it I will post the link. If you would like to see one of mine, go to photo.net and look in the gallery under aramat57.

You will need at least two or three seconds exposure to capture the fireworks, depending on how long you want the trails. Use a mid range aperture to make sure it is all in focus. If your flash is on camera, your aperture will control the flash and the shutter speed the ambient. It is not hard to get a good exposure, just shoot the B&G as you would at any time at night, maybe with some minus flash comp, depending on how dark you want them to be. Unless the wedding is at Disney, you won't have too many explosions at once, so time your shots carefully and plan to shoot for the duration. I also zoomed while a few were exploding, for a different effect..

You can always combine shots in Photoshop if necessary. Good luck!

Answer 4

personally i think it looks best and is easest to do it in the camera,

ok you need a few seconds exposure to get the fireworks, you also need the couple sharpish

so tools: lens, camera, tripod, flash or 2

set shutter speed for 3-4 seconds, use the gn/fstop=distance equation below to select the fstop and distance for the rest of the exposure required

so set the couple up, anticipate the fireworks, fire just before, while the shutter is open fire a flash or 2 off camera - manually with your finger

so heres the equation at iso100, assumed flash gn of 32, assumed fstop F8

gn32/F8=4meters

32 devided by 8 equals 4 (photography being meteric) - 4 meters is around 12 feet....

so use 100iso and work out your GN equation, thats how i do it

EDIT: sorry forgot to add i do it all manual

a

Answer 5

I am a fire service photographer and that sounds like a Recipe for Disaster :)
low light on the wedding party, a high powers flash or other light will burn out the light from the fire works
practice in the garden at night shoot something or person in the forground with a street light in the distance this will give the same effect.
I would shoot with the aperture open and shutter speed of 60th + use the iso to help but keep it as low as you can maybe 400 is the best 800 if you don't have the range on the camera but it may get grainy
Hope this helps

Answer 6

1

Answer 7

Since you are a beginner it is going to be easier for you to take two different photos and do an over lay. Depending on what camera you have you can take multiple exposures on one shutter release. I suggest that you keep the f/stop the same for this will make any depth of field issues seem more realistic and not fake. I also suggest the use of a tripod and a remote shutter. This would eliminate any unnecessary camera movement. Good Luck Its not going to be easy!

Answer 8

don't meld them together it is going to look fake or maybe even poor quality... just get to a lower elevation than they are like bend down on your knees and then have them stand in front of the fireworks and take the shot... hope that helps! i want to be a photographer too.

Answer 9

This will help you think TWICE before you ask her to marry you..............or make sure you take more money to the wedding. Ha. Ha.