night photography Archives

Fourth of July 2020

by Admin | Jul 7, 2020 | Events, Posts

Catching up with fireworks photos

Since the fourth of July looks a little different this year, I decided to go all out with sharing my work from previous firework shows. It has been a lot of fun going through my older photos to see the mistakes and lessons I’ve learned along the way.

2016

I was not sure if I would actually ever share these. But, these are my first attempts, and I am taking the opportunity to reflect and see where I was and where I am now. That helps when I’m being too critical of myself.

First row settings:

ISO 200
49mm
f/11
6s

Second row settings:

ISO 100
16mm
f/16
1.6s

2017

I already wrote a comprehensive post about this year –> 2017 4th of July

Learning little by little to get the photos I want. Here are some of my favorites:

2018

At the second ever Bremerton Bridge Blast I felt like I was finally fully prepared to master these fireworks shots. I had my trusty Sony A6000, 18-105mm f/4 lens, and a solid tripod.

ISO 100
37mm
f/18
4s

2019

Now, 2019 meant I had a few years of 4th of July photos under my belt, so I should know what I’m doing right? Right?!? Well, this was also my first year with the Sony A7Riii. Anyone who has changed their camera setup will tell you there is a break in period. I was not comfortable using the kit lens, so I grabbed my reliable 18-105, fully charged battery, tripod, and gave it a go with these settings:

ISO 100
18mm
f/16
4s

2020

What a ride 2020 has been. I graduated with my masters degree in June and I was ready to get back into taking photos. Our friends live on the water and invited us over for a physically distanced viewing of their neighbors annual fireworks show.
Something I really missed last year when I moved from the A6000 to the a7RIII was an intervalometer. Sony released an update a bit ago that added this internally to my camera so I was able to program exactly what I needed the camera to do. The best part of firework shows is that they usually last at least 15 minutes, leaving plenty of time to make any changes. I ended up using two different sets of settings to explore what I could get.

The first, blue background settings:

ISO 100
20mm
f/2.8
5s

Black background settings:

ISO 100
20mm
f/16-f/20
5s

Probably the coolest part of the night was when the full moon appeared through the clouds about halfway through the fireworks show! I still see aspects I want to improve, but I am pretty excited with how many photos turned out well this year! Firework photos are so much fun because you have to adapt to any unforeseen challenges. I’m looking forward to the next show!

Sydney Opera House dressed in Vivid Sydney colors

by Admin | Jun 10, 2018 | Events, Trips

Our trip coincided with the very beginning of the Vivid Sydney Light Festival that occurs every winter. This was it’s 10th year, and there was so much to see! There is a good list on the official Vivid Sydney website.

I wrote up a quick entry about our visit to the Taronga Zoo as well.

We were there for opening night, and it seems like everyone else was too! Foot traffic became so congested that by the time we got back from the Taronga Zoo police officers were directing people to move in one direction to keep the flow of people going. Fortunately, our hosts had access to the Amex viewing platform and that is where I was able to get some shots of the Sydney Opera House dressed in Vivid colors!

A crowded Circular Quay that would get even more crowded as the night went on

The World light display and food vendors in Circular Quay

It is difficult to pick my favorite so I included all those that I think turned out decent.

Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo

by Admin | May 29, 2018 | Posts, Trips

Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo

During our visit to Sydney, Australia we were fortunate to be able to visit the Taronga Zoo to experience their contribution to Vivid Sydney, a three week event held during the winter months in Sydney to encourage tourism. A huge part of the city was lit up for it’s first night on May 25th – and we were able to experience a little more of it by riding a ferry over to the Taronga Zoo:

Step inside a world of scientific discovery and become a Light For the Wild. Vivid Sydney at Taronga Zoo is shining a light on conservation and the wonders of wildlife with a spectacular display of light sculptures. Alongside the festival favourites from last year, you’ll meet a whole new mob of awe-inspiring animal light sculptures.

Each of these incredible installations and light sculptures tells a fascinating tale about conservation. Discover the stories about these beautiful animals and learn how Taronga is working to help save 10 species from extinction over the next 10 years.

I added a gallery of my favorite photos from the night. To capture the different colors I used these settings: