Goals for this shoot:

This was the second year that we had a chance to watch and photograph the “safe and sane” street-level fireworks in Pacifica. Last year the noise right outside the door was quite a surprise, but since I’m never really all that far from my camera we ran out and got some good ones [Pacifica Street Fireworks – 2009 (28 photos)]. Before heading out this year I tried to remember all the camera and lens settings I used last year, and to try to get some specific ideas.

• glimmer on the street below the flashes
• vibrant color
• subtle light
• more people!
• scale – these fireworks are small. Like fierce house cats, not tigers.
• Ordinary-ness, sense of place
• Tried to cut the total number of pictures I’d take and post to Flickr

Next Time

• use a shutter release. I have one, just didn’t think to use it
• more photographers and spectators. More people!
• possibly hang with one group
• shoot into the smoke. This time I was almost always to the side and the consistency of perspective is a little boring.
• get closer. Under the fireworks. Use a wide angle lens and prop the front of the lens on a small block of wood to look up into the fountain.
• try longer exposures, 1.5 seconds and longer. Don’t bother with exposures shorter than 1/80th of a second.
• try the Lensbaby lens? Not sure… I like the amazing crispness of the streamers and sparks contrasting with the smoke. Maybe with apertures, but could be too cute.

Summary of Settings

All photos were captured on a Canon 5D Mark II on a tripod in manual mode, using autofocus, with a EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM zoom lens (image stabilization disabled) with the aperture set at f/5.6. Generally the ISO speed rating was set to ISO 100. Photos were captured between about 9:00 PM and 10:00 PM on July 4, 2010. I selected 43 out of the roughly 260 I took. I selected images for mostly subjective reasons, that were interesting, pretty, meaningful. My standards for crispness may not be yours – the lack of crispness of boxes and stuff on the ground doesn’t bother me at all.

I was curious if there was a pattern in the shutter speed of the images I selected. These charts show that I tended to prefer 1/2 second exposures, and only used only 3 images with exposures longer than 1/25th of a second.

Individual Photo Settings

Image	Title Filename	Focal Length	Shutter	Aperture	ISO	Time	Distance
	Sidewalk Fountain in Pacifica _MG_5278.jpg	235.0 mm	1/4	5.6	100	9:02:17 PM	18.1 m
	Patriotic Display _MG_5282.jpg	400.0 mm	1/6	5.6	100	9:02:27 PM	22.8 m
	Black and White Blazing Rebel Fountain _MG_5283.jpg	400.0 mm	0.4	5.6	100	9:02:31 PM	22.8 m
	Coast-side Wind _MG_5284.jpg	400.0 mm	0.5	5.6	100	9:02:33 PM	22.8 m
	Streamers and Spiders _MG_5290.jpg	400.0 mm	1/6	5.6	100	9:03:49 PM	22.8 m
	Tumbling Stars _MG_5296.jpg	400.0 mm	0.6	5.6	100	9:04:02 PM	22.8 m
	Slice of Cake _MG_5304.jpg	115.0 mm	1/10	5.6	100	9:05:38 PM	7.42 m
	Bangs and Flashes _MG_5308.jpg	235.0 mm	1/13	5.6	100	9:05:58 PM	7.42 m
	Spray in Black and White _MG_5309.jpg	235.0 mm	1/10	5.6	100	9:05:59 PM	8.36 m
	Nike Guy Having Fun _MG_5322.jpg	100.0 mm	1/8	5.6	100	9:07:01 PM	9.44 m
	Noisy Swoop _MG_5333.jpg	105.0 mm	1/5	5.6	100	9:08:51 PM	12.6 m
	Question Marked _MG_5334.jpg	300.0 mm	1/5	5.6	100	9:08:57 PM	12.6 m
	Green Lightning _MG_5345.jpg	120.0 mm	0.5	5.6	100	9:09:51 PM	10.8 m
	Fire Tree _MG_5357.jpg	115.0 mm	1/5	5.6	100	9:11:25 PM	12.6 m
	Center Light, Dim _MG_5396.jpg	235.0 mm	1/40	5.6	100	9:13:34 PM	10.8 m
	Tiger, new and spent _MG_5442.jpg	330.0 mm	1/20	5.6	100	9:15:59 PM	10.8 m
	Jet Burst _MG_5443.jpg	330.0 mm	1/20	5.6	100	9:16:01 PM	12.6 m
	Fire, Clouds, Wind, Fog = Fireworks at the Coast _MG_5447.jpg	160.0 mm	1/20	5.6	100	9:16:08 PM	10.8 m
	Tender _MG_5448.jpg	160.0 mm	1/8	5.6	100	9:16:11 PM	10.8 m
	Wind Tossed _MG_5472.jpg	400.0 mm	1/13	5.6	100	9:17:47 PM	14.9 m
	Violet, Green, Red, Orange _MG_5494.jpg	210.0 mm	1/10	5.6	100	9:19:24 PM	14.9 m
	A Little Past 2 _MG_5528.jpg	100.0 mm	0.3	5.6	100	9:21:55 PM	12.6 m
	Fire Dance _MG_5530.jpg	100.0 mm	0.3	5.6	100	9:22:39 PM	14.9 m
	Downwind _MG_5535.jpg	100.0 mm	1/6	5.6	100	9:22:51 PM	12.6 m
	Preparations _MG_5557.jpg	100.0 mm	1.6	5.6	3200	9:26:05 PM	18.1 m
	Fire, Fog and Light _MG_5569.jpg	190.0 mm	0.4	5.6	400	9:29:22 PM	18.1 m
	Lights and Lit _MG_5570.jpg	190.0 mm	0.4	5.6	400	9:29:24 PM	18.1 m
	Corkscrews _MG_5597.jpg	130.0 mm	0.5	5.6	100	9:32:11 PM	14.9 m
	Golden Hay _MG_5599.jpg	160.0 mm	0.5	5.6	100	9:32:15 PM	14.9 m
	Abstract – Dashes _MG_5604.jpg	160.0 mm	1/25	5.6	100	9:32:23 PM	18.1 m
	Abstract – Wind _MG_5605.jpg	340.0 mm	1/25	5.6	100	9:32:24 PM	18.1 m
	Explosive Gold _MG_5608.jpg	340.0 mm	1/25	5.6	100	9:32:29 PM	18.1 m
	Lens Flare Ghost _MG_5641.jpg	100.0 mm	1/4	5.6	100	9:36:46 PM	14.9 m
	Fire Flower _MG_5781.jpg	220.0 mm	0.5	5.6	100	9:51:33 PM	14.9 m
	Feather Duster _MG_5792.jpg	210.0 mm	1/4	5.6	100	9:52:46 PM	18.1 m
	Fire Stack _MG_5811.jpg	100.0 mm	1/5	5.6	100	9:54:16 PM	14.9 m
	Abstract – Fire and Flash _MG_5817.jpg	220.0 mm	1/80	5.6	100	9:54:56 PM	18.1 m
	Fountain Pops 1 _MG_5825.jpg	220.0 mm	1/6	5.6	100	9:55:05 PM	18.1 m
	Fountain Pops 2 _MG_5830.jpg	340.0 mm	1/13	5.6	100	9:55:25 PM	22.8 m
	Abstract – Fire _MG_5857.jpg	340.0 mm	1/50	5.6	100	9:56:13 PM	22.8 m
	Looking UP _MG_5864.jpg	340.0 mm	1/50	5.6	100	9:57:08 PM	18.1 m
	Zot – BANG _MG_5866.jpg	340.0 mm	1/15	5.6	100	9:57:13 PM	18.1 m
	Camera Play _MG_5921.jpg	100.0 mm	1/6	5.6	100	10:06:30 PM	12.6 m

Links

• This set on Flickr: Pacifica Sidewalk Fireworks – 2010 (43 photos)
• Last year’s pictures on Flickr: Pacifica Street Fireworks – 2009 (28 photos)
• Safe and Sane Fireworks. Fireworks considered “safe and sane” are generally those that pose little threat of injury, fire or property damage. There are specific limits on the types and amounts of the explosive pyrotechnic material, etc. The California Office of the State Fire Marshal has a fireworks page: Fireworks Program
• Pacifica fireworks policy: Pacifica is one of the few cities in the Bay Area to allow legal, “safe & sane” fireworks for the July 4th holiday. See the City’s fireworks policy for details.
• Pacifica Sidewalk Fireworks – 2010 (Photo metadata) – alternate table of metadata