Fireworks/Electricity/Fire/Lightning/Sparklers

[Matt]

Amazing shots!
You can't avoid noise with a 30 second exposure. You can lessen it by using dark frame subtraction if your camera has it. Another great option is Noise Ninja for Photoshop/lightroom.

[americanhero]

Your focus is dead on, and I love the multiple forks and strikes in the second shot. The depth you caught at the cloud base in both shots is incredible. Makes me wish I'd been there to see it! The amount of raw power in an electrical storm is just awesome, isn't it? I love how the red skies offset the dark clouds in evening storms like in your first shot.

Thank you spec.
In the second shot I actually caught two independent lightning strikes within one shot and a time frame of 30 seconds.
That was really awesome. The whole afternoon was a big show - powerful and with all these forces of nature. About two hours before I took these lightning shots, there was a tornado. Wonderful and classical view with the funnel touching the ground.
Luckily I was about 20 miles away and could enjoy the whole show.
And afterward the powerful thunderstorm. Surrounded by lightning strikes in the North, West and East it was a dramatic show. A perfect setting for taking lightning shots, even for the first time.

Amazing shots!
You can't avoid noise with a 30 second exposure. You can lessen it by using dark frame subtraction if your camera has it. Another great option is Noise Ninja for Photoshop/lightroom.

You are right, but compared with different long exposure shots there was much more noise in it. I tried Noiseware to reduce it, it helped in some ways.
While using Noiseware, should I switch to Noise Ninja? I know a lot of people who are using it and they love it. I never tried Noise Ninja, because I got good results with the Noiseware Software.

[HaloGirl]

Awesome lightning shots!

[Matt]

You are right, but compared with different long exposure shots there was much more noise in it. I tried Noiseware to reduce it, it helped in some ways.
While using Noiseware, should I switch to Noise Ninja? I know a lot of people who are using it and they love it. I never tried Noise Ninja, because I got good results with the Noiseware Software.

I have all the softwares for noise. If you send me a full res, i can make a comparison for you.

[Kelly]

"Premature Ignition" San Diego Fireworks

One of the nation’s biggest July 4th firework displays turned into a 15-second bust after a “premature ignition” caused pyrotechnics spread across five barges in the San Diego Bay to go off all at once.
Thousands of onlookers had spent their July 4th camped out along San Diego’s beaches and parks Wednesday to catch a glimpse of the city’s 12th annual Big Bay Boom fireworks display, billed by organizers this year as being “bigger and more intense than in past years.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJf5a6Xw4Nw

[Eddiebauer]

I recently was at the Tugboat Roundup it Waterford NY my hometown. They do a great job with the fireworks although the past two years have been trouble with storms. Last year Irene came through and flooded the place and this year at long line of thunderstorms. It caused them to move the fireworks to Sunday and they still had a great turnout. I had a hard time with my crop sensor camera shooting to capture the foreground and the fireworks, so I did a little photoshop and added the fireworks bursts to one image.

[Matt]

That first shot is perfect! Nailed the exposure and colors are brilliant!

[Eddiebauer]

Thanks Matt. Its always a challenge to include the foreground when shooting fireworks. But I think it makes the photos much more interesting.