How to take pictures of fire

13 years 3 weeks ago #52319 by C4rl
without over exposing the shot? I have tried it more then once. Every time I try to take pictures of fire (not candles) but like wood/paper on fire, the picture is over exposure. I imagine this is from too much light create by the fire, so how can I change this?


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13 years 3 weeks ago #52322 by fed5du
I would think, even if you put the camera on Auto, it should give a high shutter speed and if anything the picture would be too dark.


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13 years 3 weeks ago #52324 by C4rl
I'm not shooting Auto. I am shooting in Manual. Trying to learn the settings .


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13 years 3 weeks ago #52325 by Scout 4x4

C4rl wrote: I'm not shooting Auto. I am shooting in Manual. Trying to learn the settings .


Well that there is probably your problem. Your shutter speed is too low and ISO could be too high.


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13 years 3 weeks ago #52326 by C4rl
That's right, I keep forgetting about the ISO. I just checked the camera and the ISO was set at 1000


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13 years 3 weeks ago #52358 by crystal
I lost count how many times I took photos of fire. I also set the camera on aperture P and shoot. Using a zoom lens of course.
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13 years 3 weeks ago #52545 by Stealthy Ninja
faster SS
lower ISO
stop down (higher f-stop number)

one or all of the above.
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13 years 3 weeks ago - 13 years 3 weeks ago #52606 by Baydream

crystal wrote: Using a zoom lens of course.

Don't want to get two sources of combustion too close together, eh?

Shoot, learn and share. It will make you a better photographer.
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13 years 3 weeks ago #52607 by Baydream
These were at ISO 200, f/4.0, 1/8 sec.






Shoot, learn and share. It will make you a better photographer.
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13 years 3 weeks ago #52620 by Henry Peach

C4rl wrote: ...the picture is over exposure. I imagine this is from too much light create by the fire...


Decrease exposure by decreasing ISO, increasing shutter speed (making it open and close faster), and/or using a smaller aperture (a larger F/#). Take a test shot and increase or decrease exposure, and then take another test shot, until you get it like you want.

Shutter speed effects how the moving flame will be rendered. High shutter speeds will freeze the flickering flame. Low shutter speeds will allow more blurring as it moves.

Fire can be tricky to meter because it is bright, and often surrounded by dark scenery. This is a classic situation that will fool the meter (and thus the auto-exposure modes). Remember that your meter is reading for middle gray tone. If you meter mostly the bright fire it will tend to underexpose (the meter is trying to make the bright fire middle gray). If you meter mostly the dark background it will tend to overexpose (the meter is trying to make the dark background middle gray).

The various metering modes can help you adjust which parts of the scene you are metering.
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13 years 3 weeks ago #52634 by Graflex 4x5
Your sensor might be getting confused with the extra IR energy from the fire.

Try bracketing in 1 stop steps to get a 'rough' exposure then fine tune with 1/3 EV steps. If your photos still don't look right, try an IR blocking filter.

No matter how fast I go, there's always someone slower in front of me.
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