| How to Photograph Fireworks Posted: 04 Jul 2021 05:00 PM PDT Fireworks look beautiful in photographs, full of light and color. You may wonder how you can best capture fireworks in an image without issues like over or underexposure, blurriness, and graininess. To photograph fireworks well, start by picking a good shooting location. You can also use camera settings that will help you achieve a high-quality image. Then, set up the camera on a tripod to keep it steady and frame the fireworks with landmarks, a skyline, or even people to capture interesting photos. [Edit]Selecting the Shooting Location - Look for a high spot in an open area. Try to position yourself on a spot that is high up, such as a ledge in a field or a high slope by a main road. Check that you can see the spot where the fireworks are supposed to be in the sky from your vantage point and that you are at a 45-degree angle from the ground when you look up.[1]
- Keep in mind if you want to include people in some of your shots, you may pick a high spot that you can move down from easily so you can be closer to crowds.
- Check that the spot is upwind from the fireworks so you get a clear shot. Shooting downwind from the fireworks can cause smoke to get into your images as the fireworks go off. Prevent this by making sure your shooting location is upwind from where the fireworks are set to go off.[2]
- To determine the wind conditions, check the weather beforehand. Note if it is going to be a windy night and plan accordingly.
- Pick a spot that has a view of the skyline or a landmark for a unique shot. You may want to include a beautiful city skyline or a historic landmark in the area where the fireworks are set to go off. Find a shooting location that allows you to see the skyline clearly below the fireworks. Or go for a spot where a landmark or building appears in one side of the frame or in the foreground.[3]
- You can always shift your shooting location slightly while the fireworks are going off to get different objects in the foreground, as well as no objects at all in the shot. Try to find a spot where you can move around and play with different compositions.
[Edit]Setting up the Camera - Switch your camera to manual mode. You do not need an expensive camera with a lot of different settings to photograph fireworks well. In fact, you can use a film camera or a digital camera to get a great image as long as it can be switched to manual mode.[4]
- Make sure the focus mode reverts to manual when you switch to manual mode, as this will allow you to focus the camera as needed during the fireworks show.
- If you are shooting with the camera on your smartphone, download an app that allows you to have a slower shutter speed on the camera, such as Slow Shutter Cam.
- Some digital cameras will have a "Fireworks Mode" on the settings dial or in the menu options on the camera. Use this mode, if available, as this allows the camera to adjust the settings for you so you do not need to do it yourself.
- Turn off the flash to limit distractions around you. Switch the flash off, as it is not strong enough to illuminate the foreground in the dark. It can also distract you when you are taking pictures and bother others around you.[5]
- Use a wide or telephoto zoom lens to capture the fireworks. Look for a telephoto zoom lens that is 70-200mm or 70-300mm, as this will allow you to capture the fireworks in full from a distance. You can also use a wide lens that is 24-70mm or 24-120mm if you are shooting a bit closer to the fireworks.[6]
- It may be good to have both lenses on hand so you can switch between them to suit your vantage point.
- Start with a slow shutter speed of 2.5-4 seconds. Using a slow shutter speed will allow the camera shutter to stay open long enough to capture the long light trails of the fireworks. Avoid going lower than 2.5 seconds, as a shutter speed that is too low can cause the fireworks to appear blown out or overexposed.[7]
- You may need to play around with the shutter speed as you photograph the fireworks, shifting between 2.5-4 seconds. Try a few different speeds once you set up your camera to vary the types of images you get.
- Set the camera to a low ISO level and a narrow aperture field. Start with an ISO that is at 100, as this will allow you to use a low shutter speed. You can usually leave the ISO at 100 as you shoot. The aperture, or how wide the lens opens, should be around f/5.6-f/8. This will keep the aperture just narrow enough to capture the fireworks without letting in too much light.[8]
- You can try playing around with the aperture field as you photograph the fireworks, bumping up to f/11-f/16 depending on how bright your images appear.
[Edit]Taking the Photographs - Arrive early for the fireworks to reserve your shooting spot. If you know the fireworks show is going to be popular, you may aim to get to the location 30 minutes-1 hour early so you can set up your camera gear and be ready for the show.
- If you are not sure about the details of the location, you may visit it a day early to stake out a good location for shooting the fireworks.
- Try to find a spot where you'll be able to include the launch site in your photos, especially if you can frame it with an interesting background.[9]
- Put the camera on a tripod to get a steady image. Always use a tripod when you are shooting fireworks, as this will ensure you get a clear, high-quality image.[10] Set up the camera, or your smartphone, on a tripod in the shooting location. Make sure the shutter speed, ISO, and aperture have already been set, as you do not want to have to touch the camera too much once you start shooting.[11]
- Look for a tripod that fits your camera model at your local camera store or online.
- Get a remote shutter release to avoid touching the camera. The remote shutter release attaches to your camera and is controlled by a small remote you hold in your hand. This feature is ideal when you are shooting fireworks, as touching your camera while shooting can cause the images to appear blurry or unclear.[12]
- You can buy a remote shutter release at your local camera store or online.
- Focus the camera on a distant object near where the fireworks are going off. Look into the lense and adjust the focus manually so it is on an object that is fairly far away, just beside or in front of where the fireworks are going to explode. This will then ensure the fireworks appear in focus when they enter the frame.[13]
- You can also try zooming out or in and focusing on the fireworks to get a different perspective. Your wide or telephoto zoom lense should make doing this fairly easy.
- Frame the fireworks with people, objects, or a landscape. Use your surroundings to make the photographs more interesting and unique. Try placing a landmark in one corner of the frame and focusing on it as the fireworks go off. You can also focus on the skyline just below the fireworks to get a nice landscape in the foreground.[14]
- Including people watching the fireworks can also make the photographs more interesting. Try shooting at a lower angle to capture people in the foreground or background of the image.
- Reduce the shutter speed if the fireworks appear blurry or unclear. If you notice your images are coming out blurry or unclear, it may be because your shutter speed is not slow enough. Bump it down 1-2 speeds so the lense stays open longer and you can capture the full effect of the fireworks.[15]
- You may need to also play around with the aperture setting when you reduce the shutter speed to find the right balance.
- Use "bulb mode" to experiment with exposure. To do this, press the shutter down as the fireworks are launching. Continue to hold the shutter for several seconds until the burst fades and then slowly let it go. This allows you to create a long exposure that will capture the fireworks as it explodes.[16]
- Use a remote shutter release to do "bulb mode" as this will prevent you from touching the camera and causing it to shift or move, which can ruin the photograph.
- You may want to use a wider aperture setting in bulb mode—start somewhere around f11-f9.[17]
- Shoot in RAW mode, rather than JPEG mode, if you are using a digital camera. RAW mode will make it easier for you to edit RAW images later to remove shadows or blurry area in the images.[18]
- If all you have is a handheld camera, like a smartphone, you may get better results by taking videos instead of still shots.[19]
[Edit]Things You'll Need - A digital or film camera with a manual mode
- A tripod
- A remote shutter release
- A flashlight
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Cook BBQ Ribs Posted: 04 Jul 2021 09:00 AM PDT While barbecue ribs are especially popular in the American south, their appeal for meat-lovers is universal. Succulent, spicy, and smoky, barbecue ribs are surprisingly easy to cook. Learn how to make some lip-smacking barbecue in the following tutorial. - Choose which cut of ribs you want. barbecue ribs essentially come in two varieties. Spare ribs are fattier and take longer to cook. Baby back ribs are leaner and cook faster.
- Make the rub. The rub is a spice mixture that you rub on the rib rack to give it flavor. A typical rub for a 2 lb rack of ribs might consist of:
- 1 tablespoon (5 ml) cumin
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) paprika
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) onion powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chili powder
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) black pepper
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) white pepper
- Make the mop (optional). A mop or baste is the liquid sauce that you coat the ribs with to keep them juicy and flavorful while they are cooking. Some people prefer dry ribs, without a mop.
- Trim the ribs and apply the rub. Ribs will usually come with a large membrane on the back, non-meat side of the rack. Most people trim the membrane and discard it because it is hard to chew and prevents the rub from covering the entire rack. Coat the ribs evenly with olive oil or vegetable oil (optional). Apply the rub generously onto the meat so that the front and back of the rack are completely covered.
- For spare ribs, place the ribs on a covered barbecue grill at 225° F (107° C) for 5-6 hours. For baby back ribs, cook at the same temperature for 3-4 hours. Place the ribs on the grill so that they are not directly over the heat source.
- If desired, apply the mop every 45 minutes evenly across the ribs.
- When the meat in the center of the ribs is white and the juices run clear, not pink, the cooking is done.
In this video, Gwen Schoen of the Sacramento Bee educates us about different kinds of ribs and shows us how to barbecue spare ribs with a dry rub. - BBQ ribs can be smoked in a smoker instead of being grilled. Cooks frequently use hickory and/or applewood chips in the smoker. The temperature in the smoker and the cooking time for the ribs are the same as when they are grilled.
- Right before serving, stoke the fire or turn up the heat on your grill and place the ribs over direct flame for a few minutes.This will give the ribs a deeper color and more pronounced grill marks.
[Edit]Warnings - Make sure your ribs are fully grilled. Undercooked pork may result in trichinosis. The recommended internal temperature for cooked pork is 160° F (71° C), a metric set by the CDC.
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Select Resistance Bands Posted: 04 Jul 2021 01:00 AM PDT Resistance bands are one of the most popular options out there when it comes to workout equipment. These flexible latex bands look like small loops made out rubber or latex, and they typically come in color-coded sets of 4, 5, 6, or 8 depending on how many options you'd like. Not only are they incredibly versatile in terms of the exercises you can do with them, but they're super easy to store, they're cheap, and you can take them with you basically anywhere. But with so many products out there, you may be wondering which set is right for you. The good news is that most resistance band sets are more or less interchangeable, and it's way more important to understand how to select the proper level of resistance than it is to choose the fanciest brand. [Edit]Are resistance bands color coded? - Yes, and the colors are basically universal among the major brands. There may be some very minor variation in strength and resistance from one brand of bands to another, but basically every band uses the same color-coding system.[1] The most popular sets out there are usually have 4, 5, 6, or 8 bands in them. There's usually a reference card that comes with every set as well. Regardless, this is typically what the colors mean:[2]
- Tan—XX-light
- Yellow—X-light
- Red—Light
- Green—Medium
- Blue—Heavy
- Black—X-heavy
- Silver—XX-heavy
- Gold—XXX-heavy
- If you're ever unsure, assume the lighter colors have less resistance. There are a handful of niche brands that like to play around with the colors for branding reasons, and who can blame you if you lose that tiny reference card that comes with these sets? If you're ever unsure, just assume that the lighter colors have less resistance and the darker colors have more resistance. On top of that, the thicker the band is, the more resistance there will be. All things considered, it shouldn't be too hard to figure out which bands have more resistance.[3]
- If you're worried about losing track of which band is which, label each band by writing the resistance level on them with a permanent marker as soon as you buy them.
[Edit]What set of resistance bands should I buy? - Get standard large loop bands if you want versatility. The vast majority of resistance bands are large loop bands. They're closed loops with no handles, and they give you the highest number of options when it comes to available workouts. They come in a variety of different lengths, but you can always wrap them around your anchor or feet more than once to artificially make them shorter if necessary.[4]
- If you know you won't need a ton of resistance or you're buying the bands to do physical therapy exercises at home, buy therapy bands. They're the same thing as loop bands, but these sets usually have a lighter resistance.[5]
- Buy mini-bands if you're a little short on space. Mini-bands are the same thing as large loop bands, except they're a lot smaller and the resistances are condensed. In other words, a light large loop band and a light mini-band will provide the same level of resistance, but you won't need to pull the light band out super far. This makes them ideal if you're doing home workouts in a small space.[6]
- With mini-bands, you may not be able to do a lot of standing exercise where the bands wrap around your feet, but you can actually use them for a variety of exercises where they wrap around your ankles, thighs, and wrists, which can be difficult with bigger bands.
- There are also figure-8 bands out there. They usually have handles, and they're designed for upper body exercises. They aren't super popular, but they're a good choice if you only want the bands for a handful of chest and arm exercise.[7]
- Get bands with handles if you want a better grip. If you only want the resistance bands for upper body exercises and you want maximum wrist comfort, buy a set with handles. These bands are typically a little more expensive, but they're worth it if you want to keep your hands comfortable while you're working out![8]
- Since you can only hold the handles with your hands, you can't do any lower body exercise where the bands need to be wrapped around your legs.
[Edit]How do I choose a resistance band? - Start with the lowest resistance band and do 15 reps to see how you feel. If you're new to working out with resistance bands, grab the band with the lowest level of resistance. Do 15 reps of whatever exercise you plan on doing. If it's too easy for you that you aren't feeling any meaningful tension, move up a resistance level and repeat the process. Once you feel a burn after 15 reps, that's your band.[9]
- If you're using resistance bands for rehab, follow your doctor's instructions regarding the resistance level.
- If you've been lifting weights and working out regularly for a while now and you're just adding resistance bands to your repertoire, use whatever tension you'd like. You should be able to tell which band suits you best for a given exercise.
[Edit]When should I change the band I'm using? - Move up a level whenever an exercise gets too easy for you. As a rule of thumb, you want to feel the burn after 15 reps of a given exercise. If you aren't feeling sweat beads forming on your forehead after a given set, move up to the next band to keep challenging yourself. Keep doing this until you reach a level where the exercise is challenging and you're feeling the burn, but you can still get through the set.[10]
- The exception here is if you're using the resistance bands for physical therapy after an injury. In that case, just listen to your doctor or physical trainer.
[Edit]How do I know if I'm using the wrong resistance band? - So long as you control the band and feel the burn, it's fine for you. Lighter bands are likely better if you want to tone muscle and build endurance, while heavier bands are probably going to be better for building strength. With that said, so long as you're exhausting your muscles by the end of your workout you're going to benefit from the exercise.[11] The only way a band can be wrong for you is if it's so easy to use that you don't feel anything, or the band is so strong that you can't physically control the movements.[12]
- If you're rehabbing an injury, use a lighter resistance if you feel pain. If a certain resistance band is causing your injury to flare back up or you feel pain while you're using it, stop. Switch to a lighter band that's easier for you to use. If you're in physical therapy, let your trainer know that it's causing you issues so they can pick something more appropriate for you. Resistance bands are popular in treatment settings because they're so flexible and easy to use, but these exercises shouldn't hurt.[13]
- You don't want the band to be so easy to move that you have to stretch it out super far to accomplish an exercise. It's rare, but the bands can snap if you pull them out too far.
[Edit]What can beginners do with resistance bands? - Anything you can do with dumbbells, you can do with resistance bands. There's really no shortage of workout options with these bands, which is partly why they're so popular.[14] For example, if you want to do a bicep curl, just wrap the band around your foot to anchor it and lift the top of the band up by hand. If you want to do a squat, pin the band down with both feet and hold the other end of the band behind your shoulders with both hands while you do your squats.[15]
- You can do abductions, chest presses, lateral raises, triceps extensions, crunches, and lat pulldowns as well. In fact, that circuit adds up to a total body workout![16] This is part of why resistance bands are so popular—they're easy to use in a multitude of ways to get a full workout at home.
- Be sure to anchor the resistance bands properly—you could be injured if you fall while you're using them.[17]
[Edit]Do resistance bands build muscle? - Absolutely; in fact, they might be better than free weights! Free weights are fixed while you're using them in the sense that a dumbbell stays the same weight while you're using it, regardless of where you are in a movement. Resistance bands get harder to use the more you stretch them. As a result, your muscle experiences more strain as you extend your range of motion. Not only is this gradual increase in resistance safer for your joints, but this may increase your overall gains.[18]
- Don't use a really high level of resistance if you aren't ready for it just because you want to bulk up. You can achieve a nearly-identical level of muscle gain by doing a large number of reps so long as your muscles are exhausted by the end of the workout![19]
- Eventually, you might need to switch to weights as you get stronger, but weights can be a great way to get started training.[20]
[Edit]References __QAM__ |
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