Our photo club topic this month was "celebrations" and I just found out a couple days before our meeting so grabbed my granddaughter, some ice cream, and some sparklers and this is what I got. The only light is coming from the sparkler. I don't think it's a great pic but I do like the way her face is lit up by the sparkler.
@lynne5477 Okay so what metering mode do you use and where are you metering? Your niece's skin? I'm just now venturing into full manual and learning about the metering modes, which mode is best to use in each situation, what to meter off of, and how much if any adjustment is needed for the meter reading I get from the camera.
@clarkafb_brat John, I focused on the sparkler (before it was lit) and then switched to MF (manual focus) on my lens so it would not try to re-focus in auto mode. Then I set my exposure to be at least 2 F-stops underexposed b/c I knew once I lit the sparkler, the light was change my exposure. Once I let the sparkler, I took several shots changing my speed from about 4 seconds all the way down about 1/2 sec. I knew I wanted it underexposed b/c we were on the patio and I wanted a very dark background. ...didn't want the bushes/flowers showing up. That doesn't answer your question, I know, but it's about the best explanation I can give.
