What went wrong?

[OttawaGoa]

these were both taken at 12:00pm and I used my vivitar 75-200 mm telephoto lens with a pentax MZ-M, I had never taken night shots before so my apeture size (the one on the lens that governs how big of a hole light shines through.. is apeture the right word?) was the 2nd lowest and 1st lowest for the crappy one (5.6 , 3.2). As well it's really blurry for me.

Would those have turned out semi decent if I used a higher apeture number? (Maybe 11 or 8?) And my shutter speed was at 125 with ISO at 100 +2 (maybe the film, shutter speed?)

Thanks in advanced!

[Sebastian]

WHat does ISO 100 +2 mean?

Fireworks shots are easy. Get a sturdy tripod and a cable release. Set the ISO to 100 or 200. Set the aperture (you were correct) to f/8 or f/11. Set the shutter speed to bulb. When the mortar first launches, open the shutter. Once it fires and the tendrils have traversed for a distance, close the shutter. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Yours were WAY underexposed. That's why you see all the grain, the funky colors and the low contrast.

[OttawaGoa]

Set the shutter speed to bulb

Bulb? Don't know what you mean sorry

oh and ISO 100+2 was that the film was 100 ISO , and on the left side of my camera it says ISO -1-2-3 0 +1+2+3 and i had it set at +2

The longer the shutter is left open, the more the photo would have been less exposed? (I'm a photo newb sorry)

(P.S that manual shutter release for a pentax mz-m is 90 bucks!)

[Sebastian]

Hmm...I am not sure what the +2 is, I would guess exposure compensation, telling the camera to overexpose by two stops over your chosen setting? Does it say in the manual?

Bulb should be a shutter speed selection. It just opens the shutter when you first press the realease, and then closes it when you release it.

The longer the shutter is open, the MORE light hits the film, therefore more exposure. But you counteract that by using a small aperture, which prevents the film from being overexposed. BTW, larger f/numbers represent SMALLER apertures, smaller numbers are larger apertures.

[OttawaGoa]

Thanks for the clear up on the Bulb option, I realize I do have it and it's just a B but it's there I'm guessing the same for the ISO exposure, but it's anyones guess. (Oh unfortunatly I lost the manual when my mom threw out my box a couple years back, one of the main reasons why i know so little about my camera, still... lol)

I found out about the smaller number means the bigger hole one day when i looked right in my lens and realized why all my pictures were under/overexposed lol.

Thanks again Sebastian, I've already learned so much and I bet there's a million more things I need to know.

Take care