Exposing for Explosions or Fire

Exposing for explosions can be difficult because it can often be unpredictable and you are not able to meter it before it happens. Explosions are often times very bright, so you will need to light your surroundings much brighter than you think you would to compensate. The more you stop down the more vibrant the fire will be. Overexpose it and it will turn white or light orange. When exposing for the fire or explosion, consider how bright you'd like the rest of the scene. If its a momentary burst of fire you may want to have it be more overexposed as opposed to a house thats on fire. It is ultimately difficult to underexpose fire too much as even in old films (Example: "Gone with the Wind", Burning of Atlanta Sequence) where they shot on film stocks of 5-10 ASA, the fire still does not appear dark.

There are a few ideas on how to achieve the correct exposure:

• Put up any large flame and meter it. This will get you a ballpark exposure.
• Light the area pre-explosion to as high as is practical. (Example: Terminator 2, Cyberdyne Lab lit the exterior of the Cyberdyne Lab building to f/5.6 on 500 ASA film as a starting point before the explosion.
• Ride the exposure as the explosion happens.
• Use filters like Black satin and ultracon to extend dynamic range
• Roll additional cameras and bracket the exposure.