A shot that I'm looking to replicate this year

Back in 2018 I took this picture. 

In St. Augustine, Florida, the Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress, hosts historical reenactments that include live cannon firing demonstrations. These are part of educational and ceremonial programs conducted by National Park Service rangers and reenactors in Spanish colonial uniforms. I was lucky enough to be there at the right moment when this ceremony was being played in 2018 and managed to get this shot. According to Google these demonstrations, still, usually take place at on weekends at 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:30 PM. We will be there on a weekend and be busy during Saturday shooting a Karate competition, but we are planing to visit the downtown on Sunday. 

That's the logistic behind the shot. Technically, I shot this picture using a Nikon D5200, at 1/800 with an ISO of 100.  Now I'm armed with a Canon R6 Mark I, I'm planning to take a Tamron 28-300mm on this trip to have more flexibly in the angle. From the point of view of settings, I'll set the camera in Shutter Priority with the lens wide open and Auto ISO with a shutter speed of 1/1000. Shutting a fast burst, I do not see a chance of missing the shot with the Canon R6 and these settings. A key point is to start shooting right before the cannon is fired.

As you can see, if you want to capture specific shots, you need to analyze the situation and mentally prepare a plan that includes your camera settings. This is where knowing how to shoot in Manual, Aperture Priority, or Shutter Priority becomes a real advantage. Shooting in full Auto, on the other hand, is unlikely to deliver the results you're after.

By the way, I used ChatGPT to check these settings and surprisedly enough, this AI took recommended the same settings. 

Here is an interesting fact, I asked ChatGPT how using the Tamron 28-300 lens would affect my shooting strategy and here is the answer:

How the Tamron 28-300mm Affects Your Setup

🔹 1. Variable Aperture Lens

• The max aperture shrinks as you zoom:

  • At 28mm: f/3.5

  • At 300mm: f/6.3

• Implication: If you're shooting at the long end (which you probably will), the lens is limited to f/6.3, so less light reaches the sensor. This may force:

  • Higher ISO (expect ISO 400–1600 depending on light)

  • Or slower shutter speeds if you're in Aperture Priority — which is why Shutter Priority is the better choice here.

✅ Your Move: Stick with Shutter Priority and set a minimum of 1/1000s. Let the camera open the aperture (up to f/6.3 at 300mm) and raise ISO as needed.

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🔹 2. Image Stabilization (VC)

• The lens has Vibration Compensation (VC), which helps with camera shake, especially at longer focal lengths.

• BUT: It won’t help freeze subject motion (like the flame/smoke). That’s where fast shutter speed matters more.

✅ Your Move: Keep VC enabled for handheld shots, but don’t rely on it to freeze fast action.

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🔹 3. Autofocus Performance

• This lens is versatile, but its autofocus speed isn't as fast as a high-end Canon RF lens.

• It might hunt in lower light or with fast-moving subjects — but for a static cannon setup, it’s fine.

✅ Your Move: Pre-focus on the cannon (manual focus or AF-ON button). Use Servo AF only if people are moving into the frame.

Between the EF70-200 L and the Tamron 28-300, ChatGPT selected the EF70-200 for this shot, but also mentioned the fact that the Tamron 28-300 was going to give me more flexibility, specially when I'll be shooting different scenarios in this visit.