Tips on Photographing Fireworks this 4th of July!

4th of July is a fantastic opportunity to take some amazing fireworks photos and play around with long exposure! Use these quick tips to help you create stunning images for an exciting and memorable July 4th holiday!

• Shoot in manual mode, and manual focus.
• Shoot upwind to avoid getting hazy shots from the smoke afterwards.
• Use a tripod.
• Use a cable release or wireless remote to trigger the shutter if you have one.
• Turn on Long Exposure Noise Reduction.
• Shoot the highest quality file you can.
• Set the camera to a low ISO, such as 200.
• A good starting point for aperture is f/8 through f/16
• Instead of choosing a shutter speed, set the camera to Bulb (B) which allows you to keep the shutter open as long as you want. Expose for the entire fireworks burst. You can even keep the shutter open for multiple bursts.
• Turn off the autofocus, otherwise it might have difficulty locking onto focus. Manually focus your lens at infinity.

One of the challenging parts of photographing fireworks is determining how to frame your shot. Planning ahead of time will save you headache later when the crowds appear. You'll want to set up at your location early to eliminate possible distractions in your photos. You'll want to consider what will be in the foreground and background as you don't want people's heads popping into your shots.

Another thing to consider is your horizon. You want to make sure you are level and the camera strait when you frame your shot.

The most important element in getting really amazing fireworks photographs is your shutter speed. Since fireworks are in constant motion from the time they burst to burnout, you need a long exposure. Using your bulb setting, you can open the shutter from the time the fireworks are set off and then close it via cable release once they have completed. Don't be tempted to just leave your shutter open too long just because it is dark. If you do, you'll run the risk of overexposing your shots.

For something fun, place some black foam core in front of the lens after the first display, and move it away when another burst begins to get multiple bursts in one exposure. Check out this multiple burst exposure from  Micah Goff on 500px!

RENT THROUGH JULY 4TH & GET 1 DAY FREE!

Cheers, Tani James, Education Director

Email me some of your July 4th shots to be featured in the blog at tjames@precision-camera.com