Photographing Fireworks on NYE

Posted by Sara Marjorie Strick on 27th Dec 2018

Take Amazing Fireworks Photos This NYE

4th of July isn't the only time of year to capture stunning fireworks photos - New Years Eve often has an amazing light show of its own! Take this opportunity to play with long exposure, composition, and more!

Here are some of tips for making the most out of your fireworks photos!

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 if your camera has this feature.
Shoot the highest quality file you can - Shooting in RAW will require you to edit these images afterworks, but often times provide much more latitude for fixing exposure and color quality.
- PRO TIP! Shoot in RAW + JPEG so you have both files to choose from at the end of the night!
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.

Don't forget! Theres tons of other ways to play on New Years Eve! Sparklers can be great for photos, portraits, and light painting - although be careful! Sparklers can still burn, so don't get too crazy. ;)

Looking for a place to watch the fireworks to bring in 2019?

Check out http://austinsnewyear.com for information about the upcoming show here in Austin!