FREEEEBEEEE!! FIREWORKS!
For those of you that regularly check my Facebook Student group page. Here are a few tips on taking good Fireworks shots:
- If possible try and scope out the location earlier in the day. Get to that spot early if you think it will get crowded. Also, since you almost have to use a tripod (or car and a bean bag), this will take a bit of room. I always try and make an effort to place some things like chairs or cooler, ect. around me to keep people from bumping or walking into my tripod while taking long exposures (and they will if you don't watch your area).
- If possible, try and be up wind of the fireworks. If you are down wind, your pictures will have a lot of smoke in front of the fireworks.
- The cleanest fireworks shots will be the first ones before smoke builds up.
- Straight fireworks can make good shots, but think about adding atmosphere to your shots. What is around you that also might look good in the picture. Somethings like monuments or famous buildings can add identifiers to the location of the picture.
- Figure out what focal length lens you want to use. If your close to the fireworks then you need more wide angle. If you are far away, then maybe more telephoto. Don't crowd the shot. Try to give your self a little cropping room. YES, I said cropping room. You just don't know how far the fireworks are going to spread, especially trying to get those first ones.
- Focusing will be best in manual mode. Try to get the focus right before the fire works start. Try focusing on a far away building or something that has light on it, that is roughly the same distance as where the fireworks will go off. Once auto focus has locked in, then switch to manual focus and leave it there. If you have a point and shoot, try the above before taking the shot each time and holding the shutter button half way down till you see the fireworks you want in the picture.
- Keep in mind that camera shake is a big problem here. If you have a remote shutter release, that is best. Otherwise try and use a short timer and anticipate when the fireworks will open it's plume.
- Keep in mind that while you do need a longer shutter speed to capture the fireworks, the light from the fireworks will be very bright! Your camera will see all the very dark area and want to give a longer exposure than it should (this will over expose your fireworks). It is best to shoot in manual mode, but if you don't have this feature, try the fireworks scene mode or night time landscape or find a very brightly lit building (at the same distance of the fireworks) and again, hold the shutter button down half way and wait till the picture is right.
- Shutter speed will vary depending on how many fireworks are going off at one time! Any where from 1/160th of a second to several seconds may work. It all depends on the amount of light being given off at any one moment. Try a time, view your LCD and adjust as needed. Remember, it is motion you are shooting and in the end, it is a happy accident to some degree.
- For Point and shoots, if your fireworks are to bright and washed out, use your EV scale to dial down the exposure.
- Aperture should be anywhere from an f/8 to an f/22. The more the depth of field, the better odds of having the fireworks all in focus. Try setting the camera to infinity by focusing on objects further away.
- ISO should be at 100!
- Remember to turn your flash off! If your subject is to close, they will be to bright and the fireworks will be to dark. You could try Night time Portrait or slow sync flash if you want to include close foreground subjects. Make sure the fireworks are in full bloom if you do.
- Most important!!!! Remember to have FUN!!!! Enjoy the fireworks and enjoy it with the people you are with, if that is the case. Hope you enjoy this free lesson. Hope you have a great and photographic 4th!

If you liked the advice, leave a comment!

HAPPY 4th!

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