11 Tips to Taking Better Firework Photographs

Photographing the 4th of July approaches, the highlight of the day is the display of fireworks when the sun goes down.

This photograph was taken in downtown Memphis Tom Lee Park along the Mississippi

Capture awesome firework photographs using these following tips.

1. Set your ISO to 100, the lower the better to avoid noise in your digital photograph.
2. A wide angle lens if you are trying to capture a larger view, like including water, bridge, or building. A 24mm would work.
3. A zoom lens if you are trying to capture a close up of just the fireworks. A 70-200 or 70-300 would work.
4. A tripod to set your camera on because of the long exposure. This will help to avoid your photograph being wavy.
5. Have a cable release which minimizes shutter vibration, making it a sharper image.
6. Use manual focus, go all the way to infinity and back off just a slight bit.
7. Use an F stop of F8 – F11.
8. Set your camera to B, for BULB. This controls your shutter speed.
9. When the fireworks are shot up, release the cable and hold for 3-6 seconds until the display is gone. Look at your LCD to see how it is looking. You may have to adjust your F stop or how long you hold the shutter open.
10. Where to Stand: An unobstructed view with a landmark. Fireworks blazing against the profile of a well-known (and hopefully well-lit) building or natural landmark can add a point of interest to your image.
11. Compact Flash Cameras – Some have settings for fireworks. If not set it to landscape, and hold down the shutter release slightly because of the lag, and then click right before the burst. Disable your flash.
12. BONUS – If you have a black cloth or cardboard square to cover your lens you can use that to leave the shutter open and then have multiple bursts fill the frame.

These Memphis Photographs were taken in Tom Lee park along the Mississippi. Tried to get as close as I could to the water to get the reflection and Hernando Desoto Bridge in the background.

Let me know your photographic plans for the fourth!

7 tips to photograph fireworks

Wishing you and your family a safe and fun July 4th!!!

This was taken on the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis, with the Desoto Bridge in the background. No flash, Aperture f/8, set on “bulb”, 4 second exposure, ISO 200, 24-70mm lens.

Here are 7 tips that will give you some great fireworks photographs.

1. Set you ISO to 100 or the lowest it can go. This will help to get the noise down in your photograph.

2. Bring a tripod. You will need to find a good place to put this since it is going to be crowded. A tripod will help steady the camera, and give you sharper photographs.

3. If you have a cable release, but all means this is the time to use it! This will also give you sharper pictures.

4. Set your aperture between f/8 and f/16.The smaller aperture intensifies the colors of the fireworks and prevents overexposure. Experiment and see how the different aperture setting changes the look of your image.

5. Shutter speed: Use your camera’s “B” (bulb) setting. Start your exposure at the moment the burst begins, and end it when the burst reaches its peak. How long is long enough? For a single blast, a second or two should be sufficient. Sometime four to six seconds. Be sure to check your LCD because different lighting conditions may affect timing. For example, are other photographers shooting with a flash. Is there lighting in the foreground.

6. Use a wide angle lens 24-70, or even a 12-24 lens. This will help in getting all the fireworks, and be sure you can get closer to where they are launching the fireworks for your photograph.

7. If you want to have multiple burst in your photograph. Leave the camera on B or bulb and block the lens with a black piece of cloth or paper until there’s a burst, and repeating the process over several bursts. This results in a multiple exposure that can fill the frame with fireworks.