Many people I have talked to are concerned that  taking fireworks photos  requires some specialist knowledge and equipment.  This is not true.  In this article I have outlined 10 key points that might help dispel this myth and persuade you to try it.  It can be worthwhile as the results are often nothing short of spectacular.  You might be pleasantly surprised.

So here are my 10 Digital Photography Tips for taking great fireworks pictures.

1. Tripod

When  shooting fireworks  you will be using longer shutter speeds to capture the movement of the fireworks.  Unfortunately, this will also capture any camera movement as well.  So it is very important that your camera be secured so it cannot move or shake.

2. Remote Release

Of-course, the simple action of pressing the shutter release can also cause your camera to move so I always use a remote shutter release.  These vary depending on the type of camera.  On my Nikon D80 I use an electronic one.  You could use the self timer but I find this extremely unreliable as you need to anticipate when the fireworks will happen.

3. Framing

Trying to work out in advance where to aim your camera so you actually can photograph the fireworks is a challenge. However there are a few things you can do to reduce the guess work:

Check out the location in advance and get there early to secure a good viewing spot.  Consider the foreground (so you don’t get people’s heads in your photos) and the background.  Thinks about which lenses you will use and have them ready.  Also consider what focal lengths you are likely to use.

Check the horizon.  Make sure the camera is level and if there are other elements in the background eg buildings, ensure they are also straight. Set this up before the fireworks start.  Also decide if you are going to frame the shots horizontally (landscape) or vertically (portrait).  I have found portrait to be more effective as it as it shows more of the vertical motion of the fireworks.

4. Focal Length?

Shooting at a wider focal length is easier than at a narrower one.  The difficulty in taking fireworks pictures is ensuring your camera is pointing at the right part of the sky.  This is exacerbated if you are trying to take closely cropped shots using a longer focal length.  With digital photos I find it better to shoot at a wider focal length and then use Photoshop to crop the firework images if I want.  Sometimes I will use a zoom lens to get some tighter shots but I don’t rely on that method.

5. Aperture

Fireworks emit quite a bright light and I have found that using apertures of between f/8 to f/16 seem to work the best.  

6. Shutter Speed

Capturing the movement of fireworks can give you some fantastic firework photos so shutter speed is very important.  After lots of experimenting I have found that the best way is to use "bulb" mode and a long exposure time.  This allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you hold the shutter release down.  You would depress the shutter down just before the firework explodes and then release when it had finished exploding.  Be careful not to hold it down too long as it is easy to over expose the photographs as the fireworks do emit a lot of light when they explode.  This method takes some experimentation.

You can also experiment with set shutter speeds which can work well.

7. ISO

Using an ISO 100 is the best.

8. Flash

Switch your flash off.  It will have no effect on your shots and may actually impede them by making your camera think it needs a short exposure time.

9. Manual or Automatic Mode

Some cameras find it difficult to focus properly in low light when on autofocus. I find using manual focus and manual exposure far better than auto modes. If you’re using a small aperture and manual focus you should find that once your focus is set it’s unlikely that you will have to change it during the display.  If you change the focal lengths then you will need to refocus.

10. Experiment

Check how your photos are looking throughout the display.  This will allow you to make any necessary minor adjustments and prevent you taking all bad photos should something be not quite right.  It’s not necessary to check every one or you might miss the real show but take a few early on and check these and then make adjustments if necessary.

Think outside the square and look for different perspectives.  Maybe reflections of the fireworks in a pool of water or silhouettes of people etc can sometimes give your shots a whole different outlook.

Take lots of photos.  Remember with a digital camera your processing costs are zero.  The more photos you take, the more likely the chances of a really spectacular firework photo.

 Kerry Northey

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