Fireworks displays, whether they are sparklers in your backyard or are on the same scale of New York City’s East River extravaganza, can be as spectacular on film as they are in person with a little bit of fine-tuning of your digital camera. Here are just a few tricks I have learned over the years to take near perfect photographs at my local 4th of July fireworks celebrations.
Fireworks over Ridgefield (CT) High School, 2004
If your camera is a newer digital point-and-shoot, there may be a fireworks setting you can enable, which could produce some fairly good results. But if you are using a camera without such a setting, you can consider these tips:
First and foremost, you need a tripod to ensure your camera is steady for those perfect shots. A stationary camera is a must since you will also be using a longer shutter speed, which is especially important to capture the movement of the fireworks. An unsteady camera using a longer shutter speed will get the fireworks fine but will also get the movement of the camera itself, which will blur the picture.
A wide-angle lens is important to provide a larger portion of the sky. I suggest a two second exposure using the camera's adjustable shutter speed. This should be done on a camera with a manual mode setting, because an automatic mode would risk inaccurate exposures.
If the camera has a "bulb" setting, I suggest trying that as well, along with setting the lens opening or "f-stop" to f8. The "bulb" feature opens the shutter, and it will remain open as long as the shutter release button is held. That can provided spectacular photographs during an extended fireworks display.
Fireworks over the Savannah River, Augusta, GA 2008
Also, check your camera's light/dark setting. The button to check is a plus and minus sign. You should set it all the way to dark so the night sky is black and the fireworks are color streaks. By sure to turn your flash off… it's the icon with a lightning bolt and what looks like a no parking sign.I also recommend turning the ISO setting as low as 100 or 200. The ISO determines a camera's light sensitivity. The lower setting is ideally used to capture overly bright scenes and can provide a higher quality image with less "noise" - the equivalent of grain in film photography.
I hope this will help you enjoy the majesty of your fireworks experience with wonderful photographs and the memories of celebrating our country’s 233rd birthday.
Happy 4th of July – America!
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Douglas Moran
Smithery
Patie
Love Grandma
Rolling
Alan Nothnagle
Salon.com
Comments
Loved the photos you put on here.
Have a great 4th..
Rated for seasonal razzle-dazzle.
I wish I had read your article before watching last night's fireworks in my home town...I would have had my camera with me.
Also, thanks for your comments on my "fourth of July" post