Hey everyone,
As we head into the long hot 4th of July week I receive questions and emails on whats the best way to photograph fireworks. With that said, I thought I would share with you some tips on photographing fireworks!!!
Ok first off, I cant stress enough that fireworks are very tricky to photograph. Like lighting, fireworks are one of the most challenging photos to capture. However, STL Memories is here to help! If you follow some of these tips you can photograph an unique fireworks display!!!
Tips on how to photograph better fireworks:
1. TRIPOD... The best way to stabilize your camera is with a tripod, where it can sit motionless through a long exposure. But what if I don't have a tripod Scott? No tripod no problem, you can always try to brace yourself against a tree or a building, or hold the camera atop a monopod or walking stick. Before the camera ever gets set up, you’ll need to arrive early and scout out a good location. Find a place that should give you a good view, with no large light sources nearby (i.e. street, parking lot, headlights etc.) Big lights tend to “muddy” the scene and bleed into the photo. Don't forget bug spray.
2. ISO - This is your digital “film speed. Although it seems like you would want the fastest you can get, the reverse is true. You’ll want to set this to the lowest setting you have – probably 100 or 200.
3. Focus - This is a big issue for any camera shooting fireworks. If you try to rely on auto focus, you’ll be lucky to get the shot before the explosion fades away. You need to manual set your focus at infinity (all the way out).
4. Aperture and Shutter Speed: This is the hardest part, but I can give you some recommended settings. The longer your exposure, the more fireworks you'll capture at once, and the longer your light trails will be. So you might want to start with a shutter speed around 1 to 4 seconds and see if you like the results. For really long exposures, try covering the lens with your hand or the lens cap between bursts to avoid over-exposing the picture.
With that said, if your camera has a manual mode (usually depicted with an “M” on the setting dial), choose that. Then set the aperture (lens opening) somewhere between f/8 and f/16. The aperture controls how much light comes through the lens. The higher the number, the less light.
The next manual setting is the shutter speed. This controls how long the shutter is open. Start with 2 seconds and increase the time if you don’t like the results (i.e. the fireworks look too dark). Be careful not to “burn out” the fireworks – you still want to see color – but don’t let ‘em get too dark either.
5. Point & Shoot/ Digital SLR
Finally, Digital SLR users have an easier time, or at least more options, in picking the right settings for fireworks. Throw the camera on full manual mode. If you have a Point & Shoot camera that has a fireworks mode, go ahead and enable it--it will automatically adjust the camera's various settings for long-exposure night photography.
Feel free to print this article and take it along with you this week.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July!
Ill keep updating weekly, so you will want to stay tuned to the latest STL Memory news!!!!
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