With 4th of July around the corner, I thought I would share some of my experiences with my clients and fellow photographers on how to photograph fireworks.
What you need:
- Tri-Pod
- Remote release
- DSLR camera with manual settings
- Lens 70-200 or another zoom lens
- Chair or stool on where you can see the back of the camera (there have been many times where I have forgotten and been on my knees the whole time)
- A little flashlight or the phone app flashlight (to see and change your camera settings)
Tri-Pod
Use a tri-pod. Whichever you choose, just make sure it is sturdy enough to support your camera and lens. Personally I use a manfrotto carbon fiber tripod https://www.precision-camera.com/search.php?search_query=manfrotto%20tripod§ion=product If you are just starting out, then sit your camera on a sturdy table and use a camera bean bag (I carry one at all times in my camera bag, especially during vacation https://www.adorama.com/tptptr.html?msclkid=b126d2f419c31ef308dc8fedb219e4c1&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5bSHOPPING%5d%20%5bADL%5d%20%5bPLA%5d%20-%20Generic&utm_term=4586887635568651&utm_content=%5bPLA%5d%20-%20Generic&adlclid=ADL-be185a74-7c4e-4c4d-a4d3-e6ade1de688b
Remote Release
It is really important when taking Firework Photos to use a shutter/remote release. If you do not, the chances of camera shake are highly likely. I use the Vello RS-S211 Wired Remote Switch that works with all of my sony mirrorless cameras and you can’t beat the price of $9.95. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1085535-REG/vello_rs_s2ii_wired_remote_switch.html/?c3api=3679%2Cbing%2C81432593743059%2C4585032207566128&msclkid=58bcddec141a181fe63e80f5bd594b28 Attach it to your camera and instead of pushing the regular shutter button on the camera you are pushing the corded remote so that there is no camera shake
DSLR camera with manual settings
My clients and hobbyist photographers have asked me, “Do I need an expensive camera like yours to take pictures of fireworks”. My answer is always NO. It’s not the camera, it’s knowing how you use it. When I studied photography in high school and college, we had assignments with film cameras each week such as street lights, architecture, people, and photographing fireworks, etc. We really had to think about the end result before snapping away because it was too expensive to waste film. We also only had a MANUAL setting.
What is important is to learn to photograph using “Manual” because then you are telling the camera what the picture should look like instead of the camera telling you what it should look like. This is really important with every type of photo but especially fireworks. and that is very important with fireworks.
As far as my preference on DSLR cameras, my preference over the last 2 years has been the Sony Mirrorless Cameras. I started with the Sony A7R and am now using the ARIII. What I love about the camera is the ability to see and focus in the dark.
Lens Choice
I prefer using the 70-200 lens for fireworks but that is generally because i am not up close. A few nights ago, our friend, who owns Texas Paintball https://txpb.com/ invited us to see fireworks on his property at the paintball. It was the most amazing fireworks we have ever seen. There were so many, so often and so close that a 70-200 lens would not have caught the splendor. In those cases, it would have been better to use a wide angle lens. In the pictures for this article, the up close ones were created using a focal length of 300 and the ones that captured the water reflection (the wet sand and ocean) the focal length was 128mm.
Hints for Photographing Fireworks
- Location – I don’t want the camera too low where is will have people in the photos. So, I point it into the sky where I think the fireworks will happen. In the case for these photos, I wanted to capture the water with the fireworks since we were at the beach so I had to be strategic in the placement of the camera.
- Landscape or Portrait – For me, I have taken both directions but my preference is Landscape because it captures the whole scene.
- Focal Length – Somewhere between 120 and 300.
- Aperture – Somewhere between f8 and f16. For Fireworks in Myrtle Beach, SC last 4th of July, I photographed half of them at f22. With the new technology, it is amazing what you can do.
- Shutter Speed – If your camera has a bulb setting, use that. This was you can take the picture and take pictures and change the amount of time each time until you get the desired effect. For these pictures, I set my camera though to 1.5 seconds and other ones to 2 seconds.
- ISO is the last setting I chose. I always set my aperture and shutter speed first and the set my ISO last according to the light that is needed. Back in film days 800 iso was grainy but digital cameras and their capabilities are absolutely amazing. For these images I played around with the ISO until I got the desired effect I wanted. Some Firework Photos ended up at ISO 160 and others ended up at ISO 1250.
- Focus – I use auto focus initially. For the first few times I do auto focus and then I switch to manual once the camera is focused on where the fireworks at shooting.
- White Balance – For these I keep it on auto. When I am at the studio outdoors for people, I do a custom white balance to make sure they are perfect color but with fireworks, there is no need to worry about that.
- Flash – Neither my Canon, nor my Sony cameras have a flash attached to it. But many cameras have a built in flash. Make sure that your flash does not pop up. First, it will make people around you upset while they are watching the fireworks and secondly, it will mess up the look of your pictures. If your camera is set to manual, then your pop up flash should not come on.
- Cautions – It is easy to over-expose fireworks. They provide more light than you think. Your best photos will be the first series of images because after so many bursts in the sky, smoke fills the air and takes away from the photos.
- Multiple Exposures – To capture a bunch of fireworks without the smoke, place a small piece of black foam board in front of your camera lens (without camera shake) until the next burst. Just make sure it is within the amount of time that you set your shutter speed for. If it is set for 2 seconds, then you can capture several fireworks without the smoke to make amazing pictures.
Enjoy! Practice! Try something new! Jordan Ashley Photography