How to Shoot Fireworks

18 Nov

There are many ways to accomplish fireworks photography and no technique is usually better or worse than others. In this article I am describing the process that I use, but the most important thing to remember is that you enjoyed the photographic process, and are left with photographs that you personally enjoy and that you enjoyed the show.

For the venue...

Research your vantage point and get there early.

Pay attention to framing and the size of the fireworks burst.

Will the fireworks will fill the foreground or background. Sometimes it pays to stay further away and incorporate some other elements into your images.

Lens wise a wide-angle zoom and a telephoto zoom lens will be more than enough to capture the show, but if you know exactly what you want to capture, a prime lens might be the better choice

Equipment

Camera

Lens(es) - You can always switch during the shoot

Tripod

External Camera Release (To prevent camera shake)

A piece of Black Card

A small torch or phone

Warm clothes

The Setup

Setup camera on tripod and frame shot

Auto Focus to where you expect fireworks to appear, then set to manual focus (Tip: If it’s too dark then set ISO really high, focus, switch to manual focus and set ISO back low)

Aperture Mid range (5.6) - adjust to your preference (Do not suggest to go much wider as you want a reasonable depth of field), Set ISO 100 or lower

Set camera exposure to bulb mode (So lense remains open until you release the trigger)

Vibration (& Noise) Reduction: Off (Having this on can impact image quality)

The Technique (Let the fun begin)