Seven Rules to get Great Fireworks Photos

With Independence Day fireworks shows on the agenda, social media will be flooded by photographs of fireworks, and most will not be very good photos. Here are my tips for getting the best fireworks photos:

1. Use a tripod. Good fireworks shots will require a slow shutter speed and you can’t hand-hold the camera still enough. Make sure it is firmly on the bare ground and not wobbly.

2. Use a DSLR camera. Point-and-shoot and cell phone cameras are usually too automatic, and you will need to use some manual settings (see below).

3. Get there early and frame your shot. You need a location with a clear view in the direction of the fireworks with no power lines, utility poles, street lights, etc. Generally start with your lens zoomed as wide as it goes (after step 4 below). You may still need to adjust how your camera points when you see how high the fireworks go.

4. Focus manually. You can’t focus on the fireworks themselves, so focus on buildings, trees, etc, at the same distance as the fireworks will be. Zoom in all the way and use automatic focus, then switch to manual focus mode so the focus doesn’t change. After that, you can zoom in and out without the focus changing.

5. Use a low ISO. This is another manual setting. Many cameras adjust the ISO automatically, but you want to set the ISO manually as low as you can. ISO 100 or 200 is good.

6. Use a slow shutter speed. You may need to experiment some as the show progresses, but start with three seconds, which should give you nice filaments and detail. But because of this, make sure that your tripod is firmly planted, so that it doesn’t wobble when you press and release the shutter. If available, use a cable or wireless remote. Note: Many tutorials say to set your aperture manually, also. I use the shutter/speed priority mode, along with the manual ISO, which allows the aperture to adjust itself.

7. Get into a rhythm. Trip your shot as soon as you see the missile shooting skywards. If you wait until you see the firework explode in the sky, it will be too late.

Follow these seven rules, but also be flexible and prepared to tweak your settings slightly as the show progresses (particularly shutter speed and camera angle) and you will get some great fireworks shots.

Note: The photo above is my own.