Have you ever tried to photgraph fireworks just to have them come out all blurry and not at all the kind of image you were having in mind???  Well here is a few tips and pointers on how to photograph fireworks that I want to share with you:

Essential Equipment (You cant go without):

Your camera (duh    )

Tripod

Maybe a blanket for your accomplice…

Lets start with the shutter speed.  This is the most important consideration when photographing fireworks.  Ideally you’d use a setting which give you a slower shuter speed (a few seconds) so that you can capture the trails of the fireworks.  Switch your camera to manual mode and set your shutter speed to the slowest speed you possibly can.  (If you are lucky enough to have an SLR camera set it on bulb mode and experiment with slower and faster speeds)  Push the shutter button right before the firework explodes so that you can catch the beginning and the trail.  If you want to try and photograph more than one firework try taking a piece of black cardboard with you and blocking the lens in between bursts to keep unwanted/extra light out.  Keep in mind that too many fireworks can overexpose and spoil your final image.

Then your aperture setting.  Most of the time we tend to use a large open aperture (like f5.6) to photograph in low lighting conditions.  This is to enable more light to enter the lens and get a good exposure.  However, this is different when photographing fireworks.  Fireworks provide a lot of light and we want to try to get the sky as dark as possible so we’ll be using a smaller aperture of between f8 and f16.  This way you’ll ensure your fireworks will be nice and contrasty.

Just a quick note on ISO settings.  Each and every camera has an ideal ISO at which they perform optimally.  Most of the time this might be ISO 200 but when shooting fireworks you can even go down to ISO 100 to make help darken the sky.  (remember your exposing for the fireworks)

On the issue of where to cocus your camera.  All camera’s have an infinity setting, which will ensure sharp focus right through your image.  Otherwise set your camera to the landscape setting(which is almost the same thing)

A few tips on how to make your photos stand out from the crowd by: -Damien Franco

“Know where the wind is headed. If you’re downwind you’ll get all of the smoke from the fireworks in your pictures and they’ll come out hazy.The first sets of fireworks will have less smoke as an obstacle.Using a reference point like a building or other structure will add to the magnitude of the fireworks display and add interest in the image.Try to capture as many different frames as possible. It’s really hard to tell which ones are going to look best while your shooting.Take a few images of the people watching the fireworks as well. The light from the fireworks themselves will create interesting light casts on the observers.If you’re near water use the reflection of the fireworks in the image to create some truly magical pictures.”