Whether it is the massive celebration know as Red, White, and Boom in Columbus Ohio, or the great display here in Findlay that will be Tue July 3 from 4:00 – 11:00 at the fairgrounds, there are a few tricks to remember when trying to take images of fireworks.
1. Use a tripod. Blurry images are rarely good images, you need to use a tripod for this, but you don’t need to break the bank. “Tripod” can be any number of things. An actual tripod is great, but you could use a car hood, tree, rock, or anything else that is stable.
Bonus Tip: Firgure out how to use the timer on your camera for increased stability.
2. Plan your foreground. It is neat to see the fireworks themselves in the image, but most great fireworks images have something else in it. This may take some work. If you huddle up inside the mass of people watching a show in a major city, you can expect to be a bit disappointed. Scout out an area ahead of time where
you can either get buildings or trees on the skyline or even people to make a good foreground.
Bonus Idea: Incorporate a river or lake that will allow for some reflections and add interest.
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3. Figure out how to use manual. Using manual (a camera setting) on your camera will take the manual (that book or PDF download that no one ever opens). This is the best way to experiment, but note that not every camera has this setting. All DSLR’s have this (those are the cameras that you can switch lenses on), but not every point and shoot will have this.
Bonus Tip: It will not be as long of an exposure as you think, because the fireworks themselves are really bright pinpoints of light.
4. Experiment. Digital brings about some disadvantages, but you can’t beat the instant feedback that you get on the back of the camera in a situation like this. Experiment and enjoy.
Bonus Tip: Don’t forget to enjoy time with family in addition to taking time with your fireworks images.