4th of July 2012

July 06, 2012

4th of July 2012

This is the first time I've seriously attempted photographing fireworks. I've always assumed it would be difficult, but the truth is, it's ridiculously easy. In this post, I'll show you my photos from this year's show in Katy, and give you a high level view of how to do it.

The general strategy is that instead of trying to shoot the camera at the exact right moment, you're going to open the shutter, let the fireworks explode, then close the shutter. Like catching fish with a net instead of a hook.

Here's what you need:

Camera that supports manual mode exposure
Tripod
A small flashlight. A small LED flashlight is ideal. If it's too big/bright, your neighbors at the show will not appreciate it.
Optional: Remote shutter release

What about lenses? It depends on where you're located relative to the fireworks. If you're close in, or you want to include the surrounding landscape, then a wide angle or standard lens might be preferably. If the fireworks are in the distance, you'll want a telephoto. The thing is, you'll likely want to frame fairly tight on the fireworks so you need the right distance/lens combination to accomplish that. And of course, cropping is always an option so don't sweat it if you don't have exactly the right lens. Surprisingly, one thing you don't need is a fast lens because 1) fireworks give off a surprising amount of useable light, and 2) you'll be using long shutter speeds.

Here's the step-by-step:

First, understand the location of the show and put a little thought into where you're going to place yourself. You want have a little distance from the show so you're not trying to shoot directly overhead. You obviously want a clear, unobstructed view of the fireworks. Try to place yourself upwind of the show. Otherwise the smoke can interfere with your photographs. Finally, its better to not be in a crowded area so that people won't accidentally bump your tripod, or worse, dump your camera over!
Get to the venue a little early to stake claim on a good location, set your gear up, and configure the camera. If it's dark, you'll be glad you brought your flashlight! Make sure you set up the tripod for maximum stability since you're going to be taking really long exposures: on level ground, center column all the way down, with a little weight on the hook if possible.
Cameras settings are as follows:

Manual mode
Aperture: Start with f/8
Shutter speed: "Bulb" or "time" mode. Bulb mode will keep the shutter open as long as you hold down the shutter or wired remote button. Time mode will let you open the shutter by pressing the shutter or remote button, then close it by pressing the button again. Ideally you want to use a remote to avoid camera shake from pressing the shutter button, but it's okay if you don't have one -- just be as gentle as possible. If your camera doesn't have a bulb or time mode setting, then just use a really long shutter speed. Start with 4 seconds.
ISO: 100 or whatever "base ISO" is on your camera

Use the first few fireworks to set the direction, tilt, and zoom of your camera.
For the focus, you'll want to set the lens to infinity focus and keep it there. Some lenses will have a marking that makes this easy. Others, like mine, do not. With a DSLR, you can autofocus on one of the exploding fireworks, then set the lens to manual focus to lock it there. Once you get your focus set, you'll keep it there until you zoom in or out, then you'll need to set the focus again. On a compact camera, you'll need to see if there's a way to lock the focus. If it supports manual mode, it's likely to have some way to lock the focus as well.
Now the fun part. Wait for a clear moment in the sky and open the shutter.
Let a firework fully explode.
Close the shutter. Rinse and repeat.
You can capture the light trail of the shooting rocket prior to the explosion if you want. You can also capture multiple fireworks in the same image by just letting several of them explode before closing the shutter. Both of these look really cool.
If your shots are coming out overexposed, stop down the aperture (i.e. use a higher aperture number) by one or two settings. If they're underexposed, go the opposite direction with the aperture.
Keep an eye on the LCD display to make sure you're maintaining good focus and framing the photos well. Over the course of the show the action may move to other parts of the sky as they start launching fireworks stationed at other locations. If you change your zoom, you'll need to reset the focus.
Take a "spray and pray" approach: Lots of photos means more opportunity that you'll get some really good ones.