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4th of July Fireworks Photography Tips

Its that time of year again for picnics baskets, sunscreen, your favorite iced beverage, cameras on tripods, and the smell of gunpowder wafting through the air.  While those are the good things about the 4th of July, remember there are a few challenges that will likely crop up.  Challenges such as huge crowds, not being able to find a good unobstructed view of the show, traffic, and the sudden realization that shooting fireworks is hard.  Luckily with a little preparation these issues can be avoided.

Last year was my first attempt at photographing fireworks on a 4th of July.  The images in this post were all taken with my then go to camera, the Canon Powershot S5IS point and shoot.  I’ve upgraded twice since then and really looking forward to this year’s shows.  We’re still have not decided where we will go to see fireworks this year but after a little research I’ve found that we have plenty of options.

Just like last year I’ve reviewed my RSS feeds and conducted a few searches of my own to review best practices for shooting fireworks along with the best places to view them in the local area.  It would be selfish of me not to share my findings with you.

Pick your spot. Pick the fireworks display you plan to attend early.  Before the holiday take a trip there and scout the viewing locations.  This will save you precious time when you arrive before the show.  Try to find a place with an unobstructed view, level for a tripod, and with the background/foreground objects you like.  If you’re really lucky your spot will be near the exit routes.

If you’re not sure where the fireworks will be fired from, try searching Flickr for that location.  You should be able to determine a good position from shots of previous shows there.

One good tip that is especially applicable to fireworks is to watch the wind.  Last year we viewed the fireworks shot on the National Mall from the Netherland’s Carillion on the Virginia side of the Potomac River.  At first glance this appears to be the perfect spot with a panoramic view of the mall and the explosions going off over the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument.  What we didn’t realize at the time though was the wind tended to blow toward us and to the right.  Due to this much of the smoke was in our shot.  This created very hazy images and obscurred the larger explosions as you can see from the photos in this post.  Trying to determine wind may be a little difficult for a new location but its worth the attempt.

During the show take a look around you at the crowd.  Consider a shot of your neighbors with the light of the rockets reflecting off their faces.

Be still. All the rules of long exposure and taking tack sharp photos apply here when it comes to keeping movement to a minimum.  A tripod is a must.  Not only will it help keep the camera steady but it will give you the added benefit of time to step away and take a few moments to enjoy the show.

To reduce any movement you may induce while triggering the shutter use a remote trigger or set the delayed timer.  Using a timer will require a little practice to ensure the shutter is activated at the moment you want.  You’ll need to work on your timing to get the proper lead time correct.  I recommend a 2 second delay, most every SLR I’ve seen has this option.

Many dSLR models have a mirror lock function, take some time to review your camera settings to find it.  This function locks the mirror in the up position until the exposure is made.  This reduces movement inside the camera during the exposure.  It may seem like overkill but its a practice that many professional photographers use.

If you’re lens or camera has image stabilization (IS) or vibration reduction (VR) then turn it off.  Why?  Scott Kelby in his The Digital Photography Book says it best:

…these VR lenses look for vibration. If they don’t find any, they’ll go looking for it, and that looking for vibration when there is absolutely none can cause (you guessed it) some small vibrations.

Even if you have a point and shoot, review the documentation to see if it has an IS/VR function.

Go manual. Many new dSLRs have a preconfigured fireworks setting.  If you are absolutely not comfortable with your the manual settings on your camera then by all means use the preconfigured one.   Last year I switched between both.

The challenge is, you can’t really practice your manual settings beforehand unless you live near a baseball stadium.  For most of us, fireworks is a once a year event.  This means the more research you can do beforehand the better.

I’ll list a few settings that I plan to use and then list a couple of sites that expand on them.  Remember though that these are recommendations for your use.

• ISO 100
• Daylight white balance
• Initial starting points will be a 2-5 second exposure at f/11 – f/16 and will modify depending on results.  I have limited experience with it but I may experiment with bulb mode.  With bulb mode and a remote trigger you can get better control.  Shoot when the rocket burst and release when the light trails start to fade.
• Focal length is a personal preference depending on what background or foreground objects you want in the shot.  I plan to use a  70-200mm 2.8L lens so will probably focus on the explosions.  That all depends on where I set up the tripod though.  If we’re back in DC this year I’m sure my wide angle will come out for a few shots.
• Review and modify.  Especially in the beginning review your shots and make adjustments as needed.

More reading. Here are a couple of good articles to read to expand your ideas on shot settings:

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays by Darren Rouse at Digital Photography School

How to Shoot Fireworks by David Muse at Photographers Alliance Workshop

Don’t forget the More Properties link on the image pages of Flickr to see the settings others have used.  Fireworks on Flickr

Have a blast! Sorry for the pun.  The 4th of July is a celebration.  Don’t spend all your time looking through the viewfinder or worrying about camera settings.  During the show take a step back and enjoy it.  Go OOOOOO and AAAHHHH with the rest of the crowd.  If you miss the shot remember it will be there next year.

Whats your favorite fireworks photography tip or article?

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