Best camera settings for photographing fireworks
Asked 10/29/2010
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I struggle to get good firework photos and think I may have been using exposures that were too long. What settings usually work best for fireworks? Should I shoot handheld with faster shutter speeds because the bursts can appear in unpredictable parts of the sky, or use a tripod with a wider composition and crop later?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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In addition to the tripod I use a remote to trigger exposures around 8 second. Or you could set it to 'bulb' (or the equivalent on your camera) and click to open and close the shutter manually with the remote, so you can capture the action you desire.
I've shot fireworks at 200 ISO, no need to go higher, in my experience. In fact I stop down the aperture to F/8 or F/11.
Example (Rose Bowl Fourth of July show, from Colorado Street bridge in Pasadena, CA):
(click for more examples)
Originally by user109. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user109
15y ago
0
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Use a tripod rather than handheld. Fireworks are usually best shot with low ISO and longer exposures, and a tripod lets you frame a bit wider to account for where bursts appear, then crop later if needed.
Good starting settings:
- ISO 100–200
- Aperture around f/8 to f/11
- Shutter around 1.5 to 8 seconds depending on the show
- Or use Bulb mode with a remote release so you can open/close the shutter to match each burst
Exposure time depends on the display. Big, bright shows may need shorter exposures (around 1–2 seconds) to avoid overly long trails or overexposure. Quieter moments can benefit from longer exposures to capture multiple bursts and some foreground detail.
A remote release helps reduce camera shake. Experiment during the show, because the ideal settings vary with the type, brightness, and pacing of the fireworks. Consider whether you want only the bursts or also the surroundings/people in the frame.
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