What techniques and camera settings work best for photographing fireworks?
Asked 7/3/2012
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2 answers
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I know the basic advice for fireworks photos, but I’m looking for practical techniques that improve results. For example, when should I use bulb mode, and what does covering the camera or viewfinder with a dark cloth actually do? I’d also like tips on focus, composition, exposure length, tripod use, and whether portrait orientation can work well for fireworks.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
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The only technique I can recommend with certainty is experimentation! There are no hard and fast rules.
Bulb mode is useful if you want to go past your camera's maximum exposure time, typically 30 seconds. If you don't have any foreground light sources, i.e. you're pointing at the sky, or the foreground is unlit, then you can pretty much expose as long as you like as without worrying about overexposure as the fireworks stop giving off light right after they go off. A longer exposure allows you to capture more bursts in an image. If you want to do long exposures with foreground lights then you might need to use a graduated ND filter upside down.
Covering the camera with a t-shirt or cloth is used to prevent stray light entering the camera through the viewfinder. It's only applicable for SLRs/DSLRs. I find a bit of black electrical tape is more convenient.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Use a sturdy tripod and plan your shooting spot early, since fireworks usually require long exposures and you may not be able to move once the crowd fills in. Keep flash off; it won’t light distant fireworks usefully. A low ISO such as 100 helps minimize noise during long exposures.
Bulb mode is helpful when you want exposures longer than your camera’s normal maximum (often 30 seconds), especially if you want to record multiple bursts in one frame. This works best when you’re mainly shooting the sky; if there are foreground lights, they can overexpose during very long exposures.
On SLR-style cameras, covering the viewfinder with a dark cloth or similar can help prevent stray light from entering through the viewfinder during long exposures. It’s not about covering the lens.
Manual focus is often more reliable than autofocus for fireworks. If possible, set focus manually once the show starts and check your results. Portrait orientation can work well when you want to include the launch trail and the burst higher in the frame.
Most importantly, experiment: there are no fixed settings that work for every show, distance, or ambient light level.
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