How to Take Sparkler Pictures

Learn how to write with sparklers and how to take sparkler pictures through these steps. Using your phone or DSLR camera.

How to Take Sparkler Pictures

Taking sparkler pictures is much like learning how to take firework pictures!  It’s usually a dark setting, your camera settings will be trickier than normal…so whether you are shooting 4th of July Sparkler pictures or photographing a sparkler exit at a wedding…these tips will help you!  

The photography market is literally crawling with some ahhhh-mazing talent. So much so that I think it intimidates up and coming [newbie] photographers. At least, I know it did me! I was so overwhelmed with the breathtaking and jaw-dropping talent that just seems to gracefully flow out of the more seasoned photographers. Heck, I’ve been in this photography game six years and I STILL get overwhelmed!

One of the most amazing wedding photography shots that just takes my breath away is the infamous SPARKLER EXIT that couples are doing more and more these days. It doesn’t matter if EVERY seasoned photographer in the market shot one; every single sparkler exit would be different because every photographer is different. We all view things differently through our camera lenses. The way I perceive and produce a shot may not work or be the same as another photographer and that’s what makes us all unique.  Before we go any further one thing you may want to polish up on is shooting in low light situations. 

However, sometimes the talent that oozes out of the seasoned photographers can cause a lot of separation in the industry as the newer photographers are scared to ask for help and advice for fear of being made fun of, shot down and etc. I know there are A LOT of photographers who are trying to push the “COMMUNITY OVER COMPETITION” motto to the forefront to make the industry a little bit nicer and I’m trying with everything inside of me (despite the hatred and meanness I’ve endured) to get on board with this.

Thus the reason for this blog post.

I want to give back.

I want to help.

I want to encourage and inspire.

I don’t know EVERYTHING there is to know about all things photography because there is ALWAYS something new to learn, but I figure if I can share some of my creative knowledge with someone else then I’ve helped build this “Community Over Competition” forefront a little bit stronger.

So here goes….

{Keep in mind that what works for me may not work for someone else.}

How to Photograph Sparkler Pictures

Let’s talk SPARKLER EXITS and how to photograph sparklers at a wedding (or anywhere you are for that matter)

This particular shot has been on my bucket list for the longest time, but until recently I’ve not had a wedding couple incorporate one into their wedding. Imagine my excitement when my most recent wedding couple told me that they were having one!! It was literally all I could do to keep from jumping up and down and screaming! So if this is on your bucket list to shoot or you have an upcoming wedding that will incorporate this I just wanted to share some tips and tricks so you can shoot an amazingly breathtaking exit for your wedding couple.

TIP #1: USE LONG SPARKLERS!

For SAFETY reasons this is a MUST!

Sparklers are EXTREMELY dangerous and burn at high temperatures between 1800 and 3000 degrees depending on the type of sparkler. These temperatures can instantly (and severely) burn skin as well as catch clothing on fire. A photographer who is local to me named Brian Mullins had an incident happen with sparklers at a wedding he was shooting that almost cost him his career. Long story short he was holding a handful of sparklers (while trying to get the wedding guests lined up) and someone (either himself or a guest) in all the chaos lit the sparklers in his hand. The sparklers EXPLODED in his hand! He still managed to get the shot despite the searing pain he was in before leaving to head to an ER. You can read more of his story here. My wedding couple was planning on using the much shorter 4th of July sparklers and when we sat down for our consultation I told them this story and explained why the longer sparklers are a much safer option (especially if alcohol and children are involved). Not only that but the longer sparklers take more time to burn down which gives you ample time to capture the beautiful exit!

Here are a few places in which to order the longer wedding sparklers in various lengths from 10 inches to 36 inches:

– www.theweddingsparkler.com

– www.sparklersonline.com

– www.vipsparklers.com

– www.grandweddingexit.com

TIP #2: ONE SPARKLER PER PERSON!

Again this is for everyone’s safety.

Now this sounds like it should be a common sense type of thing, but sometimes common sense things bear repeating. People get excited over sparklers, especially children. When it comes time to get the wedding guests lined up for the sparkler exit there will be so much excited chaos and caution needs to be exercised to keep yourself, your second shooter, the bride and groom and all the wedding guests safe. Even after my consultation with my bride and groom prior to the wedding I still had a guest walk up to me with a handful of sparklers and ask for them to be lit while holding an alcoholic beverage in the other hand. I had to diffuse that situation quickly so that myself, my daughter (who was my second shooter) and this guest were kept safe. I would suggest to help cut down on the chaos that the bride and groom designate someone (friend, relative, coordinator) to be in charge of handing out sparklers and for lighting them when that time comes.

TIP #3: DARKNESS IS YOUR FRIEND!

I know shooting at night and at a high ISO is scary, especially because of noise/grain that will most likely be in your images. Unfortunately to get the best and prettiest sparkler exit shot you need it to be dark. My sparkler exit was shot much earlier than it needed to be and therefore I had to think quick in the way of camera settings to pull it off.

Do NOT shy away from shooting your sparkler exit because of darkness.

You CAN do this!

YOU ARE A ROCKSTAR!!

Sparkler Photography Settings

TIP #4: CHOOSING THE LENS….

Every photographer has at least ONE go-to lens that is their absolute favorite and that they prefer to primarily shoot with. Every lens is different when it comes to shooting capabilities in low light. My daughter and I used two different lenses and the results were drastically different even though our camera settings were somewhat similar. For me I felt that wide angle was the way to go, so I used my Sigma Art 18-35 mm f/1.8 DC HSM lens and I shot at 25 mm. My second shooter shot with the 35 mm. You’re going to want a fast lens that is great in low light situations for your sparkler exit. The 35 mm is a great lens. It is fast and sharp; but sometimes, depending on the low light situation, it can cause images to be a little softer. If you don’t mind that then the 35 would be a great choice. The 50 mm would be a great low light lens choice. (Everyone should have a nifty 50 in their camera bag). The 50 is fast and sharp and works like a beast in low light. My wide angle zoom lens is very sharp and works well in low ambient lighting.

Does this mean you have to go out and purchase these lenses in order to create art with your sparkler exit? Absolutely not. You can create beautiful art with what you have in your bag. I recommend testing your lens(es) out in practice to make sure it produces the images you want before trying it out for the first time at someone’s wedding. So pick your lens, get a few sparklers and go out at night with the help of a friend, spouse, etc. and see how your lens does.

I’ve gone out many a time with the dollar store sparklers (the hubs helped) at night and tested each of my lenses. He would write words with the sparklers and I would snap a few photos with each lens.

This image was shot with the 18-140 mm f/3.5-5.6G KIT LENS at 24 mm.

TIP #5: CAMERA SETTINGS & STABILITY….

Sharing best exposures times for sparkler pictures and technical aspects now!

This particular tip/trick will vary from photographer to photographer. Everyone has their own settings and way of shooting a sparkler exit. I’m just sharing what worked for me. As I stated earlier, I had to shoot my exit way earlier than intended. Therefore, the camera settings I used will be a bit different than the settings you would typically use for shooting a sparkler exit at night.

For the sparkler exit I shot (in Manual on both camera & lens) at a shutter speed of 1/100s with an aperture of f/5.6 and an ISO of 320. For shooting my sparkler exit at almost 7:30 p.m. (about an hour before it actually got dark) that worked for me. I was able to use the shade of the trees around us to block out some of my light so that the main light was coming from the sparklers themselves. Due to there still being a good amount of natural light I didn’t have to deal with too much grain because my ISO stayed fairly low.

Typically, you want a fast shutter speed (say about 1/125s), wide open aperture (f/1.2, f/1.4, f/1.8 depending on the lens) and high ISO (like 800 and up) while using the ambient light of the sparklers to light your bride & groom as they exit.

For extra stability I chose to use my tripod. Some shoot sparkler exits handheld and don’t have any problems. The choice is up to you and what your preferences are.

TIP #6: IT’S TIME….

How to Take Sparkler Portraits

When attempting sparkler portraits as stated here in #11 – you need lots of sparklers on hand!  Especially if you are experimenting and it’s your first time for sparkler pictures.

I found that you get the best results when having the bride and groom pause briefly as they start their exit and then again in the middle before they completely exit. DO NOT BE THE HOLD UP OF THEM LEAVING! It’s best to get in place before all the guests and have your gear ready to roll when the bride and groom appear. However, the brief pause at the beginning will give you a small window of opportunity to get your settings right and start shooting. When they stop the second time, usually to dip and kiss, you will capture your shot. They should be completely lit, in a beautiful way, by the sparklers.

You only get one shot at this so make sure your settings are on point and ready! But no pressure, right?!

Also, it’s your place to direct the guests where to line up for the sparkler exit. Make sure you have an even number of people on each side holding their sparklers up and out away from them. This is important because you want to have equal lighting on both sides of the bride & groom as they walk out for their exit. Not to mention, if you have a touch of OCD like me, it will bug the ever-loving life out of you because of the unevenness.

TIP #7: BE CREATIVE!!

Typically, the bride and groom will kiss or dip and kiss during their exit, but you can be a little creative with this. You can have them jump, dance, piggyback ride out, or whatever sparks your creativity.

The sparkler exit itself is NOT the place to get super creative because at this point they are leaving. However, you may be able to steal the bride and groom away for a few minutes once it’s dark (and well before their exit) to get a little creative with just them and sparklers.

How to Write with Sparklers

Writing and drawing with sparklers are limitless when it comes to creativity.

Here are a few suggestions:

-hearts

-swirls around the bride and groom

-writing words like: true love, happily ever after, their wedding date, love

To do the above mentioned ideas you will shoot with a long exposure. Good settings to start with are 20 secs, f/8 and an ISO of 400. You can adjust from there depending on what you’re wanting to capture being written or drawn with sparklers, what lens you’re using, and whether or not you decide to incorporate off-camera flash.

Here are a few tips to remember when writing/drawing with sparklers:

-the couple (or if you’re doing this with the bridal party) need to write the word(s) backwards to themselves so it is right to the camera

-if swirls are being drawn around the bride and groom (usually by an assistant who is running) the couple needs to be absolutely still during the shot. Make sure you have them in a pose that will be easy to hold during that 20-30 secs you are taking the shot. The slightest movement will cause them to be blurry.

-if your lens is having trouble focusing in auto have someone use a cell phone or another light source pointed towards the camera for your camera to focus on. Switch to manual focus at this point and leave it alone.

-use a tripod! I would absolutely recommend this to avoid any camera shake. (Unless you are a master at shooting handheld at 30 sec intervals with no camera shake. If you can, then get on with your bad self!)

The image below, which was my first wedding sparkler exit, was shot with the following settings on a tripod.

D7100 with the Sigma Art 18-35 mm f/1.8G at 25mm, 1/100s, f/5.6 and ISO 320

(Remember how I said you could only write words at long exposures well that was true. Since my sparkler shot didn’t go exactly as we planned out I added a sparkler word overlay in post to give it that little something extra to make it pop!)

I hope you have found these little tips and tricks helpful for planning and executing your next wedding sparkler exit.

Practice. Don’t get discouraged. Be creative. Above all else have fun!
GUEST BLOGGER:  WEBSITE | BLOG | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | PINTEREST

I’m a Creative and Lifestyle photographer from North Carolina. I’m a wife and mom of 5 with a huge heart for Jesus; love of life & people; storms and Netflix. When I’m creating art with my camera my soul goal is to capture life, tell a story and evoke emotion.