7 Tips To Photograph Fireworks this 4th of July

Learn how to photograph fireworks with these few steps – then get brave and write with sparklers and learn how to take pictures of sparklers!

How to Photograph Fireworks

1 Tripod or anything stable you can set your camera on. Such as a fence, a bag, a truck/car hood. You will not be able to hold your camera and get crisp pictures!

2 ISO Even though it’s at night time that you are shooting your light source (fireworks) are going to be bright. So having a lower ISO will be ideal. So start with 100 or even 200.

For more on ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed you might want to read more here: a 5 Minute Crash Course to Learn your DSLR

3 Aperture keep it all in focus with a lower aperture. Maybe start around f/5.6 or f/8 to test out your landscape focus.

4 Shutter Speed Here is the tricky part. You want to keep your shutter speed open a bit longer than you probably normally do. You might have to take a few trial and error shots before you really nail it! Remember the longer you leave it open like 3-4 seconds you will get the milky streamy light streaks. If you go for a quicker shutter speed like 1 second or less you will get a crisper feel to your light streaks!

5 No FLASH If you use your pop up flash it’s not going to work. You cannot use that at all!

6 Focus if you find your camera won’t focus on the firework light consider switching your lens to manual focus and trying to manually focus on your subject.

7 Arrive Early It’s always wise to arrive early, get your best spot and do some test shots!!! If you’re like me this kind of photography I don’t do it every day, so sometimes having a few minutes without the pressure really helps me to get my settings where I am comfortable!

Last but not least have a Happy 4th of July and have fun experimenting and learning your camera to a bigger capacity!!! Go you!

Hi I’m Erin a Southern mama from South Mississippi, owner and chief editor of Sixth Bloom a blog helping mom-tographers as well as up and coming photographers become successful! You will find me living life to the fullest with my mister (aka husband) and our new little addition Miss Elle in our 500+ sq foot cottage as we build our dream house on our two acres! We are blessed beyond measure, love to travel, involved in ministry at our church and in between all of that I run three successful businesses!