Consider your location:Arrive early enough to your location so that you can get an idea of where you might want to shoot from.Consider where the fireworks will be shot from and what kinds of compositional elements you could use in your foreground, background or both. Often times composing a shot with a landmark will add a sense of identity to the image that a viewer can relate to making it more appealing. For you Photoshop wizards consider taking a clean shot (no fireworks or distractions) of your backdrop/scene in the moments just before the light is gone. Exposing the image so that you can make out the details in the scene makes it more identifiable, and then add layers of the fireworks blooms and trails later in post processing.
Equipment:
The use of a tripod is highly recommended to secure your camera from movement and shake. If you do not have a tripod you could try setting your camera down and use the self timer other things you might try would be a bean bag, brace your camera against something or use a firm and solid stance and grip. Whatever you chose to do, just make sure that your camera is secure and does not move, simply because longer shutter speeds will be used and any movement will show up making your shots look fuzzy and out of focus.
In combination with a tripod a remote shutter release is a great idea as it allows you to trigger your shutter without having to be in contact with your camera body. This will increase your chances of getting some good keepers. If you do not have a remote shutter release do not worry, try using the self timer on your camera.
Some other tips to remember, make sure you have lots of space on your memory card the big fireworks shows can last a bit so be sure to have plenty of space. Full batteries! Make sure your batteries are changed, there is nothing worse than getting worked up to get some great shots only to find you’re without a camera. L Use large file sizes, set your camera to take high resolution images, often times when working with your images in your post work you will find a need to crop or rotate your images and having a high res image will help ensure you get make quality prints.
Composition:
Arriving early enough to scout your location will help you with this step, by giving you a scene that you can see in daylight before it gets dark you get a sense of how you might want to frame your shots. Setup your camera in a location that will allow you capture what you want in your scene, but be mindful of things like where people might be walking or sitting or other objects so that you do not end up with elements that could be distractions. Your horizons are also something to consider during setup before the daylight fades, as it will be hard to correct for this on the fly and in the dark. Shooting vertical or horizontal is another framing consideration and will depend on your scene, camera, lens and what you are trying to capture.
Focal Length:
Aperture:
Often times the question that gets asked is “What aperture should I use?” Considering that fireworks are extremely bright, apertures in the mid range of f/8 to f/16 are where most accomplished photographers set theirs. These mid range aperture settings also help with clarity and sharpness since they tend to be the some of the sharpest aperture settings depending on the lens.
Shutter Speed:
This is probably the most critical setting you will chose and will depend on your camera what options you might have available. I personally like to put my camera in ‘M’ for manual mode and chose my aperture and then set my shutter to ‘bulb’. Using bulb allows me to open the shutter and keep it open as long as I have the shutter button depressed (I use a remote release). Using this technique you open the shutter as you hear the fireworks launch and then continue to keep the shutter open until the bloom or explosion is over, leaving you ready for the next one. If your camera does not have a bulb mode you can use shutter priority mode (TV or T) a long shutter speed of around 1-10 seconds depending on the lighting conditions and your camera should be selected and you may have to play with this setting to find the right exposure. Be careful not to leave your shutter open to long as the temptation to do so because it is dark might leave you with some over exposed images, especially if you leave your shutter open for multiple bursts.
Camera Mode:
For those that can, I find I get the most keepers when shooting in Manual mode for exposure and focus. Auto focus in the dark is difficult at best and you might find good results will be found if you can prefocus on the anticipated area where the fireworks will be and then shut off the AF. Once you have your focus set there really won’t be any reason to make changes and the use of the small aperture setting will increase you depth of field, which should also help to keep things in focus. For those that are not comfortable in manual mode many camera makers have a ‘fireworks’ mode or you could try another mode depending your camera it may vary, have fun, be creative and try a few different ones.
Experiment:
One of the great things about digital photography is the instant feedback we get, so check those photos as you take them make any adjustments as you need to and do not be afraid to experiment a little. Having your camera pointed at the sky might get the nice shots of the blooms but a wider perspective including some silhouettes, reflections, people sitting or laying the ground as the fireworks go off can all be very fun to try and capture too!
