How to Photograph Fireworks
In this tutorial I’m going to show you how to photograph fireworks with ease. Plus I’m giving away a Free Guide which you can take with you on your shoot. Photographing fireworks is actually easier than it looks, you just need the right equipment, settings and a good eye for composition! Here I’m going to show you how to set your camera to photograph fireworks as they burst into the air. We’ll also be looking at how to expose properly to add some foreground interest.
We’d love to see your firework photography inspired by this tutorial. If you want to show us, tag us on Instagram and twitter #theschoolofphotography and on Facebook @theschoolofphotography1
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Firework photography settings
Nitish Meena on Unsplash
Your camera needs to be in Manual mode (M)
Set an aperture of f/22
Set a Shutter speed 15 seconds so you can photograph the fireworks as they’re bursting into the air
Set an ISO of 100
Set your lens to manual focus and set it to infinity
To learn about apertures, shutter speeds and other camera settings click here
Equipment for Photographing fireworks
Tripod
Whilst your taking pictures of the fireworks, your camera will need to stay dead still. For this you will need a good sturdy tripod that can take the weight of your camera. Avoid using cheap flimsy tripods as these could cause your camera to move in the wind or make your set up top heavy.
DSLR and Mirrorless
Capturing fireworks requires you to work fully manual, therefore you will need a camera that is capable of that. A good camera to use would be a DSLR or mirrorless camera that has a fully manual setting. To learn how to use your camera in fully manual mode click here.
Cable release / remote trigger
Whist you are photographing fireworks you cannot touch the camera as you will get camera shake. To avoid this you will need a remote trigger or a cable release, this will enable you to fire off the camera without touching it.
Standard kit lens or an ultra-wide angle lens
It’s a good idea to use what’s called an ultra-wide angle lens so you can photograph as much of the fireworks as possible. To learn more about lenses, wide angles and focal lengths click here
Firework photography tips
When photographing fireworks it’s a good idea to add foreground interest but make sure you leave space for the fireworks. In my example I have added a fairground in the foreground of the shot.
Speak to the organiser or whoever is involved to find out where the fireworks are going to burst then set up well in advanced of the display starting. One thing’s for sure, if you get to the show late, you won’t get a spot!
Then you need to take an exposure test for that scene.
Test shot without the fireworks
Here is my test shot for the scene, taken way before the start of the fireworks display. This gives me enough time to get the exposure and composition correct. Note there is enough space above the fairground to allow the fireworks to burst over the scene.
Adjust your exposure if needed, to do this follow the instructions below:
If it’s too bright - decrease time to 10 seconds
If it’s too dark – increase time to 30 seconds to brighten up the scene
Or
Too bright – smaller aperture
Too dark – wider aperture
To Learn more about exposure in photographing click here
Examples of firework photography
Wide angle shot of fireworks display over the fairground.
Southend fireworks display
Live shooting mode on the camera when photographing fireworks.
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