Photographing Fireworks – How to Get It Right All the Time!

With the New Year just a few days away, you have the perfect opportunity to catch all those magical fireworks display on camera. But do you know how to make it work? Do you have the skills to capture all those breathtaking moments on camera? While a lot of people are not sure if they can do it right, you need to know that photographing fireworks is not as difficult as most people think it is. It’s really quite easy – if you know the tricks!
So, what do you need to do if you’re planning to photograph fireworks? Here are some tips you may need to consider:

Bring the right equipment.

When shooting firework displays, it is always advisable to use a tripod. Since you will be using longer shutter speeds to capture all those sharp images, you need to make sure that your camera remains as rock solid as it possibly can. And relying on your hands to do the job can be a very challenging one, to say the least. Just how long do you think you can keep your hands steady? It just can’t work. Period. My advise – get a tripod.
Another necessary equipment that you need to bring along with you on location is a remote release device – wheter it be a cable or an RC unit. This will help ensure that there will be no unnecessary shakes as you release the shutter.

And please don’t forget to bring a flashlight with you. It’s really hard to fumble in the dark when you are trying to adjust your camera settings, right?

Lastly, don’t forget to pack in some spare batteries and memory cards. You’ll be shooting a lot of photos so it’s better to be prepared for any eventualities.

Get the best possible view.

To do this, you may need to visit the area at daytime so that you can plan well ahead of time. Scout for areas that offer a clear view of the spectacle that is about to happen. Consider sites that satisfy the following criteria:

• Free from all possible obstructions such as buildings, trees, cables or other people’s heads. A high vantage point such as the top of a roof or a hill will be ideal for such purposes.
• Includes a famous historical landmark that may help enhance your shots.
• Has a vast body of water. The fireworks’ reflection in the water can add drama to your photos!

Don’t put yourself in smoke’s way.

All fireworks produce smoke and this can get between you and that perfect shot you’re aiming for. So, find out where the wind is blowing and pick a location that is not against it. This way, the smoke won’t affect the quality of your photos and you’ll get sharper, more vivid images.

Know the perfect settings.

To capture the best fireworks display photos, you may need to consider the following camera settings:

• Don’t use your flash. It will take the focus out of the bursts.
• Keep your ISO low (preferably at 100) to increase your chances of getting sharper images.
• If your camera has a fireworks mode, use it. If it doesn’t, don’t forget to keep your aperture at f/8 to f/16.
• Set your shutter speed between 1 to 15 seconds. But if you really want to capture some really good photos, use the bulb mode.
• You may use the infinity focus or the manual focus mode. Different experts have different opinions on this one so go ahead and see what works best for you.

Some more useful tips in photographing fireworks:

• Keep shooting. It’s good to take a lot of pictures to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot.
• Track your results from time to time. Make sure you’re not shooting a batch of duds.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Do you want to shoot from a wider perspective? Do you want to include silhouettes in the foreground? You can do these and more! Feel free to do whatever you want. Keep experimenting!

So, there you have it – the secrets to shooting perfect fireworks photos. Now, do you feel confident that you can shoot some pretty good photos this New Year’s eve? Go for it!

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Advanced Exposure

Your camera offers a range of advanced tools to assist and complement the built-in exposure meter

In most situations your camera will produce perfect exposures but there are times where it may need a little help to get the best results. Fortunately most cameras offer a range of tools to help you judge and fine-tune the exposure that your camera has set. Here are a few of them.

Histogram

A histogram is a graph showing the spread of tones in an image, with the peaks to the left showing the darkest areas and the peaks on the right showing the brightest areas.

In an average picture, with an equal number of dark and light areas, these peaks should be evenly distributed across the image. If your image is underexposed the peaks will be bunched to the left end, and perhaps fall off the end of the graph, while with overexposure they will be over to the right.

Simply adjust your exposure to get the peaks nearer the centre. However, with some subjects the peaks need to be biased to one side. With a snow scene, for example, they should be over to the right. If they're in the centre it means your snow is mid-grey in tone. 

Many cameras offer a live histogram so you can view it before shooting, rather than having to go into review mode and see it afterwards.

Bracketing

Another sure way to guarantee perfect exposures is to shoot every picture at a range of exposure settings.

You can do this manually, of course, but most cameras have an auto-bracket feature that can do this for you. When you press the shutter it will take one at the exposure it thinks is correct, plus one or more shots either side of that, in third, half or whole stop increments (determined by you). It all happens in a fraction of a second.

Image: Bracketing is useful for tricky metering situations when you aren't sure which exposure will produce the best result

Dynamic Range Adjustment

A perfect exposure is generally regarded as one that records detail in both the darkest and lightest parts of the scene (excluding high- and low-key images).

Sometimes, though, the subject contrast is beyond the sensor's ability to record detail in both the deep shadows and bright highlights.

Many cameras now include a Dynamic Range feature that boosts detail in the shadows and/or holds back the highlights, much like Photoshop's Shadow/Highlight feature.

Use caution, though. Apply too much and the image will look unreal, and noise will be increased in the shadows.

Image: The Dynamic Range feature boosts shadow and/or highlight detail

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

High Dynamic Range photography, or HDR, takes the Dynamic Range adjust feature a stage further.

It involves taking a range of shots at different exposure settings (you can use the auto-bracket for this), then using either Photoshop or dedicated HDR software to combine these shots into one image that incorporates a wider range of detail than you can get from a single shot.

However, the effect can look cartoonish and unreal if applied too heavily. Some cameras now offer an HDR option in the camera.

Image: HDR is a technique that involves taking several shots at different exposures and blending them together on the PC

By Nigel Atherton.