Health & Fitness

8 Tips For Foolproof 'Fourth of July' Firework Photos

Don't forget to pack your camera for this year's Fourth of July fireworks show!

Here are eight tips to help you capture the evening:

  1. Framing: Scope out the location before the show begins so you can pick the best spot, or several spots to shoot from during the display.
  2. Stability: Use a tripod to minimize movement, or place on a solid surface such as a picnic table or fence post. If you'd like to hold the camera and aim, lean against a fixed object (like a light post or wall) and hold your elbows close to your body.
  3. Camera Mode: Ditch the auto-mode and shoot in manual, if you can.
  4. Shutter Speed: Keep it slow to capture the movement of the explosion. I recommend 2-to-10 seconds (this is why you need the camera to remain still during the shot, see #2)
  5. Aperture: You don’t need a ‘fast lens’ to capture great firework photos. Experiment with apertures in the range of f/8 to f/16. These mid- to small-range apertures allow less light into the camera
  6. ISO: Shoot with a small ISO (100) to ensure clean shots (a higher ISO will make the shots look grainy).
  7. Flash: Disable the flash. It’ll do you no good, and will likely confuse your camera into a fast shutter speed (this will result in under-exposed shots).
  8. Don’t forget to photograph the crowd and surrounding landscape when it’s illuminated by the blasts!

Do you have any pro tips or a favorite firework displays to photograph? Share them in the comments section.


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