Fireworks Photography Overview

Fireworks Photography

This interdisciplinary type of night photography and long-time photography is one of the most impressive possibilities to obtain an entirely new perspective for always original unique images. No fireworks, more precisely every rocket is the same, it is still a big surprise how the overall composition looks like in the sky.

Over time, I’ve decided not to take so many pictures directly on New Year’s Eve. That’ s because I find real shows by professional pyrotechnicians much more impressive. Events like the Pyrogames offer excellent opportunities for this. Of course, you have to check first with the organizer whether photography is allowed. So far, I have not had any problems in this respect.

Important Basic Settings

Aperture

The optimal aperture is about:

f8 – f16

There are different opinions for which color, which aperture should be preferred. I’m convinced that simply try it out.

Tip:

At the beginning, an aperture value of f11 – f13 is a good suggestion. So the individual effects do not outshine each other.

ISO

The ISO value describes the light sensitivity of the image sensor. Best is a value of :

ISO 100

Due to the dark environment and the comparatively long exposure time when photographing fireworks, a low ISO value is absolutely necessary. This reduces the later noise on the image but also increases the exposure time. Another advantage is that the dynamic range of your camera increases as the ISO value decreases.

Shutter Speed

In the field of fireworks photography, there are no recommended shutter speeds, as luck plays a significant role here, as already mentioned. Switch your exposure time to the “Bulb” mode to be able to react better and faster to the individual situation. As soon as you press the button of your remote shutter release, the exposure starts and lasts as long as you hold it. If you release the button, the exposure ends.

Further Adjustments

I usually photograph fireworks in manual mode because here, all degrees of freedom are given to you. So you can influence all variables according to your wishes and correct them quickly.

I take the pictures in RAW format to get the best picture quality and to be able to adjust my white balance in post-processing.

A particular difficulty at night is focusing. Especially in almost total darkness, it’s impossible to find the right focus point, so it’s important to set the focus manually. Some colleagues recommend turning the focus ring of the lens to the infinity setting until the end. My experience is that the actual infinity focus is often a few millimeters before this setting.

Due to the long-time exposure, it is essential to have a stable stand, because even minimal wobbles can influence the end result to a maximum. Therefore a safe and stable tripod is not to be renounced. Moreover, the camera does not know that it is firmly fixed, and the image stabilization could still try to compensate for something that does not exist. Therefore the image stabilization should also be switched off.

After all, settings have been made, it is not easy to give tips on image composition, because everyone has their own ideas about what should be in the image. In general, I would say: Less is more. Attempt to include only elements in the picture that are supposed to be part of it and perhaps have a relationship to your central motif (the fireworks).

Design Samples

Skills needed

Mastering the basic understanding of your own camera
To be able to operate your camera safely even in the dark
Manual focusing your camera
Be well rested & have fun by your photography

Planning 84%

Shooting Time 31%

Selection & Editing 33%

Publication & Recognition 22%

Tripod

As is the case for night photography, you have to get by with little light and long exposure times when photographing fireworks. For this reason, a tripod is indispensable. It’s even more important than photographing buildings at night. Because of the glowing effects, every wobbler will be visible on the photo immediately.

Since most of the suitable photo positions are in the open, there is no possibility to place the camera anywhere. For this reason, you should use a stable tripod to avoid camera shake. A tripod is therefore mandatory for fireworks photography in any case!

Remote Trigger

When you take pictures from a tripod, you do it, so the picture doesn’t jitter. However, the moment you press the shutter button on the camera, you may be shaking the image.

To avoid this error, I use a remote shutter release. To my knowledge, there are wireless, infrared, and cable remote triggers on the market. All three fulfill this function.

Batteries & Storage

Long-time exposures consume a lot of battery power because the mirror has to be kept permanently up, for example with SLR cameras. So you should not only have the battery fully charged but also a spare battery with you. Batteries have lower performance at low temperatures, which you should keep in mind.

You should have your memory cards properly formatted and choose the right size for your purpose.

Flashlight & Gloves

As you take fireworks photos outside in the dark, you need to be familiar with the functions and settings of your camera. It’s also very helpful to carry a flashlight.

Especially in the later seasons, it gets faster colder in the evenings and at night, so think of gloves. The best thing to do is to try out whether you can still operate your camera well with them.

firework photography