Some Techniques When Photographing Fireworks Displays

Fireworks displays are always a sight to behold. They may last for a few seconds or a few minutes and all we will have is a memory of them and of our own amazement.  This is why many want to capture the beauty of fireworks displays in photographs but many find it a tough task.  Aside from having the presence of mind to grab a camera to capture them, there are also come techniques that should be used to have breathtaking and stunning photographs of fireworks displays.

When taking pictures of fireworks displays, you have to balance the elements of both brightness and darkness.  How you balance these elements have a huge impact on the photographs that you create.  If a fireworks display happens in your area, just grab your camera and keep in mind these tips:

The Importance Of Planning

While many people tend to ignore or put little emphasis on it, planning is very important when photographing fireworks displays.  Whenever a fireworks display is scheduled to be staged in a particular place, there are usually announcements to inform people in the area about it.  On the scheduled day of the fireworks display, it is important that you get to the location early.  This way, you will know for certain where the fireworks are going to be set up and what part of the sky the fireworks will be lighting up.  You can also ask the organizers what they are planning.  With these, you can choose an appropriate, if not the best, location accordingly.  Getting there early also gives you a chance to look around the location and to take note of the surroundings and the lightings.  These will give you an idea on the focal lengths and lenses to use.

On Framing And Focusing

One of the most difficult aspect when photographing fireworks display is where and when to aim your camera.  Normally, you would need to aim your camera even before the fireworks goes off.  Some photographers spend most of their time looking at the sky rather than looking at their view finder so that they could see what is happening around them while anticipating the right moment or the right time to shoot.

It would also be wise to use manual focus with your camera. If you use the auto focus mode in low light, you may end up missing a lot of good shots.  Set your focusing and fix your focal lengths in advance.  Remember to always adjust your focusing when you decide to change your focal lengths.

Some Considerations In Shutter Speed

When taking pictures of fireworks displays, you do not have to necessarily set your shutter speed at a very low setting.  You may be tempted to keep your shutter open for too long because it is dark and you feel you need to do that.  However, fireworks in themselves are very bright and you run the risk of overexposing them.  When this happens, you may not have a nice and clean shot and what you may get in your photograph is too much smoke.

Determining Your Aperture

Some people think that in order to capture fireworks displays right, that they would need to open up their camera’s aperture.  However, the fireworks emit very bright lights.  Try setting your aperture between mid to smaller f stop instead.  Also, keep your chosen shutter speed and mind and shoot at lowest ISO possible.

Capture The Mood And The Surroundings

Fireworks displays often relates to special occasions and celebrations.  The surroundings and the people viewing the fireworks display often make interesting aspects of photographs.  By including landmarks, people, and other perspectives, you make your photographs more meaningful and the fireworks display will look more spectacular.

Hope this has helped someone,

Ray Baker