@LifesSweetDrug: Sorry I live in country X is no good excuse in this day and age when a quick Google search is all that is between you and information ;)

Especially when it is coming from a lifehacker reader :)

Minimalist Geek

@LifesSweetDrug: Nothing much besides the whole "Independence Day" thing.

Most people here use it as an excuse to drink beer all day, but Americans also enjoy seeing things blow up, so that's why we shoot fireworks off basically.

Try it sometime ;)

MCWHAMMER

What is special about the 4th of July?

Sorry I live in the U.K.

LifesSweetDrug

Another great article and just in time not only for the 4th of July. Here in Malta during summer we have the festa season and we have fireworks in different towns every weekend till the end of September.

Its noisy but fun :)

The hands on approach of this article reminded me of the The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby

Minimalist Geek

Aw, guys! If you'd posted one day earlier you could have included Canada day! We have fireworks too!

Great set of tips though; stabilizing the camera is almost always a must (basically you can only get away with it under extremely good lighting conditions), and it doesn't require a huge expensive tripod. Check out the posts on making stabilizers out of string a washer!

FelixC

Handy stuff about putting your camera in landscape if you can't manually focus to set it to focus-to-infinity. Turning down the ISO is something that's not immediately obvious either- but makes sense. Thanks LifeHacker!

ScaryDave

@Minimalist Geek: We in the UK often say that Americans have no sense of irony. Can't think why.

Wol

This got me excited; I think I am going to go early to the 4H fairgrounds this year to see their spectacular. =)

kaiz3n

@LifesSweetDrug: I think that was a joke, seeing as you are in the UK, right? I must say I enjoyed that.

gforster

My technique is to use a tripod. Camera focused infinity at f5.6 or f8 (I can't quite remember)

Oh, and USE SLIDE FILM! Kodachrome is preferred but Elite Chrome 100 will do. Velvia 50 is alright but a bit saturated for my taste. Try it out, though. You may like it.

@LifesSweetDrug: Just a day commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more. (John Adams quote)

battra92

... a perfect time ^^

Thank you Lifehacker!

wormz

France has its Fireworks on the 14th of July, that's just a week and a half later, those tips come at

wormz

Another Canadian irritated with your timing here!

My two tricks/reccomendations:
location: look for a bunch of people with better gear then you have. This is especially handy if you arent familiar with the area, and dont know where the fireworks will be coming from. If you see a cluster of tripods with high end DSLRs on them on one slope, they probably know where they are looking.

lens: if you are going to be remotly close to where the fireworks are going to be setoff, use a fairly wide angle lens, and if neccesary crop the photos later. This ensures that you are more likely to be able to get the shot, helping you deal with the varying hieghts at which the fireworks go off.
this also helps as most (non-1000$+) lenses can shoot with a wider aperature when they are zoomed out, allowing you to capture more light.

lytfyre

@Minimalist Geek: Scott shared how to shoot fireworks which was taken right out of his book yesterday on his blog...

And for those who took @LifesSweetDrug seriously... think about it for a minute...

jarhead

I'm never sure if articles like this are for SLR or point and shoot users. It might be best to pick one type and go with that instead of trying to explain what your camera might have and might not have. P&S users aren't going to know what half of these things are, and SLR users on the other hand I would hope are smart enough to be able to focus and not use something like a landscape mode.

dpollitt

You should also set your Digital Camera to the "Best Picture" setting. This will then take 10 photos within a short time, allowing you to either make a small motion picture of the firework, or simply pick the best photograph you have taken.

an2an

Couldn't you have posted this yesterday? (Canada Day, here in Canada, yesterday...)

Great post nevertheless, learning some great photography tips from you guys!.

kmkl

I agree with Velvia - the oversaturated colors works to this film's advantage for shooting fireworks.

Velvia's oversaturation is more of a problem for shooting people, as skin tones can go off (especially, a extra pinkish tone for caucasian subjects).

@dpollitt:

The aforementioned tips are all fundamentals of photography, and thus are applicable to SLRs and P&S cameras. While this is geared to digital camera owners, every single fireworks how-to written in the past thirty years has covered 95% of this content. There is no new content here.

Changing ISO or disabling flash are listed in any owner's manual (over 90% of today's P&S cameras are capable of such adjustments).

Deprong Mori

I wonder how many are thinking, "Couldn't you have posted this a few days earlier? Canada Day was yesterday!"

Laogeodritt

@an2an: Since the exposure time is on the order of seconds, this may not work well, if 3-4 seconds later the second or third picture is taken. By that time the initial trail may have faded.

sunken

@jarhead: Thanks for the pointer :) I have Scott's book and find it essential... learnt a lot from it.

Minimalist Geek

I was going to try my new camera's "fireworks" settings this 4th. Do you think that it will do pretty much everything that this article says to do?

maven2k

@battra92: Why use Kodak when you can use Fuji Velvia?

joshthephenom

Excellent article! Maybe I'll try it myself this week.

Scott D. Feldstein

@Minimalist Geek: Ditto... both volumes are highly recommended

jarhead

@maven2k:

Your camera's "fireworks" setting cover three of the tips above: exposure, no flash, infinity focus (and possibly ISO), but you should read the owner's manual and do some test shots first.

Since 1-4 seconds typically yield the best results, use your tripod.

One thing this post neglects to mention is that you don't want to be shooting underneath a streetlight.

Deprong Mori

[twipphoto.com] also has some pointers, aimed more at DSLRs

Vengance

So what do you meter off of when shooting fireworks? Do you wait until the fireworks start and meter off one of the bursts? Or do you meter off the (black) night-time sky? Or off of something lighter?

Doing a long exposure is all well and good, but not if you get too much/not enough light. Metering off the wrong thing is a big problem with my camera's autometering.

bigvince1981

@cowboy_k: at least I won't have to wait a full year to try this out, though - our town is having a fireworks show in August as part of our centennial celebrations, so hopefully I can get some good shots there.

Sorry for adding to the Canadian whinging around here - I don't quite understand it all, as we're normally so polite, etc. etc. etc. :-)

cowboy_k

Add one more Canuck wishing that you had posted this a little earlier...

cowboy_k

@bigvince1981:

Don't attempt to meter off of anything. Set the camera at f/8 for ISO 100 and to expose 4-8 seconds.

If you're shooting fireworks at a distance (e.g., nighttime cityscape with fireworks overhead, like the photo at the beginning of this blog entry), just expose the cityscape as desired. A couple of fireworks bursts isn't going to change the exposure all that much.

Deprong Mori

@Deprong Mori: Tips such as "Turn on landscape mode" are fundamentals of photography?

I wasn't stating that this was old or new content, just the fact that someone who owns an SLR might know how to use a camera a bit better then using a "landscape mode", just as a P&S user might not need information on shutter release cables since it does not apply to them.

My recommendation would be to pick a user focus rather then write a general article and try to include every possible camera type. The easiest would be to separate SLR and P&S articles.

dpollitt

I used a laptop to control my camera settings last year.

After taking a shot, it showed up automatically on the laptop screen, allowing me to adjust the settings for the next shot.

3-4 second exposures worked best for me. ISO 100.

Also, an additional comment about ISO. You don't need a high ISO because you're shooting a light source, duh :^P

lordargent

[www.wireheadarts.com] some more pointers. Some cameras have a "custom drive" mode where you hit the shutter butten and they'll take a series of exposures after a delay, which works quite well for fireworks.

@bigvince1981: you generally have to chimp. Exposure meters aren't really designed to handle transient events where the lighting is changing so fast.

cmowire

@dpollitt:

I disagree. A single well-written article should be able to cover both camera types concisely and effectively without "confusing" or "alienating" users of the other camera type. Most people who own SLR often own a P&S anyhow, and yes, a cameraphone is also a P&S.

Deprong Mori

This woulda been nice to know when I was at Disney last week... :(

Still a great tip, nonetheless.

DONNYchiban

@lordargent: Those are excellent pictures

I would like to see more of these articles on LH! It was terrific.

Also, I would like it if pictures were thumbnails until you hovered over or clicked on them, like the Firefox extension, Text2Image.

malnourish

@battra92:

Again, I agree that Velvia's oversaturation doesn't well work for some subjects, but it is perfectly fine, maybe preferable for fireworks.

I love love loved Kodachrome 25, sadly discontinued years ago.

Both Kodak and Fuji make fine 'chromes, just pick what suits you the best. I like Fujichrome Provia F (ISO 100) as a general purpose slide film, but that's because I've shot rolls of every single daylight slide film on the market, and that's my preference.

Deprong Mori

An article a day too late. I screwed up most of my Canada Day fireworks shots.

tkcom

Blimey, so the independence in independence day doesn't stretch as far as independent thought then. Well I never.

kortcomponent

@Deprong Mori: @joshthephenom:

I confess, I just never got the Velvia thing. I always felt it made photos look too saturated for my tastes. I guess it's an artistic thing but I find Kodachrome's palate to be more pleasing to the eye.

Personal reference I guess.

battra92

I'm sorry Canadians! Obviously we're self-centered Americans. Next year? :(

Gina Trapani

@Wol: You'd be amazed how many of us do, actually.

smg81

This is very useful , thanks a lot
sexsexhealthsex And i like your blog very much

Dennymurphy

How ironic that the picture used for 4th of July isn't in the USA but is actually Vancouver BC.

DeadDogHank

My Canon A550 has a fireworks mode. Check the 200 page manual for your digital camera.

Capone

Excellent write-up. Can't wait for the 4th!!

stevecoz

Sounds great advice - shame there's no 4th July here in UK, and I'm not getting a DSLR until September (birthday). In time for New Years and Lord Mayor's fireworks in November though - there are always great displays on the Thames.

jerichokb

Well, not to be another whiny canuck or anything, but isn't it ironic that the photo used on a post about July 4th actually shows a fireworks display in Vancouver, Canada? That's the Celebration of Fire in English Bay.

stumo

Autometering addicts, GO MANUAL - and I mean as in "hand"!

Here's what I do: same as above but cover up lense with vinyl cover (yeah, still got some!) during longer exposures. Manual exposure at its best!

Full labor intensive workflow here:

[encz.blogspot.com]

Hubertus

I've been shooting fireworks for a long time now, and here's a couple more tips:

1. use the camera's manual setting, and shoot on the "B" or "bulb" setting. The shutter stays open for as long as you hold the button down (and use a remote release or cable release - don't touch the camera). A 15 or 30 second exposure will capture multiple bursts.

2. get as close as you can and use the widest lens you have. I use a 20mm lens.

3. f8 with 100ISO setting. Shutter speed is irrelevant.

4. get a location early

5. make sure no-one bumps your tripod.

6. the higher bursts make better pictures.

7. try to predict the finale - it's when the most spectacular ones go off.

Good luck!

DWalk

I like to set my DSLR to the manual setting, f5.6, and exposure time to bulb. Using the bulb setting allows a custom exposure time while using the remote/cable release. You can start the exposure just before the burst starts, and end it when ready. It can be helpful when there are multiple shells going up. If you use a generic 4 seconds, you may end up with a good burst and a partial burst.

dngrabowski

My post didn't post! Anyway, also try shooting in tungsten by changing your white balance from automatic. Or, if you're scared of that, shoot in RAW and adjust to tungsten when you pull your photos into your editing program, just so you can see the change in effect. Not every fireworks explosion is red or orange, but that's often what you'll get if you don't adjust your white balance.

kevinthegreat

@LifesSweetDrug: It's also my dogs birthday :-)

Agree though even living in the UK you should know that.

kopmad

Another tip: Shoot in tungsten. Either change your white balance setting or shoot raw and change it afterward. That should prevent all your fireworks from looking red and orange if you want to reduce that effect.

kevinthegreat

Bring spare batteries!

Or fully charge the pack in the camera.

Also, it's a good habit to once in a while format the memory cards, not just deleting pictures, since they may be corrupted over time and many repeted deletions.

noreply

I think cranking the ISO way down (or maybe using an ND filter) is the key here if you want the sky to remain black behind the fireworks. My best shots last year were all taken at ISO 100. My aperture was f/8 to f/20 with exposures of less than 1 to about 5 seconds. I'm in DC and there's a lot of light pollution so it's hard to not overexpose. I used my bulb mode and tried to guess when to press and when to release. Oh yeah, if it's a calm night or if you're not upwind you'll have a lot of smoke in your later pics.

jayheavner

If you're using true bulb mode, you can use black board (about 8" x 8") and cover your lens between bursts. This way, you can also choose which bursts to record rather than haphazardly hoping for two ideal bursts in a 4 second timed exposure.

Deprong Mori

@battra92:
Actually that quote was referring to July 2nd, the day the Resolution of Independence was signed.
I only know that because I just got off of Wikipedia. Fascinating stuff.

ninjabob7

if your camera supports it, i'd also add a tip about using mirror lock-up to minimise body vibration even further...

patrick h. lauke

Hey All.. another Canuck here.. most of the tips here are great and definately relevant.

Took my first "Fireworks" photoshoot last night on Canada Day, and some turned out great, over-all I'm very pleased, and will be posting some on my Flickr site shortly.

One thing I'll mention, is the photo at the beginning, which is amazing, had a 13 second exposure, which caught some of the clouds and the amazing blues and skyline. Otherwise it would be just light and black.

Also, shooting 'UP-wind' is very important.. as you will see from my shots, there was a little breeze in the air last night, and some blur or motion occurred while I was trying to closing the shutter (in bulb mode).

[www.flickr.com]

[farm4.static.flickr.com]

lencurrie

Great Post and fantastic comments (as always)
I am surprised no one mentioned CHDK
[lifehacker.com]
Seems like a perfect opportunity to give that RAW shooting a try or even try some scripts for hands free shooting.
My P&S does have a fireworks setting, but I prefer to go to manual and set it manually.

rohitdas

goodness you have no idea how pissed i was at my camera on canada day! amazing fireworks at niagra btw! man. if only this was posted a few days earlier!!!

Gmanpawned

My own instinct is to ignore the fireworks and get pictures of the kids reacting to the fireworks. I think the reaction shots could be more interesting than the actual event, at least in the final photo.

not2techy

@Deprong Mori: Provia is my Chrome of choice for 120. I put it in my Nettar 515 regularly and it goes like a champ.

I should get out and take photos this 4th ... :-/

battra92

@ninjabob7: I know. He was very accurate, just two days off.

By the way, OT but that HBO miniseries on John Adams was AWESOME.

battra92

@LifesSweetDrug: "What is special about the 4th of July? Sorry I live in the U.K."

04 July 1776 is when the US declared it's independence from England. Living there, that should be grade-school history for you.

And remember, always Google before you ask!

aaron8301

Hey Jason (or anyone else), do you have hi-res versions of any nice fireworks photos that we can use for desktop backgrounds?

greatslack

Great tips! I am going out to buy my shutter release cable today. We have three days of fireworks and I'm determined to get some good shots this year. I also found some excellent tips in this podcast series specific to night photography and (yay!) fireworks: [www.7photographyquestions.com]

owi2808

We haven't really answered lifessweetdrug's question.

Its just like Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night.

pthomas745

@pthomas745:
"remember, remember the 4th of July" doesn't have that same ring to it though, does it?

@aaron8301:
err...try to read *all* the previous comments before you throw in your own ill-fated 0.2c. "star commenter" indeed. pfah.

kortcomponent

Wow, thank you for these great tips. I just red the whole comment thread. I'm a Canuck too and I'll not complain like the others cause I live in Quebec city, Québec, Canada and we will have the biggest fireworks show ever seen in Canada tonight for the 400th anniversary of our city. 7500 fireworks pieces for 25000 air explosions/effects. Woohoo!

thrips

I'm back from my fireworks photo night. The first serie are all out of focus because I set the focus to infinity and I was just a little bit too close of the fireworks. When I changed the focal length to get another type of picture, I noticed the focus problem. Thus, I have 1/3 of my pictures correctly focussed. Next time I'll double check all the settings.

thrips

I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July! I couldn't write up a tutorial on taking photographs and not take a few myself to share. Despite being in a not so great location (trees in the way, across the street from a bunch of bright street lamps) I was still able to snag a few nice shots using the tips I outlined above.

Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend everyone!

Jason Fitzpatrick

Another thing to remember is experiment experiment experiment. Digital film is cheap. Experiment early with conditions you can control. Shoot off your own fireworks if you can. You can gets some real cool shots.

Later when you're shooting someone else's show you'll have a better idea of what works and what does not. Take notes. That way next year you are not repeating mistakes.

Here are some time exposures fireworks, mostly fire crackers being tossed into the grass I took several years ago: [www.flickr.com]

MauMan

Very good tips... I second the Tungsten white balance it will give you better color. Also try using lower apertures (F/16-F/22) which allows for longer shutter and Can give you some interesting effects.

bildewayfarer