Photographing Fireworks

4th of July Fireworks at Roswell High School Good fireworks photos have one thing in common – good foregrounds. 

The fireworks are way up in the sky, of course, but what you put between you and the fireworks can make the difference between an okay photograph and a great shot.

During the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration at New York Harbor, some photographers used the Statue of Liberty in the foreground of their fireworks pictures. In Philadelphia some photographed the fireworks in the sky over Independence Hall. These pictures truly captured the celebrations’ mood and meaning because of the chosen foregrounds. 

Composition 

The most challenging part of using a foreground is balancing the exposure between it and the fireworks themselves. Since knowing the correct or preferred exposure for the fireworks is impossible, it is impossible to know how to balance the exposure for the foreground. While this may be done “on the spot,” an assistant or two would be necessary because of the shortness of time of the fireworks show. To solve this problem, use a foreground object that will work as a silhouette.

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Before the event, find out where the fireworks will be launched. Then visit the site before the show and look around. Sometimes the best location could be far away and shot with a telephoto lens.

Pick your spot carefully because there will not be time to move once the excitement begins.

It’s hard to know how high the fireworks will go before they explode or how big they will be when they do. So after the first couple of shots, check the composition. Ensure it’s not too loose and the fireworks are too small or tight that they are going outside the frame. 

Equipment and Exposure 

A sturdy tripod and a cable or remote release are needed for successful fireworks photographs.

Start with the camera on the lowest ISO (100 or less). Set the aperture at ƒ/8 or ƒ/11 and the shutter speed on the bulb (this keeps the shutter open for as long as the shutter release is held down; hence the need for a cable or remote release to avoid camera shake).

A small flashlight is an excellent addition to your equipment for the shoot.

Take a shot or two, then check the exposure. It should be close, but tweaking it slightly should make the colors pop.

4th of July Fireworks at Roswell High School

Technique

When you hear the sound of the firework being launched, open the shutter and hold it open for two or three bursts before releasing it. Blues don’t photograph as well as reds or greens, so hold the shutter open longer for a blue burst. For different effects, change the length of time the shutter is open.

Twenty or so should be excellent photos out of around one hundred shots of a typical show.


The cool thing about this – an expensive camera isn’t needed. Any camera that accepts a shutter or remote release can be set to “bulb” and has a tripod socket should work. Many of the point-and-shoot cameras will work nicely.

So check it out before the show. Find a spot with a workable foreground. Take a plethora of pictures. Isn’t digital significant – no film cost?