How to Shoot Fireworks

How to Shoot Fireworks

Fireworks are simple to photograph. Fireworks are photographed by opening the camera's shutter over a period of several seconds to let the streamers "draw" lines on the film.
We open the camera shutter for a burst, and as the bright streamers fly through the sky, they draw the pretty effects you're used to seeing.

Here's how to do it:
1.) Turn off your flash.
2.) Set the lens to manual focus and set it to the ∞ mark.
3.) Put the camera on tripod. Use a cable release or remote control so you won't have to jiggle the camera.
If you don't use a tripod, the smooth streaks will become squiggles. If you want weird special effects, be my guest and wiggle the camera around to see what happens.
4.) If your camera has it, shoot on M or Manual exposure mode.
5.) Set the camera on "B" or "Bulb." When you press the shutter, the camera opens to light, and stays open until you remove your finger.
Some cameras have a "T" (time) setting, which instead stays open by itself and closes when you press the shutter a second time. This isn't as convenient.
If you have neither of these, set a long manual exposure of many seconds, and start the exposure the usual way. Use your hand in front of the lens to stop it. If you have no remote control or cable release, set a long exposure and use your hand or a hat to start and stop the exposure.
Check your camera's instructions if you can't find these settings. If you can't find them, for the USA, phone Nikon at (800) NIKON-UX for digital, (800) NIKON-US for film, and (800) OK-CANON for Canon.
6.) Shoot at the lowest ISO for the best results. Turn off ISO AUTO because it will try to set a high ISO in the dark. If you have no idea what ISO is, forget about it.
7.) Try an aperture of f/5.6 at ISO 50 and ISO 100, and f/8 at ISO 200 for starters. If you don't know what an aperture is, or your camera doesn't have this adjustment, don't worry.
8.) Open the shutter before the first burst. Hold it open several seconds, until one burst completes, or hold it open longer for several bursts.
As more bursts happen, they "draw" on you film or digital, and add together to look like they all happened at once. If you only open the shutter for one burst, you get one. If you hold it open for several consecutive bursts, you'll get a photo loaded with all of them.
9.) How's it look? Too dark? Open up to f/4. Too washed-out? Stop down to f/11. Try again until you get an exposure you like, at whatever aperture you need.
10.) The brightness of the burst depends only on ISO and the aperture (f/stop). They don't vary with the amount of time the shutter is open.
11.) The brightness of the sky, but not the bursts, varies also with the length of the exposure.
12.) For a bluer sky, try the Tungsten white balance setting. For more orange, try the cloudy or shade settings (see white balance for more).

Compact Cameras
Pocket digital cameras rarely have a Bulb setting. For these, use the long time exposure. Almost every Canon compact can make exposures as long as 15 seconds, and you don't need a cable release. Here's how:
1.) Set it to the icon of the camera with the M.
2.) Press FUNC SET
3.) Click down to +-0.
4.) Press MENU.
5.) Select as many seconds as you like.
(This will vary by camera, call Canon at (800) OK-CANON if you can't find your instructions. Other brands do this, too.)

No Manual Mode?
If you have no manual exposure mode, use the Aperture-Priority (A or Av) mode instead. Choose the aperture as above, press the shutter before the first burst, and use your hand to cover the lens if the camera stays open longer than you want it to.

Film or Digital
Film wins. Film easily can capture the huge range between bright streamers and the dark sky. Many digital cameras may lose the color in the streamers, while film won't. Newer digital cameras are better than older ones.

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