Guest Post | 5 Tips for Photographing Fireworks

1.)  Keep Your Camera Steady

Beautiful captures of fireworks require low exposures, so be sure to avoid camera shake by perching your camera on a car, wall, railing, or better yet, use a tripod.

2.)  Use the Self-Timer

Using the self-timer helps you avoid camera shake that results from pressing the shutter during long exposure times.

3.)  Turn off the flash

Your camera's flash is not long enough to reach the fireworks and, besides, this is not the time to use a flash.  You don't want to freeze the action, rather you want long exposure times to fully capture the light trails.

4.)  Use a Slow Shutter Speed and Small Aperture

This can be achieved two ways:

Use your camera's fireworks mode or switch to fully manual mode (my preferred method).  In manual mode, set your shutter speed to 2-3 seconds or longer (this is why it's important to keep your camera steady) and your aperture somewhere between f/8 and f/16.  The longer exposure time will fully capture the light trails while the small aperture records more detail.

5.)  Take Lots of Photos

Snap a few pictures.  Check your LCD.  Adjust your settings, then snap a few more.  Experiment and see what you end up with!  Have fun!

Jennifer Krafchik, owner of Jennifer K Photography, has been a wife for eight years, a mama for three, and a professional photographer for two. Capturing life through her lens is one of her greatest obsessions and she looks forward to sharing this love with you each month. Keep up with her life as a mama to two little monkeys as well as her latest work and promotions by following her blog and Facebook page.