With 4th of July weekend upon us – I thought today it would be fun to share some tips on how to capture some fun photos with fireworks and sparklers. The fun thing about these two 4th of July staples is that they both emit a ton of light. So it means it does take a little knowledge to know how to best capture shots of these two things. As always – be safe and careful if you are using either of these this weekend. But get out there and have some fun and see what you can create!

Tips for Fireworks
1. Use a Tripod and and Remote Trigger
One of the best things you can do for your firework shot is to make sure you have your camera set up in a way that enables it to stay as still and steady as possible. You’ll most likely be using a slower shutter speed, which makes using a Tripod and a remote for releasing the shutter crucial. If you end up not using a tripod or means of stabilizing your camera – you may end up with blurry, wavy light trails because your camera will be capturing the motion of your camera and not just he fireworks movement.

2. Shoot in Manual
I shoot pretty much everything in manual mode. But in situations like these it becomes particularly important. As the sky gets darker and fireworks get brighter or just as you choose different compositions, your setting will need to be adjusted. In order to be certain you’re creating exactly the kind of images you are wanting – manual mode is necessary to control the final result.

3. Choose Your Settings
So how do you choose your settings? Well, it depends what kind of image you are wanting. One of the most important settings you’re going to choose is your shutter speed. The longer you have your shutter open – the longer the light trails on the fireworks will be. So play around and see what you like. Anywhere from 2.5 – 8 seconds is a good place to start. Remember – if the shutter speed is too fast you won’t get any of those long light trails that make fireworks photos so dramatic. And if the shutter speed is too slow, you’ll have blown-out highlights right in the middle of your frame. To make sure that all this works together, make sure you’re shooting with a low ISO (100) and narrow aperture (f/11 – f/16).

4. Get Creative
There are so many different ways to shoot fireworks shots. You can try tight up shots to get detail of the fireworks or wide shots to include people on the ground. Whatever you decide to do – just make sure you have fun and try new things!

Tips for Sparklers
1. Choose Your Settings
First, make certain your flash is turned off. Then in manual mode, select an aperture of about f/8. You’ll need a low ISO, such as ISO200, to compensate for the long shutter speed. If you’re planning on writing words you’ll need a longer shutter – so choose a time based on how long you think you need your shutter open.

2. Getting Your Focus
You need to focus on the person in front of the camera but as it’s dark, you may find the camera keeps searching. If this happens, use a torch to highlight the person and the camera should then be able to adjust. If you have your camera on a tripod, you can flip your lens to manual focus once you’ve locked onto your subject.

3. Do a Test Run
Before hitting the shutter button it’s wise to do a test run so you don’t waste sparklers and you can also check that you’ve set a wide enough focal length to capture all of the writing in the frame. It also gives you the chance to time how long the writing process takes so you can work out what exposure times you’ll need.

4. Check Your Shot
This can be a very hit and miss technique so do check your shots and have plenty of sparklers at hand. If you can’t really see the trail you’ll need to either user a wider aperture or ask the person doing the writing to be a little slower. Do the opposite if it looks too bright and wide.