How to Suck at Fireworks Photography & Still Get Some Cool Shots

Last week I took on a lightning storm for photography practice, and got some pretty sweet photos (*self-five!) so you’d think I could handle a few measly fireworks, right?

I mean, I prepared. I had a plan. I was gonna photo like a pro and it was gonna be epic!

You’ll notice this is all in the past tense because, as you might have guessed, things did not go according to plan…

My fireworks photos suuuuuucked.

Oh hello, telephone wire…

There were a few issues that contributed to the suckage:

1. There was a telephone wire literally right in front of where I had to set up my camera.
2. The fireworks started before I got setup – that was my bad.
3. I was trying to make sure I wasn’t blocking anyone’s view and almost caught my hair on fire (which would’ve been the 2nd time that’s happened to me on the 4th of July…)
4. The fireworks show itself was lame. The fireworks stayed relatively low, making it hard to get a good aerial photo, and it was over super-quick. No one was actually sure if we’d seen the finale.

Oh well, c’est la vie.

The real irony is that after the fireworks, I actually got some photos that I like.

Maybe I’ll call them “little fireworks” so it doesn’t seem like I failed quite so epically.

I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere.

Your favorite memories might come from failed plans

Something like that. 😀

Here’s what I did learn about photographing fireworks for future attempts:

1. For the love of all that is sparkly get your tripod and camera settings set like 20 minutes before.
2. Your f-stop (aperture) should be around 11.
3. Your ISO can be at 100 and everything should be fine – AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A TRIPOD. Otherwise you’ll need to up it so your fireworks photos don’t get blurry.
4. Long exposures can look cool, but shorter exposures on the big round fireworks are pretty sweet too.
5. Make sure you’re going to have a clear view of the fireworks. Like, maybe, no telephone wires.

If all else fails, just take photos of sparklers.

How to take photos of sparklers:

1. Up your ISO to 500 for the sake of speed unless you have an awesomly low f-stop lens.
2. F-stop can be as low as you want
3. Keep an eye on your camera speed to prevent shake – I handheld the camera for my “little fireworks” photos

As far as photo gear goes I’ve listed a ton of mine here but I have 2 new pieces of gear that I really like:

(Just fyi these are affiliate links, so if you click ’em and buy I get a little sumthin’ sumthin’, at no extra cost to you!)

A zomei tripod
My old tripod that died an honorable death during my recent Bryce Canyon trip. So this Zomei tripod is my new one and so far I’m lovin’ it.
It’s taken a little getting used to since the adjustment levers are a little different than my old tripod, but after that night on the roof, having to adjust everything in the dark, I pretty much got it down.

One of the biggest differences is how you adjust the camera angle. On the Zomei the camera mount rotates on a ball, so you can move it around to pretty much whatever angle you want much more smoothly.

A wired remote
I got a wireless Canon remote with my first ever DSLR camera, and I’ve always liked it, but there are a couple reasons I am now switching between it and the wired remote:

1. When you’re near other people’s camera’s, you could accidentally set off their shutter. It seems unlikely, but I’ve been standing right next to people who were also using remote shooting, so ya never know.
2. I sorta like the feel of the wired remote compared to the wireless one. It just feels a little more solid and I can tell by touch whether it’s keeping the shutter open or not.
3. It’s attached to the camera, so you’re less likely to misplace it. I’ve had to go searching for my other remote a few times just because I put it down somewhere while I’m waiting during a long exposure.
   

Wireless remote

Like I said, I still like my wireless remote. I think it’s a matter of personal preference, but also the situation you’re shooting in. For instance, if it’s really windy, I want as few things hanging off my camera as possible to minimize camera shake.

So for that, I’d use the wireless one.

For those that are interested this is the one I use:

Alright I think that covers The Great 4th of July Photography Fiasco.

I’ll def be trying this again next time fireworks pop up.

How was your 4th?