Fireworks

You probably noticed by now that capturing fireworks can be pretty tricky. But don’t worry, we have a few tips to help you, whether you plan on using your smartphone or point and shoot camera.

  1. Stay steady
    • Good fireworks photos require long exposures or you’ll get very blurry pictures. If you don’t have any sturdy tripod, try to stabilize your camera on anything you can find – think railings, walls, cars, etc…If you don’t have any of that, embrace the blurriness and go for artsy pictures!
  2. Turn off your flash
    • This can seem counterintuitive since you’ll be in pitch dark, but trust us, your flash won’t be of any help. It’ll only be illuminating your neighbors’ heads or the tree next to you. This is why tip #3 is key!
  3. Lock your focus
    • Tap the screen of your phone aiming at the fireworks (or press halfway the shutter on a point and shoot), to lock the exposure and focus on the actual fireworks and not on people or trees standing in the foreground.
  4. Don’t use your smartphone zoom
    • You’ll lose resolution. Shoot wide and crop later if you really need to.
  5. Use fireworks modes or apps
    • Point and shoot cameras usually have a fireworks mode, and there are several smartphone apps dedicated to helping you take great photos of fireworks – and they are usually free. (for example, LongExpo).

Extra tip: If your fireworks start before it gets dark, use the sunset setting on your camera to get some great shots at dusk.

Head over to Photojojo for more useful tips and tricks.

Enjoy the show!

 


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