Tips on Fireworks Pictures

Here are some tips for fireworks that work for me. Serious student of fireworks will have more to offer, but this approach produced quite nice results for those of us with family obligations and/or “no tripods” restrictions at public events.

Tips:

• Shoot with a high-quality “prime” lens (not a zoom). I recommend the Zeiss ZF 50/2 Makro-Planar or 35/2 Distagon, which offer superb wide-open performance.
• Experiment with shutter speeds and apertures for interesting effect. Start with 1/125 @ f/4. Check you image histograms to verify you are not “blowing out” the highlights.
• Set your camera to Daylight white balance.
• Hand-holding is OK, and allows you to move around for more creative options (remember that blur will be streaks of light—interesting stuff). Use a tripod if you have a specific composition in mind.
• Try double-exposures and/or merging photos (Nikon cameras have this built-in).
• “Drag” the camera; deliberately move it during the exposure.

Don”t forget the people walking around with glow sticks!