Smilebox Blog

An exploding firework set against the backdrop of a smoky night sky is an awe-inspiring and beautiful sight. Until you try to take a good picture. It seems even more impossible when you add a subject to this scene, like your kids gleefully dashing around with sparklers. But don’t worry, with a little preparation even a point-and-shoot can capture frame-worthy photos of the festivities, and we’re here to help. Our resident photographer, Kinsey Piscitelli of Kinsey Meredith Photography, was kind enough to share her tips to catch that perfect shot of the dazzling night sky with either your point-and-shoot or SLR camera:

1. Get to know your camera

Before the firework show begins, take some time to familiarize yourself with all of the features on your camera. Don’t forget to charge the battery and clear space on your memory card to prevent hold-ups later. It’s hard enough to take those great shots even when you’re not fumbling with the camera.

Also check to see if your camera has a “night time” setting, or even a “fireworks” setting. If your camera has either of these functions, use them, if not, don’t worry- we’ve got you covered. Read on for more helpful hints.

2. Slash the flash

When the fireworks begin and you are ready to start shooting, turn your flash off for best results. Most cameras start with the flash feature on, so you will need to manually change the setting. The fireworks illuminate the sky enough for your camera to pick up, so your flash will just make them duller and highlight any low-lying smoke.

3. Slow and steady wins the race

The most important and challenging task while photographing moving fireworks is to keep the camera steady. Any shake or movement in the camera will make your pictures blurry.

Try setting your camera on a table and tilting it towards the sky, if necessary, while using the self-timer feature so that the camera won’t jostle when you press the ‘capture’ button. If you still want to control when the shots are taken, you can steady your arms by resting them on a table, or if nothing else, on your knee.

4. Explore and Experiment

If your camera has a manual option (check for it on your dial or in your menu settings) try playing with the ISO, which increases the camera’s sensitivity to light. Increasing the ISO can have multiple effects: it will increase the shutter speed on your camera but it also has the potential to add grain to your photo.

Try experimenting with an ISO above 800 to get a freeze-frame shot of the fireworks. You can also try a slower shutter speed, by lowering your ISO to 200, to make your fireworks brighter, but expect a little bit of motion blur.

5. Sparklers galore

The booming shows in the sky sure are beautiful, but we know you also want to get pictures of your little ones creating equally impressive sparkler shows. Similar to taking pictures of fireworks in the sky, the most important thing is to keep your camera steady.

Remember to steady your camera on a table and use the self-timer feature. For those closer shots, you can turn the flash on to illuminate your subjects’ faces. If you want to keep the flash off to really bring out the fireworks, try having your kids hold the sparklers close to their face (but not too close!) for a little extra lighting.

You can also have your kids draw designs in the sky and try to get a picture like the one above. The key is setting the camera to a very slow shutter speed so the motion is captured.

Once these tips have helped you take some fantastic fireworks photos, add them to a slideshow with the rest of your Fourth of July photos like this A Festive 4th Slideshow.

To see more of Kinsey’s photography, including more pictures of fireworks, check out her blog.