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Fireworks

With the Fourth of July weekend now over, I thought I’d share some of my better fireworks and lightning photos, along with some tips on how to get these types of results. A camera phone or point-and-shoot camera will not do the trick. You will need an SLR camera that takes interchangeable lenses and lets you use long exposure settings.You’ll also need a sturdy tripod and cable release cord. You can get away with just holding down the shutter button during the exposure, but you run the risk of bumping the camera and ruining your shot. These tips apply to both 35mm and digital, but you will get much better results with the digital format.

Next up is your choice of ISO setting, aka "film speed." For beginners I recommend starting with 400, and when you’ve got some experience, move down to 200. Scout out a location where you can shoot from, yet not be jostled by the crowd. Get as close as you can to the display area. If your town’s local fireworks display is being held at a stadium or fairgrounds, you probably won’t be able to set up a tripod in the primary seating area, so try shooting from the parking lot. A wide angle lens will work best, particularly if it is a zoom lens.

Use the beginning of the show to get an idea of where the fireworks will be going off most often, and to set your focus to that point. If enough fireworks are going off at once, you may be able to get away with using auto focus, but more than likely you’ll have to use manual focus, and lock it in.

Set your camera manually to “bulb” for the shutter speed. Set the aperture to anywhere between f/11 and f/20. Hold the shutter open while the fireworks are going off. I’ve had the best results with exposures of 10, 15, 20, and 25 seconds at f/20. This will allow enough time for several bursts to occur while your shutter is still open. If you can, find something in the foreground to anchor your shot. If there isn’t anything to use in that manner, zoom in all the way for full frame shots (assuming you’re close enough to the show to do so). One of the benefits to shooting digitally, is that the digital format will tolerate cropping on the computer much more than a 35mm scan would, so you can create several photos out of one frame.

 Lightning:

The same technique above can also be applied to photographing lightning, however safety becomes a little more of an issue than with fireworks, especially since a tripod is involved, which runs the risk of becoming a lightning rod while out in the field.

Once you’re in a location where you can see lightning going off on a regular basis, set up your camera and again set it to “bulb," and set your aperture to between f/11 and f/16. Use the first few bolts you see to fix your focus. Hold the shutter open long enough for one or more bolts to appear, then close it after a few seconds following the last bolt. Repeat this process. I’ve had success with 10 to 20 seconds, around f/11 to f/16.

If it’s raining at your location, place your vehicle perpendicular to the rain and shoot through your vehicle’s window, using a monopod. If you’re careful enough you can get perfectly acceptable images that are sharp enough for enlarging. The fun part is then getting on the computer and changing the color of your images.