![\"July](\"http:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5498\/9168029808_6ffb435bf8_z.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n1 – Use a tripod.<\/p>\n
You will need to use Manual mode on your camera. \u00a0Set the shutter speed to about four seconds. \u00a0The long shutter speed will expose during the full motion of the launch, explosion and sparks. \u00a0At this shutter speed, the tripod is essential. \u00a0If you have a remote trigger, you should use that too. \u00a0It will prevent any vibrations caused by having your fingers on the camera.<\/p>\n
If you do not have a tripod, improvise. I took this set from a hotel window during a trip when I happened to be tripod-less.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/trustypics\/tags\/detroitfireworks\/<\/a><\/p>\n I held the camera against the glass of the window and they turned out okay. \u00a0Using a tripod would have been much better.<\/p>\n 2 – Stop down the Aperture.<\/p>\n This is why you need to put the camera into Manual mode. \u00a0With a long shutter speed, your camera is going to automatically open the aperture all the way. \u00a0If you look back at that Detroit set linked above, you’ll see that I had the aperture wide open (it was a long time ago and I didn’t have much of a clue) and I used a very short shutter speed. \u00a0Compare those pictures with this set<\/a>.<\/p>\n Fireworks are incredibly bright points of light. \u00a0Use an aperture setting around 8 to capture the firework light without the background light. \u00a0After a couple of shots, check one of your pictures to see how they look. \u00a0You can always make small adjustments to the aperture to get the best effect.<\/p>\n 3 – Set the ISO to 100<\/p>\n The lowest ISO on your camera is going to give the best quality of \u00a0picture. \u00a0If you have the camera on automatic ISO, it will probably max out the number to get the most sensitivity. \u00a0You do not want that. \u00a0A low ISO will have little noise and on a black background, the noise will be noticeable.<\/p>\n 4 – Have Fun<\/p>\n Independence Day is the quintessential American holiday. \u00a0We love fireworks and we would love to see your pictures of them. \u00a0Take some pictures and share them with your social network. \u00a0It will make the holiday that much more enjoyable.<\/p>\n Update<\/strong> – Here’s a set from the 2013 fireworks. \u00a0I played around with the shutter speed and did a few at 30 seconds. \u00a0You can see all the information in the EXIF data on each photo.<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/trustypics\/sets\/72157634415306312\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With 4th of July around the corner, here are some tips for taking great pictures of fireworks. 1 – Use a tripod. You will need to use Manual mode on your camera. \u00a0Set the shutter speed to about four seconds. … Continue reading