Photography with a BANG!

Fireworks are not only spectacular and beautiful to watch - they also make fantastic subjects for photographs. Capturing those explosions of colour on camera is no easy feat, but if you follow these simple steps and give it a go, you might just be blown away by your results...

Show up early

Fireworks displays can draw in the crowds, so get to your location in plenty of time and pick a spot with a clear line of sight that won't be obstructed by too many spectators. Don't set up where street lights will appear in your shot, as they will be overexposed in your final pictures and could ruin the effect. Pack a torch to help you use your camera in the dark - or better, yet, if you've got the time, set up your camera before the daylight fades.

Use a tripod

It's important to keep your camera still when shooting fireworks, because great fireworks photos need long exposures and any unwanted camera movement will result in blurred details. Keep those trails of light pin-sharp by using a sturdy tripod - we've got a whole range to choose from to suit all budgets. If you can't use a tripod, take a look at our beanbag camera supports that are perfect for positioning and keeping your camera still on any surface.

Pack some accessories

Keep camera shake to a minimum by using a remote release to take a picture instead of manually pressing the shutter. You can view our range of remote releases here. If you're going to a long display, you might want to think about packing a spare battery for your camera, as the cold weather can drain power more quickly - we've got batteries suitable for most cameras here.

The B of the bang

Unless you've put the display together yourself, it's difficult to know when each firework will explode or how bright that blast is going to be - so there's an element of luck in capturing a spectacular picture. However, you've got a better chance of shooting something special if you try to open your camera's shutter at the moment just before the firework explodes. It's not easy to perfect, but keep trying and you'll get there in the end.

Take advantage of your lenses

If you've got a camera with interchangeable lenses, swapping for a different length or style of optic will give your photographs great variation. For a fireworks photograph with loads of detail, pick a zoom lens with at least a 200mm length. You'll find out more about our different types of lenses here. (Link to lens blog article or lens products)

Check your first shot

Is the picture sharp enough? Do you have all the elements that you want in the frame? Check your very first frame to make the necessary camera adjustments before you get too involved in the action, otherwise you may come back with some disappointing pictures.

Get creative!

Don't forget, it's not just about the fireworks - it's also about the event surrounding them. Try to capture pictures of the people around you and tell the whole story of your evening's fun. When your friends and family are your main subject, focus on their faces and wait for a large, bright firework to illuminate them with colourful light before taking a picture.

More advanced firework photography tips...

Got bulb mode? Use it!

If your camera offers Bulb mode, using this is a great way to ensure you don't miss the whole impact of a firework. This mode will open the camera's shutter and keep it open, exposing an image until you tell the camera to stop by pressing the shutter button for a second time or releasing the shutter button. Check how your camera's Bulb mode works before heading out to take pictures. Setting your camera's ISO to 100 to minimise noise and selecting an aperture of f/5.6 or narrower will give you a larger depth-of-field and therefore, more of a chance of keeping the fireworks trails in focus. Don't keep the shutter open for too long as the picture might overexpose - experiment to find the results that'll work best for you.

Break out the sparklers

Another fun creative activity is to try taking a picture of sparkler writing, but you'll need a willing assistant to write for this one! Set up your tripod and camera in a darker area, place your writer in front of you and then use a torch to make sure your camera's correctly focused on them. Applying the same camera settings as above (or just a shutter speed of about eight seconds in shutter-priority mode), start your picture exposing while your subject writes a word or draws a picture using a lit sparkler. Make sure your assistant's wearing gloves and don't forget to dispose of the sparkler properly.