4th of July Fireworks Photo Tips

With the 4th of July coming tomorrow, well soon gather to watch local fireworks shows. Bring your digital point and shoot or SLR camera along this year and with the following tips you can capture some impressive images.

1. Make sure that you are not downwind of the show. If you are, you'll be taking pictures of smoke not fireworks.
2. If you have a tripod you will want to bring that along. Shooting on a tripod allows you to capture longer exposures without moving the camera.
3. A self timer works best. Even the slightest movement from your hand depressing the shutter release on the camera can cause a picture to be blurry.
4. Set up your camera property. First make sure the flash is turned off. Then, if your camera allows you to set your shutter speed, try experimenting with long exposures. Try a 3, 5, and 10 second exposure to see what you get. Typically, you'll be better off using a long exposure for the individual fireworks and a shorter exposure for the grand finale (since there is so much light in the sky with all the bursts.) Remember that the longer the exposure, the more of a trail you'll see for each burst and the more likely you're to catch multiple bursts in one image.

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Carol Bridges

Orange County Photographer

32002 Lomita Dr.

Trabuco Canyon, CA 92679

949.589.5311

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