If you’re hoping to get some dynamic fireworks photos during Friday night’s show at Madison Street Park or at other displays as the region celebrates Independence Day, here are some tips that may help from the IFAS Volunteering in the Panhandle blog spot.
The key to shooting good pictures of fireworks is knowing the amount of light needed for these shots. It is good to familiarize yourself with your camera’s features in the menu or camera manual before you set out for the big night.
Focus on Infinity- Set your focus to just less than infinity (or choose a landscape setting if you can’t manually adjust focus) and use an aperture of f/8 to f/16.
Equipment- Be sure to take a small flashlight to adjust your settings in the night and to use a sturdy tripod – this is the best way to reduce movement and blurred photos. Another great tool is the cable release cord or the digital remote that you can use to control the shutter’s button.
Burst Shooting- Also known as “continuous drive,” it allows you to shoot multiple shots automatically. On a digital SLR, you can go to your menu and select self-timer. Then you will see two options inside. The self-timer delay setting allows you to set the number of seconds that should expire between each shot is taken. You can also set by the number of shots you want to take in self-timer mode.
Five Top Tips:
Observe the wind direction from where you are. Pick a location upwind so that your photos do not turn out hazy.
Pack extra batteries and memory cards. Long exposures drain battery life, and you will need to shoot lots of pictures to get a few great shots.
Watch for the fireworks as they travel and push and hold the release button. This will take time to practice, and the burst shooting will increase the odds for a better capture.
Learn more online. A couple of good sources include the Walt Disney World (WDW) Photography series. There are YouTube videos by Cory Disbrow from WDW Photography.com http://youtu.be/yZh_ADUsgrY and http://wdwphotography.com .
Practice playing with light before the fireworks by having friends “air write” their names with the flashlight or sparklers. Using a tripod and experimenting with camera settings in an advance attempt, you can be ready to take some brilliant shots of the brilliant night skies on July 4.
Bender is a 4-H Agent in Florida who shared the information as a guest blogger on the IFAS Volunteering in the Panhandle blog spot.