There are many methods that work and I am giving you the method that has worked for me over many years.

How I shoot fireworks

Things you will need…. A camera that will shoot in manual mode, A tripod, Flashlight,and the knowledge of how to change shooting modes and settings on your camera. Don't wait until you get to the show and it is about to start to try and figure out how to change the settings on your camera because it is too late at that point.

I have been taking fireworks photos for many years and if you follow my instructions I guarantee you will come away with a bunch of exciting and colorful images even if it is your first time.

Choosing your location… Do you want to capture just the bursts of fireworks in the air or add a foreground element, such as some trees or buildings. Once you have made that decision we can work on getting the settings where you need them on your camera.. Whether you are near or far from the action of the fireworks they will cover a very wide area so make sure you bring a wide enough angle lens to capture as much of the color and excitement as you can. It is easier to crop out dead space than cut off half of the fireworks.

These are the settings that I use and they never fail to produce great images. Manual mode, ISO 100, F16 and a 10 second exposure. When the first blast goes off I take a shot at maybe 1/30 of a second and check to make sure my focus is spot on. At that point I switch to a 10 second exposure and what that does is allows me to get several blasts in one image, making it more interesting and colorful. I press the shutter down and at the end of ten seconds when I hear the shutter click I just press it again and start my next exposure, and repeat this during the entire show. This will give you about five exposures a minute so if the show is about 20 minutes long you will end up with approximately a hundred images.

Using ISO 100 will eliminate the grain and give you the best color. Using F16 will give you much more definition in the streaks and bursts. Using a 10 second shutter will give you more blasts in each image and eliminate you having to time your shots. Remember this is all done on a tripod.

Hope this helps. Sorry I didn't post it earlier but I have been in bed sick all week.

A couple of fireworks shots I made on the wide beaches of Wildwood, New Jersey , along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, USA.

1) Canon 5D MkII, 70mm, ISO 400, f22, 10 seconds

2) Canon 5D MkII, 16mm, ISO 400, f22, 25 seconds.

Click on download to see better image quality.

I use only manual settings for fireworks shots. The main thing is to hold open your shutter long enough to collect a few bursts, that will fill out your frame better than a single burst shots.

To allow me that longer shutter speeds, I shot at f22 at ISO 400 with camera on tripod of course.

For a shot with any other ground objects in the same shot, like the Amusements, I first made a test shot to lock in a proper long correct exposure of the amusements so they would not be over or underexposed when the fireworks began. That previously obtained long shutter speed was used when the fireworks were fired above the amusements.

For the other shot, I wanted to show the entire flights and lives of the fireworks from their ignitions on the beach, up through their entire flights until their peak bursts, so this one has a 25 second shutter speed.

If shooting digitally you can play with the shutter speeds and f-stops on the first fireworks, and then dial in what is working for your best results as the fireworks continue. Just be sure to compose your shots with enough room to keep the highest bursts within your composition.

FYI, I am a professional photographer that has been shooting fireworks since I was a teen photographer, nearly 60 years ago.

A couple of fireworks shots I made on the wide beaches of Wildwood, New Jersey , along the Atlantic Ocean coastline, USA.

1) Canon 5D MkII, 70mm, ISO 400, f22, 10 seconds

2) Canon 5D MkII, 16mm, ISO 400, f22, 25 seconds.

Click on download to see better image quality.

I use only manual settings for fireworks shots. The main thing is to hold open your shutter long enough to collect a few bursts, that will fill out your frame better than a single burst shots.

To allow me that longer shutter speeds, I shot at f22 at ISO 400 with camera on tripod of course.

For a shot with any other ground objects in the same shot, like the Amusements, I first made a test shot to lock in a proper long correct exposure of the amusements so they would not be over or underexposed when the fireworks began. That previously obtained long shutter speed was used when the fireworks were fired above the amusements.

For the other shot, I wanted to show the entire flights and lives of the fireworks from their ignitions on the beach, up through their entire flights until their peak bursts, so this one has a 25 second shutter speed.

If shooting digitally you can play with the shutter speeds and f-stops on the first fireworks, and then dial in what is working for your best results as the fireworks continue. Just be sure to compose your shots with enough room to keep the highest bursts within your composition.

FYI, I am a professional photographer that has been shooting fireworks since I was a teen photographer, nearly 60 years ago.

There are many methods that work and I am giving you the method that has worked for me over many years.

How I shoot fireworks

Things you will need…. A camera that will shoot in manual mode, A tripod, Flashlight,and the knowledge of how to change shooting modes and settings on your camera. Don't wait until you get to the show and it is about to start to try and figure out how to change the settings on your camera because it is too late at that point.

I have been taking fireworks photos for many years and if you follow my instructions I guarantee you will come away with a bunch of exciting and colorful images even if it is your first time.

Choosing your location… Do you want to capture just the bursts of fireworks in the air or add a foreground element, such as some trees or buildings. Once you have made that decision we can work on getting the settings where you need them on your camera.. Whether you are near or far from the action of the fireworks they will cover a very wide area so make sure you bring a wide enough angle lens to capture as much of the color and excitement as you can. It is easier to crop out dead space than cut off half of the fireworks.

These are the settings that I use and they never fail to produce great images. Manual mode, ISO 100, F16 and a 10 second exposure. When the first blast goes off I take a shot at maybe 1/30 of a second and check to make sure my focus is spot on. At that point I switch to a 10 second exposure and what that does is allows me to get several blasts in one image, making it more interesting and colorful. I press the shutter down and at the end of ten seconds when I hear the shutter click I just press it again and start my next exposure, and repeat this during the entire show. This will give you about five exposures a minute so if the show is about 20 minutes long you will end up with approximately a hundred images.

Using ISO 100 will eliminate the grain and give you the best color. Using F16 will give you much more definition in the streaks and bursts. Using a 10 second shutter will give you more blasts in each image and eliminate you having to time your shots. Remember this is all done on a tripod.

Hope this helps. Sorry I didn't post it earlier but I have been in bed sick all week.