
Fireworks are beautiful to watch and as a photographer, you would probably want to capture the
WHAT YOU NEED:
- a camera (DSLR, mirrorless or any compact camera)
- a sturdy tripod
- a remote shutter release

LOCATION
You will need to do some research in advance to find the best location and a spot where to set up your tripod. Planning is a big part of photography. For example, in Paris, I know by experience that places such as Champs de Mars get overly crowded for the Bastille Day, so it’s a location I don’t even consider to photograph from. The

CAMERA SETTINGS
Let’s move on to the technical part! In order to be able to have some wonderful shots of the
FOCUS MODE
Setting the correct focus mode is half of the work, you don’t want to end up with blurry and photos out of focus. I would suggest not to change the focus mode during the session. In the darkness its quite difficult to set the focus. I usually set the focus mode when it’s still light and turn off the camera until its time to begin to photograph the fireworks. However, IF you still feel for changing focus mode during the session, make sure to bring a flashlight so that you can light up a spot and set your focus. I
APERTURE
For the photos you can see in this article I used the shutter speed f 8. But you could even go down to f 12. Anything between f 8 – f 12, I would give sharp photos with the fireworks in focus.
SHUTTER SPEED
There is no “specific speed” to use. Everything depends on the fireworks and what you like to capture. In the photos you can see in this article I have used a shutter speed between 2-15 seconds. Experiment and find what you like most. The longer exposure the more the sky will be brightened up by the smoke after the fireworks. I prefer to have a dark backdrop for the fireworks and therefore try not to exceed the shutter speed too much.
ISO
Usually, in

BULB MODE
First time shooting with a remote shutter release? Don’t panic! It’s not difficult to use at all. Insert the remote shutter release to your camera. Go through the camera settings you will need for the scene that you will photograph. When you are ready, then set the camera to Bulb mode (on most DSLR cameras you reach the Bulb mode when turning the shutter speed beyond 30 seconds. As the firework explode press on the remote shutter release and keep it as long you wish. As mentioned above, I usually keep it for between 2-15 seconds. Experiment and find how you prefer to have the fireworks exposed in your photos. There is no right or wrong, only your taste decides!
If you have followed all the steps above you are ready to go! After taking the first photo, do have a quick look on it to make sure
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