How to Photograph Fireworks | Tips & Tricks

(many thanks to guest author, Bob Trautman, for this how-to on photographing fireworks! – Kimberly)

One of the greatly anticipated events at the Disney parks is the fireworks show each night. Wouldn’t it be great to capture some of these spectacular fireworks in vivid pictures to enjoy when you return home? Here’s how you can do just that!

Because your best results will be achieved when using a camera with the ability to either set the controls manually or override the automatic features, we will concentrate on the use of a Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera while only touching upon how a basic point-n-shoot camera can be used in this situation.

Besides your camera, two things are key: 1) A stable platform such as a tripod, and 2) Patience

With most pictures you’ll take, it’s the light reflected from the subject that makes the picture. With fireworks, they ARE the light. As such, the exposure time – the amount of time your camera’s shutter is open to make the exposure – is not critical, but it should still be long enough to capture the trails that the fireworks make.

You will want to find a good location that will allow you to include a large area in the sky where the fireworks will likely occur, as well as some foreground as a point of reference.  If you are planning to shoot the fireworks at one of the Disney parks, this means staking out a location that gives you a good view of Cinderella’s Castle and an area of sky above it fairly early.  For these photos I established my location within the Magic Kingdom 2.5 hours before the fireworks show began while the rest of the family was visiting another of the Disney parks.  (Along with your photographic preparations, it would also be a good idea to visit a restroom before you start your long wait.)

Place the camera on a tripod or one of the flat-topped trash receptacles located liberally throughout the park to provide a stable platform. If you have a remote shutter-release device, use it. It will lend an additional degree of sharpness to your photos during each exposure. Your greatest challenge will be maintaining a clear view as the crowd gathers with the approaching dusk.

Set your DSLR to Manual exposure mode.  Set the ISO to 100. Set the Shutter Speed to 1 second. Set the Aperture to f/8. Set the White Balance to Tungsten.If you’re using a point-n-shoot camera without the ability to set these parameters manually, select the mode that allows you to photograph people at night while capturing the background scene. On some cameras this might be called “Night Portraits” or “Night Snapshots”. With your camera on its stable platform and all set up in a location that provides a clear view of the castle and the sky around it, now all you need to do is wait for the fireworks show to begin.

How the fireworks appear in your images will substantially depend upon when you start each exposure in relation to when they’re fired into the sky: Shoot too early, and you only get the beginning of the burst; Shoot too late and it’ll just look static – like so many annoying bright spots in the dark sky. It will take some practice, but you want to time the start of your exposures such that you get good light-trails for each firework burst within your exposure time.

While the recommended manual exposure settings should work okay, you should make any adjustments as you feel are necessary after reviewing each frame in your camera’s rear LC Display. If the scene is too dark, reduce the Aperture to perhaps f/5.6 or less. Conversely, if it’s too bright, try f/11 on your DSLR.

Shooting fireworks with your camera can produce some very memorable and beautiful photographs if you’re prepared and patient, but if you’re at a Disney park don’t expect to sell the photos. Everything within a Disney park is considered part of their trademark.

Bob Trautman is a Certified Professional Photographer who operates RT Photography in Owego, NY. He shoots portraits, products, scenic landscapes, and has recently participated in a collaborative effort producing unique imagery for fashion editorials in international magazines. Trautman has also written for “Photo Techniques” magazine and is currently preparing articles for “Popular Photography” and “Shutterbug” magazines.