10 expert tips for crystal clear fireworks photography

1st Galaxy Bonfire Night fireworks

It’s only natural to reach for your camera or smartphone when you see something jaw-dropping, like a multi-coloured fountain of sparks and lights raining down from high in the sky, but it can be disappointing to look at the pictures the next day. Fireworks are uniquely tricky to photograph, due to the combination of flashing bright lights and the speed at which they fire. This can result in fuzzy photographs showing nothing but a vague blur of light, unless you know what you’re doing.

Here are 10 top tips to help you capture the perfect image of a fantastic fireworks display this Bonfire Night, many of which were provided in a recent article by professional Liverpool Echo photographer Jason Roberts:

1. Get a better camera. It sounds obvious, but you really will get better results with a higher spec camera or a smartphone with a superior camera. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a professional camera, but you may need a slight upgrade for fireworks photography.

2. Use a tripod. If you’re using a camera, you need a level surface on which to take your image. In all the excitement of a noisy display, your grip alone may not be steady enough!

3. Make use of the iPhone HRD function – it’s tailor-made for getting a great image in situations like this.

4. Turn the flash off. You simply don’t need a flash when photographing fireworks, but many people naturally leave it on because they’re taking photos at night. The flash on either a camera or smartphone can drown the foreground of the picture so you don’t get the detail you need on the fireworks themselves.

5. Don’t zoom in. If you’re using a smartphone, resist the temptation to zoom in on a particular effect. This can affect the quality and focus. Instead, take the picture and crop it to size later on.

6. Use a remote release. If you have this feature on your camera, use it. Other tips for camera use include using a low ISO setting, the right F-stop and a long exposure (up to 3 seconds).

7. Clean your phone! If you’ve ever come back from holiday and looked at the photos taken on your phone and wondered why they were so blurry, you’ll know the importance of keeping your phone lens clean. Give it a rub with a soft cloth before heading to the display.

8. Try the burst mode. This is a function on many phones which allows you to take several photos, one after another, while only pressing the button once. This is a great function in fast-paced fireworks displays, where everything happens so quickly that more chances to find that one perfect shot can be a great advantage.

9. Take LOTS of photos. Just like the tip above, you’re going to need lots of photos in order to capture that one perfect moment. You can delete them all later, but snap as many pictures as you can during the display.

10. Get your timing right. You need to be aiming and ready to take the photo as a firework is being fired, not once it has already exploded in the sky. Practice your timing so that you don’t miss your window to get the perfect shot.