Topic: Shooting Fireworks.
Well, taking pictures of them. I told tharte I'd write a quick something, so here goes.
To start: buy a tripod. You're going to buy one sooner or later anyway, right? Being able to shoot at long shutter speeds opens a whole new door or creative possibilities. Not only does it make shooting fireworks possible, but it enables you to shoot badass nightscapes. While you're at it, I'd highly suggest picking up a remote shutter release. Touching the camera, even while it's on a tripod, will cause vibrations that will blur your photos. If you don't want to invest, you're going to have to use the timer delay feature.
Now that you have your tripod, you're going to want to turn that dial to the scary M setting. Why? Because your camera can't meter for fireworks that haven't gone off yet. The concept is simple, You're going to want to shoot at ISO 200 or lower, with an aperture of f/8 or higher. Shutter speed is the tricky part. I'd start with a few seconds and see what happens. Remember that it takes light to expose an image, so you could leave the shutter open and as long as there is no light, it'll never expose. once the firework explodes, enough light it created to impact the sensor. (Think about it, you could hold a black sheet of paper in front of the lens and remove it only before explosions and it would create an image that appears as if multiple fireworks are going off at once.) Once you have your settings dialed in, you're going to want to flick your focusing switch to the scary M setting too. I''d suggest using a zoom lens to aid in composition, and since you're shooting at a higher aperture, the image quality is about the same. Furthermore, using a zoom will allow you to zoom into an explosion to adjust focus, then zoom out and compose. To check exposure, take a few test shots and zoom into the explosions, you don't want them to be blown out. If they are, you're going to have to find a way to let less light into the camera. (I'd suggest aperture) If they're underexposed, do the opposite. Once you have your settings and focus in place, the fun starts. Sit and watch the fireworks, and not through the view finder. Click the shutter a moment before each explosion, review the results, and adjust whatever is needed. The trick to shooting fireworks is that you need to find the perfect settings, composition, and focus, all in the dark, with a subject that only appears for a second at a time, and as quick as possible since the smoke created quickly degrades your image quality. Once you have that figured out, keep shooting! Memory cards are cheap and you never know when you'll snap that keeper.
This might be a good time to learn about the bulb setting. Instead of setting a shutter speed, the bulb setting allows you to hold the shutter release for as long as desired; you control the shutter speed. Hold it for the duration of the explosion and you don't have to worry about timing! Every camera is different, so look to your manual for more information.
Hope this helps! Reply with any questions, and I'd love to see any fireworks shots from you weekend. Stay safe!
