How to Photograph Fireworks with Perfect Camera Settings

Fireworks photography is a rewarding yet challenging form of photography that allows you to capture dynamic and beautiful moments of light in the night sky. By mastering a few technical settings, creative techniques, and using the right gear, you can create stunning photos that highlight the grandeur and artistry of fireworks.

Why Fireworks Photography Is Unique

Fireworks photography offers a unique blend of creativity and technical precision. The key differences between fireworks photography and other types of photography are:

• Shooting at Night: Fireworks occur at night, where light levels are typically low, and the burst of light produced by the fireworks contrasts sharply against the darkness of the sky. This demands careful management of exposure settings, particularly the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.
• Timing the Shot: Unlike stationary subjects, fireworks are fast-moving, fleeting explosions of light. Capturing the exact moment of the burst requires perfect timing and quick reflexes. You often need to anticipate the explosion's timing, which involves practice and experience.
• Using Long Exposures: Fireworks bursts last only a fraction of a second, but by using long exposures, you can capture the entire progression of a burst, from ignition to final light trails. This creates a stunning visual effect of glowing arcs in the sky.

Related: Mastering Long Exposure Landscape Photography

Essential Gear for Fireworks Photography

To capture high-quality fireworks images, you need more than just a camera. The right equipment will help you achieve the best possible results:

• Camera: A DSLR or mirrorless camera with full manual controls is essential. The ability to adjust settings like ISO, aperture, and shutter speed manually is necessary to achieve the perfect exposure for fireworks photography. For beginners, a camera with a good image sensor and low light performance is crucial. You may also want a camera that can shoot in RAW for post-processing flexibility.
• Best Camera for Beginners 2025

• Tripod: A sturdy, lightweight tripod is critical to avoid any camera shake during long exposures. Fireworks photography often involves exposures from 2 to 10 seconds, which is impossible to do handheld without introducing unwanted blur.
• Best Tripods for Travel and Studio Photography

• Remote Shutter Release: A remote shutter release or intervalometer is necessary to trigger your camera without physically touching it. Pressing the shutter button on your camera can introduce slight movement, which can blur the image during long exposures. A remote release ensures you capture crisp, sharp images.
• Must-Have Camera Accessories

• Lenses: A wide-angle lens (around 24mm to 35mm) is great for capturing wide views of fireworks displays. However, if you want to zoom in on individual bursts, a telephoto lens (70-200mm) can help you capture intricate details of the fireworks. Keep in mind that lenses with a larger aperture (f/2.8 or lower) allow more light to hit the sensor, which is useful in low-light conditions.
• Best Lenses for Portrait Photography

• Lens Hood: A lens hood can help reduce lens flare from streetlights or nearby sources of light. Although fireworks create their own light, the lens hood ensures that stray light doesn’t degrade image quality by causing unwanted flares.

The Perfect Fireworks Camera Settings

Fireworks photography requires careful attention to your camera's settings to ensure sharpness and the right exposure. Here’s how you should set up your camera:

• Mode: Use Manual (M) mode for full control over your exposure settings. This ensures that you can adjust the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to match the lighting and subject.
• ISO: Set your ISO to 100 or 200. Fireworks are typically bright enough that you don’t need a high ISO, and lowering it minimizes noise in your images. Higher ISOs can introduce grain, which detracts from the image quality.
• Aperture: Set your aperture to f/8 to f/16. A smaller aperture (higher f-number) will help you achieve a greater depth of field, ensuring that both the foreground and the fireworks are in focus. Keep in mind that a smaller aperture also requires longer exposure times.
• Shutter Speed: Set your shutter speed between 2 and 10 seconds. The exact duration depends on the size and duration of the fireworks. Longer exposures allow you to capture the full light trails, while shorter exposures will freeze the burst. Experiment with different shutter speeds to see what works best for the specific fireworks display.
• Focus: Switch to manual focus and set it to infinity or approximately 1/3 into the scene. Autofocus systems can struggle in low light, especially with fast-moving subjects, and they may hunt for focus during the firework bursts. Pre-focusing ensures your images are sharp when the fireworks explode.
• White Balance: Set your white balance to Daylight or Auto. Fireworks are already vibrant and colorful, so you don’t need to adjust the white balance too much. However, setting it to Daylight can help preserve the natural colors of the fireworks, while Auto gives you flexibility to adjust during post-processing.

Related: Best Camera Settings for Winter Portraits 2025

Composition Tips for Stunning Fireworks Shots

Composition plays a significant role in making your fireworks photography visually striking. Here are some essential tips:

• Frame Your Foreground: Including elements like trees, buildings, or landmarks in the foreground adds depth and context to your shot. This helps the viewer feel a connection to the scene and makes the fireworks feel more immersive.
• Leave Space: Fireworks need room to burst and expand in the frame. Avoid placing other elements too close to the firework explosions to allow the light trails to spread naturally. This space also creates a sense of anticipation in the viewer.
• Use Leading Lines: Incorporate natural or man-made lines (such as roads, rivers, or bridges) to lead the viewer’s eye toward the fireworks. Leading lines can draw attention to the focal point and create a sense of movement.
• What Are Leading Lines in Photography?
• Apply the Rule of Thirds: The Rule of Thirds involves dividing your frame into a 3x3 grid. Instead of placing the fireworks directly in the center, position them along one of the vertical lines. This creates a more balanced and dynamic composition.

Related: How to Take Professional-Looking Photos

Creative Techniques to Try

Add a creative touch to your fireworks photos with these advanced techniques:

• Light Trails + Foreground: Combine long exposure shots of fireworks with static foreground elements like city skylines, trees, or water reflections. This approach gives your images a sense of place and adds visual interest by showing the interplay between the moving fireworks and the stationary landscape.
• Related: How to Capture Light Trails in Photography

• Multiple Bursts: Keep your shutter open for several consecutive fireworks bursts. This technique allows you to capture multiple fireworks in a single shot, creating a layered effect that adds complexity and dynamism to your image.

• Silhouette Effects: Place people or objects between the camera and the fireworks to create striking silhouettes. This technique adds drama and emotional depth to your photos by highlighting the contrast between the darkened foreground and the vibrant fireworks.
• Related: How to Take Silhouette Landscape Photos at Sunrise

Post-Processing for Fireworks Photography

Once you’ve captured your fireworks shots, post-processing is key to enhancing their visual impact. Here are some tips:

• Color Correction: In post-processing, adjust the color balance to ensure that the fireworks appear natural or enhance the colors for a more dramatic look. Fireworks typically have rich reds, greens, and blues, so enhancing these hues can make your images pop.
• Color Correction vs. Color Grading

• Object Removal: Sometimes, unwanted elements like smoke or stray lights can distract from your shot. Use tools like the Spot Healing Brush or Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop to remove distractions without compromising the quality of the photo.
• How to Remove Unwanted Objects

• Presets: Save time by using Lightroom or Photoshop presets that fit your style. Presets can quickly adjust exposure, contrast, and color balance, allowing you to focus on fine-tuning other aspects of the image.
• How to Make Your Own Photography Presets

• Editing Apps: Use powerful photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop on your desktop or mobile apps like Snapseed or VSCO to refine your photos. These tools offer various features like noise reduction, color grading, and sharpening to perfect your images.
• Best Photo Editing Apps in 2025

Final Pro Tips

• Scout Your Location: Arrive early to secure the best spot. Check out the area in advance to make sure there are no obstructions like trees or power lines in your shot.
• Arrive Early: Give yourself plenty of time to set up and fine-tune your settings before the fireworks begin. It’s always better to be early than to rush at the last minute.
• Watch Test Launches: Pay attention to any test fireworks shots to get a feel for the timing and size of the bursts. This will help you anticipate the actual display.
• Lens Care: During breaks between fireworks, use a lens cloth to wipe off any condensation or dust that may accumulate on your lens.
• Shoot in RAW: Always shoot in RAW format. RAW files provide the highest quality and the most editing flexibility, allowing you to recover more details in post-processing.

Related: Common Mistakes in Photography

By applying these settings, tips, and techniques, you'll be well on your way to capturing stunning fireworks photos that showcase the beauty and excitement of the display. With the right preparation and creativity, you'll create images that stand out and leave a lasting impression.