Arts Design

HOW TO CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL SPARKS

Families are travelling, barbeques are lit, and John Philip Sousa’s back in vogue - it’s that time of year again! In commemoration of America’s birthday and the festivities that attend it, we’re sharing a few great tips from photography pros to make sure your firework pics are as beautiful as possible, regardless of your type of camera. Let’s shoot some sparks!

BEFORE YOU SHOOT SPARKS

Fireworks are fleeting experiences, so if you want to make sure your photos come out beautifully, there are a number of things to keep in mind before even turning your camera on.

Regardless of your device, a tripod is essential. It allows you to snap away without having to account for the natural sways and jiggles of your hand. Many owners of DSLR cameras will own one, but they can also be bought for phones and other types of digital cameras.

The less contact you have with your camera while shooting, the better. Many cameras can be controlled remotely, and phone cameras usually have a timer you can utilize.

Placement is important when shooting fireworks. Your distance from the burst, how high or low you are, and even which direction the smoke blows can all affect the shot. Being above ground-level will generally lead to nicer photos.

Turn off the flash, turn off any HDR settings, and, if possible, switch the camera to manual or to a mode with settings optimized for fireworks (many cameras have this).

SHOOTING THE SPARKS

You’re next to the lake or on a friend’s rooftop; your camera is ready, and you’re itching to put these sparks on celluloid (so to speak, of course - it’s 2014!). But how?

Because of the peculiar lighting and movement characteristic of fireworks, you will likely need to use a specific range of settings in order to capture them most effectively.

If you’re using a DSLR, play around with the settings in order to take advantage of the fireworks’ movement and lighting.

Because the bursts are in motion, use a slower shutter speed in order to give the sparks the exposure they need. Pros recommend a shutter speed of no longer than a few seconds, so that the light doesn’t overexpose the image.

While your photography class may teach that night shoots require a wider aperture, fireworks are actually very bright and don’t require it.

Mid-range apertures (f/8 or smaller) should work -- but don’t go smaller than f/16. Assuming you’re shooting at a low ISO (around ISO 100), you should have some great photos to share.

If you’re using a phone camera, try to download an app to let you manually control the settings. Camera+ for iOS and Camera FV-5 for Android are both great options. Apply the settings we discussed above and snap away!

We hope you have a happy and beautiful 4th of July! And don’t forget to share your beautiful sparks with us!

COMPOSITION:

When sparks are flying, it’s a challenge to catch them where you want them. Here are a few hacks and schemes.

Scope out your position early. Unobstructed views get harder to come by as the crowds roll in.
Watch your horizons. It helps to keep an anchor.

Think vertical. Fireworks and gravity inform this decision. That’s how the trails play out.
Watch your frame. You are tempted to look at the whole sky when you are not looking through your viewfinder. But to get your shot, watch the piece of the sky that you have already framed with your camera.

Read more about Beautiful Sparks, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact.

Enter your own images and ideas about Beautiful Sparks in this week’s creative Photo Competition. Open for entries now until 11:59 p.m. PT on 07.06.14. If you are reading this after that date, check out the current BN Creative Competition, and enter!