Paint the Sky

Fireworks - Bright, Colourful and a fantastic Photo session!

They are also much easier to capture than you might think..

Fireworks are an annual tradition in the UK on both 5th November and December 31st where we see in the new year in style. You may well have seen Firework photography in the past and been tempted to have a go only to not know how to capture the light or been disappointed with blurry poorly exposed shots.

Surprisingly enough, Kit needed is at a minimum. You'll need camera, sturdy Tripod and a lens - you could easily achieve a decent result with a kit lens, I would say at this point a tripod is essential, you'll struggle to get the shots you need hand held.

Optional is a remote trigger, Canon allow you to do this with an app, or you can purchase remote triggers very cheaply online.

First of all pick a location that will give you a clear view of the sky, try and avoid buildings and trees, if you have a camera that can rotate on the tripod all the better but certainly non essential.

Make sure you set your camera to the lowest shutter speed possible, for test shots you should see nothing in the viewfinder. Once your camera shutter clicks wait for it to click a second time before attempting to move to a new location or take a second shot.

A (Light) bulb moment!

Exploring the modes in your camera and you may find something called "Bulb mode" as you slow your shutter speed. For a fuller description of what exactly bulb mode is and how it works visit this article.

In a Nutshell, bulb mode paints an image for as long as you press the shutter for, creating a long exposure for as long as your finger is on the shutter or you press the cable release if you have one.

To get this photo I held the button for roughly 8 seconds, but experiment and see what works and what doesn't.

I started pressing the shutter as the fireworks were reaching their highest point and released as I head the bang.

With Modern Firework displays you'll find many of the fireworks are set off concurrently meaning a great mix of light, colour and light trail can be captured. I was lucky wit this shot as the evening was relatively clear and no cloud meant sharper images.

It may also be worth being away from any bonfire or smoke as these will obviously impact image quality.

Finally, Don't be worried if the image doesn't come out first time. You'll be able to get a fair bit of exposure time using bulb mode and it gives you slightly more control rather than a 24-30 second exposure where you might get complete darkness if no fireworks go off at this stage.

Let me know how you get on in the comments below! link to your shots as I'd love to see them.

Until next time....