How to Take Photos of Fireworks on a Phone
How to take photos of fireworks on a phone
When you’re taking shots of fireworks, you don’t have much time to react, so I recommend playing around with your settings in advance so you know where things are. Here are seven general tips that can help you get better results.
01. Find a good composition
As with most kinds of photography, one of the most common mistakes people make is not thinking about the composition, and this is really the key to a great shot. Like astro shots of starry skies, photos of even the most impressive fireworks often disappoint if there’s nothing else in the composition. Without other elements to provide context, all you have are some sparks in the sky, which isn’t really very interesting to look at because it could be anywhere. Finding a location where you can frame a shot to include buildings, landscape or people in the foreground can result in a much more impressive image.
02. Choose the right settings for fireworks photos
For smartphone photography, many of us use automatic settings. These can be fine for taking quick shots of everyday scenes, but they can let us down when it comes to taking shots at night, and particularly of fireworks. The problem is that the camera will often try to expose for the dark sky, making the image too bright, with insufficient contrast to see the fireworks clearly. You’re phone may also take an exposure that’s too long, leading to blurry fireworks.
03. Disable flash and high-dynamic range (HDR)
Don’t use a flash! While your camera’s flash can be useful for some forms of photography in low light, it makes no sense for fireworks because the fireworks themselves generate light, and your flash won’t reach them anyway. All the flash will do is illuminate objects closer to you.
04. Use burst shooting to capture a precise moment
Burst shooting allows you to fire off a batch of shots in quick succession. The clear advantage of this for photographing fireworks is that if you start the burst shot just as a fireworks launch, you’ve got more chance that one of the shots taken will capture the precise moment the fireworks explode.
05. Try video
Many cameraphones can now capture 4K video. The advantage of video is that you can capture more of a fireworks display and not miss a moment, and 4K footage is a high enough resolution that you could extract stills from it if you want photos rather than moving images.
06. Create an HDR photo
Want to take things to the next level? We mentioned turning off your camera’s automatic HDR. But for really pro fireworks shots, you could create your own HDR images manually by taking two photographs and then layering them.
07. Experiment
If you have the time to try out different things, fireworks provide a great opportunity to experiment with creative photography. You could try taking long exposures to capture light trails. This can be particularly effective with sparklers, allowing your subject to draw images in the air with light. You could also try capturing long exposures as fireworks explode, capturing the trails that form as sparks fall.
How to edit photos of fireworks
After you’ve taken your shots, you’ll often be able to make photos of fireworks look better with a little bit of editing. That could be in an app like Lightroom or even in your phone’s own camera app.
FAQs
Q: What’s the best way to take photos of fireworks?
A: Find a good composition, use the right settings for fireworks photos, disable flash and HDR, use burst shooting to capture a precise moment, try video, create an HDR photo, and experiment with different techniques.
Q: How do I edit photos of fireworks?
A: You can edit your fireworks photos in an app like Lightroom or even in your phone’s own camera app. Adjust luminance, contrast, white balance, and saturation to improve the image.
Q: Are there any special tips for taking photos of fireworks on a phone?
A: Yes, make sure to play with your settings in advance, use burst shooting, and try to capture the right moment. You can also use video to capture more of the display.
