Tips on how to photograph Fireworks

Perhaps you just got yourself a shiny new Canon Rebel XT digital camera, or you are planning on using your existing camera to capture some great fireworks shots on the 4th of July.

Fireworks are probably amongst the easiest subjects to photograph. All you really need to do is setup your camera and continually snap the shutter. You’ll get some amazing results with very little effort.

The key to shooting fireworks is preparation. Here are 5 hot tips to from the PhotoBird Learning Center, which you can put to good use on the 4th of July or anytime you want to try and capture some great fireworks shots..

• Use a tripod – You are going to be taking a lot of pictures in a 20-30 minute fireworks show. You need a tripod to keep your camera steady.
• Use the remote control or timer – To avoid any shaking, even if your camera is mounted on a tripod, always use a remote control or the built in timer.
• Long exposure time and shutter speed – Experiment with your camera’s exposure settings. Try setting it to 3-4 seconds and see how the first few shots come out. Play around with these settings. You can get very creative and capture some good pictures.
• Turn off the camera’s flash – Even though your camera will probably want to use the flash, make sure it’s turned off.
• Location, location, location – This is probably the most important. Make sure you arrive early to find a good place to setup at. You generally don’t want people or objects in the way, and you also want to avoid being near any sources of light.