Here are a few tips for successful fireworks photography with digital SLR cameras:

 

Lens choice depends on how far away you are and how much you want to fill the frame with each burst. I prefer the abstract quality of the close ups, so I used a 70-200 zoom. If you are closer or want to include foreground elements you will need a normal zoom, or even a wide angle. Try to stake out your spot well before dark, and make sure you will have enough room for your tripod when the crowds come.

 

Camera settings

Set your shutter speed for at least 2 seconds in order to capture the whole burst. If you have a ball head you can track the fireworks through the viewfinder and trip the shutter just before a burst. If you leave the shutter open for 4-10 seconds you can capture several bursts in one exposure.

 

Set your ISO at 100 and your aperture at f16 or f22 so that you don’t overexpose and wash out the colors. You can also use B setting to open and close the shutter manually. Keep the shutter open until you have captured a few good bursts.

 

If your camera has a noise reduction function, turn it off! It will seriously slow down the time for the camera to record each shot. Mirror lock up and self timer settings will minimize vibrations but you will not be able to see through the viewfinder while it is on, so I recommend not using them.

Also, you won’t be able to use auto focus so set the lens focus manually to infinity and forget about it.

 

Try to use all manual settings if possible. My Canon G7 has a Fireworks mode which seems useful, however it automatically sets the aperture at f2.8, which will either force a short exposure or wash out the color completely.

 

Start with the white balance set to tungsten. Use RAW format if possible to allow for tweaking the white balance in Photoshop or Lightroom. The perfect white balance setting is elusive but you will be surprised at the great color when you get it just right. In Lightroom I used Temp setting of around 2800 and Tint setting of 6 most of the time.