02 Capture perfect pyrotechnics
Make sure this year’s bonfire night shots go off with a bang
Don’t mourn the imminent arrival of long, cold, winter nights. This time of year is full of fantastic photo opportunities, and Bonfire Night gives you another great excuse to be out and about with your camera. Firework displays can make fantastic-looking images you can enjoy all year round, but the key is practice and preparation. If you’re still wondering what lens and exposure settings to use as the display starts, you’ve left it too late.
It’s a good idea to shoot in Manual mode, otherwise your camera could get confused by the rapid changes of dark to light in the sky. You’ll need to experiment, but try an aperture of f/11 and a shutter speed of one to four seconds. Obviously, some fireworks last longer than others so you’ll probably need to increase or decrease the exposure time.
A tripod or some other kind of support is essential when shooting such long exposures, along with a cable release. Keep the ISO low to reduce noise. You could also try bracketing your exposures and then merging the images in software.
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* You’re likely to be some way from the exploding fireworks (we hope), so try a 24-70mm telephoto lens or a 70-200mm. A wide-angle lens will enable you to include the context of the display, which is handy if it’s taking place above a photogenic building or landmark, as in the image on the left. * Good framing is important. Try to anticipate the path of the fireworks so you capture the whole burst, and try both portrait and landscape formats. Don’t go in so tight that the exploding firework has no room to ‘breathe’ against the night sky. * Use manual focus. Autofocus will struggle in low light and get confused by the frenetic and colourful activity in the sky. It’s a good idea to focus on any distant buildings in the shot to keep them sharp. Use autofocus, then set the switch on the lens to manual. * Keep the ISO low to minimise noise and shoot in raw rather than JPEG, so you capture the maximum detail.