Photography Tips and Tricks: Fireworks

Tomorrow is Independence Day in the US and if there's one thing that is a great thing to capture on film, it's fireworks. However, getting great shots of fireworks displays can be very tricky if you don't know what to do. While some cameras do have a "Fireworks Mode" on them, you may be dissatisfied with the results. So, here are a few tricks to try with your camera if you want to capture some great fireworks shots. 1) Dial down the ISO -- Manually set the ISO to 100 or 200 and adjust as needed. 2) Get a greater depth of field -- Do this by setting the aperture to f/8 or f/11. 3) Take longer exposures -- Let the shutter stay open longer and capture more bursts in a single shot. 4) Use a tripod -- Since you'll be taking longer exposures, the risk of camera shake is greater if you do not stabilize the camera on a tripod. 5) Use a lens-cover to reduce the chance of overexposing the sky between shots -- While the shutter is still open, you can cover the lens with a piece of cardboard painted black or with a baseball cap. Feel free to experiment and fine-tune your technique to get the results you want. And, if you do capture some great shots, feel free to share them with us over on Facebook or Pinterest! -- da Bird