Shooting fireworks is easy! Yes, you heard that right. With our fireworks photo tips you'll make great pictures that will amaze your family and friends.

One of the best things about shooting fireworks is that if you get it right, the reward can be breathtaking. Photos you will cherish, and your friends and family will be amazed by.

©Brandon Remler

Another great thing about fireworks photography is that once you set up the camera, you can watch the show and keep shooting. Unlike most events you photograph where you have to be on alert the entire time, you can just keep pressing the button with an occasional zoom and the pictures will come to you.

If you've never experimented with your camera before, this is the time to do it and we'll show you how.

Use a tripod

The first thing you will need is a tripod... or something that will act as a tripod, but it needs to be steady and secure. If you don't have one, you can pick up an inexpensive one as long as it's sturdy. Don't let this deter you from fireworks photography. It's really needed and once you have one, you'll probably end up using it more and more as you expand your photography.

©Russ Burden

The tripod will hold the camera steady since you will be using very slow shutter speeds. This is the case for both Digital SLRs and point and shoot digital cameras. Once you get to the location you want to shoot from, securely attach your camera to the tripod so you will be ready to shoot when the show begins.

A remote control or timer helps

Along with the tripod, the remote control or timer feature on your camera can help to minimize the amount of shake or movement you create when pressing the shutter button. It may not feel like much to you, but even the slightest movement can cause your image to blur.

If your camera came with a remote control, now is the time to test the batteries on it and pack it into your camera bag. Some will even control the focus and zoom, as well as the shutter button.

Don't worry if you don't have a remote, just use the timer feature on your camera. You may have only used it in the past for family photos where you want to be a part of the picture, but now it'll help make your fireworks photos better.

When the timer is set, press the shutter button and take your hands away from the camera. The number of seconds you set the timer for will count down while the camera steadies. When the shutter is finally released, the photo will be taken without any camera shake.

If you've never used the remote or timer feature on your camera, do a test at home before the big fireworks show so you will know how things work that night.

Setting the camera exposure

Don't let that scare you. This process can be as simple as turning on the Fireworks Scene Mode if your camera has one. That will give you a long exposure, which is essentially a slower shutter speed, and turns off the flash. The reason why you like fireworks photos is because of these long exposures. You are actually painting with the light of the fireworks for a few seconds, and exposing your picture for a longer time, giving your photo the same look as what you see with your eye. Most photos you take are exposed in just a fraction of a second so this is a different technique but still easy to do.

If you are setting your shutter speed manually, anywhere between 3 to 15 seconds should give you an interesting exposure. The longer the shutter stays open, the more fireworks will be painted onto your photo. Set your aperture to around f/8 - f/11. You will want to check your photos in the back of your digital camera after a few pictures to see if you need to adjust the exposure. Try a longer or shorter shutter speed or change your aperture if the fireworks are too bright in the pictures. You will also want to set your ISO setting to a smaller number (a low ISO) like 50 or 100.

If you don't have a Fireworks Scene Mode and are not ready to change things manually, you can also try a Nighttime Scene Mode. Most cameras will have one and it should work nicely as well. 

No flash, even though it's at night

This is a mistake many people make in their photography. They turn on their flash since it's dark thinking that it will help their exposure. Your camera's flash will only illuminate about 15 feet or so in front of you. Imagine how far away the fireworks are, and realize how bright they are. You want the light from the fireworks to expose your photo, not the light from your flash.

Get a good spot

You've heard the saying... location, location, location. It's not just important in real estate, but in fireworks photography as well. If you can put something in the foreground or bottom of your frame the photo can be much more interesting than just 50 photos of bursts in the sky. 

With these easy to use fireworks photography tips you will be proud to show off your 4th of July photos this year!