With the 4th of July only a few days away, we are again to anticipate a ton of parties, hotdogs, parades, and of course, the classic fireworks displays. If you're a fan and you want to capture the upcoming lights show with your smartphone, here are a few tips and tricks to help you shoot like a pro.
1. Say no to flash.
Because you're shooting at night, your camera might automatically turn the flash on. Therefore, your first task is to shut that baby off. There is really no use in flashing fireworks that are too far from your lens.
"The flash is only going to illuminate things that are within five to 10 feet of you," professional photographer Tony Northrup told TIME. "Maybe you actually want to light people up in the foreground, but if you do that, it's going to under-expose the shot . . . the fireworks will end up too dark."
2. Keep your camera steady.
Try to take all the necessary steps to keep your camera steady while shooting. It is advised that you can bring a mini-tripod, such as a GorillaPod so that you can still flexibly take shots.
3. Secure a nice angle.
If you want to frame the fireworks properly, try to get to a higher ground. Zooming in will lower the quality of your photos. Also, make it a habit to frame your shots well by checking for unnecessary elements. In this case, watch out for bobbing heads.
4. Video is an option.
Shooting fireworks doesn't have to be limited to photos. Sometimes, capturing a 10-second clip is more perfect than one shot. In some cases, if your video has a pretty solid resolution, you can take a frame or still and post it as a separate photo.
5. Look for other subjects.
As many photographers advise, try to not only take good shots, but also good stories.
"You could crouch down behind your kid and shoot the back and side of their face, as they're looking at the fireworks," Northrup says. "There's a bit of story - here's a kid looking at fireworks - and that's a hundred times more interesting than just a firework."
