How to Photograph Fireworks

Wadswick Green 2024 Fireworks

Tips for cameras and mobile phones — including Project Indigo

Bonfire Night brings one of the most colourful evenings of the year — and one of the trickiest to photograph. Cameras and phones both struggle in low light, with bright moving subjects against a black sky. Here’s how to improve your chances of getting shots that sparkle.

📸 For Camera Users

1. Use a tripod or steady surface

Fireworks look best with a long exposure (2–6 seconds), so keeping the camera still is essential. If you don’t have a tripod, rest the camera on a wall or use a beanbag.

2. Manual or “Fireworks” mode

If your camera has a fireworks scene mode, start there.

Otherwise set:

• ISO 100–200

• Aperture f/8–f/11 for crisp bursts

• Shutter 2–6 seconds

• Focus manually on infinity.

3. Anticipate, don’t react

Fireworks rise, pause, then explode. Press the shutter just as they begin to rise. Use a remote release or self-timer to avoid shake.

4. Compose wide

Leave space around the bursts. You can crop later but can’t add missing sparks!

5. Try silhouettes

Include a building or crowd outline to give context — the Greenhouse lit against the night sky can look dramatic.

📱 For Mobile Phone Photographers

Modern phones are surprisingly good in low light if used carefully.

1. Hold steady

Brace elbows against your body or a railing. Night mode uses multiple exposures, so movement causes blur.

2. Reduce exposure

Tap the brightest area (a firework or light source) and slide down slightly to avoid blown-out whites.

3. Turn off flash

It will do nothing useful at distance — just light up the nearest head!

4. Use burst mode

Keep the shutter pressed as fireworks explode; later, select the best frame.

🌌 Using the Project Indigo Camera App

Project Indigo gives extra control and excellent noise handling.

• Switch to Night Mode: It automatically combines multiple exposures for sharp, low-noise images.

• Lock focus at infinity: Tap and hold on a distant light until focus locks.

• Use exposure compensation – 1 EV: Helps preserve detail in the bright bursts.

• If possible, mount the phone: A small clamp or tripod will greatly improve results.

• Experiment with long exposure mode: Capture trails of light as they streak across the frame — the app will merge them beautifully.

🔥 Final Thought

Don’t forget to pause between shots and simply enjoy the display.

Firework photography is unpredictable — but when it works, the results are magical.

Neckar in Flames 1994