Photographing fireworks: This is how you perfectly stage the New Year’s sky

1. Manual exposure time

2. Manual focus

3. Tripod, pads and trigger properly

4. The right time

New Year’s Eve is something very special. Exactly at midnight, the New Year is heralded in many places with a large fireworks display. This is not only beautiful to look at with the naked eye, but also in photos – at least if you pay attention to a few things.

Are you using a real camera? Then it’s even easier than with the cell phone. But you can also take nice pictures with a smartphone with a good camera. In our photo tip, we show you the right settings and important accessories for the perfect New Year’s Eve photo.

Manual exposure time

Whether it’s a single-lens reflex, compact or system camera – as a rule, all modern cameras offer a manual mode (“M”), with which you can set exposure time, light sensitivity (ISO) and aperture manually. In order to depict the black of the night sky well and to minimize image noise, it is advisable to choose the lowest possible light sensitivity between ISO 100 and 400.

The exposure time for fireworks should be between three and six seconds – depending on how quickly new rockets are launched and how long they burn. It is definitely worth experimenting with longer exposure times.

With some compact cameras, however, the setting options are limited. If your camera does not offer a manual mode, select a suitable motif program. Some manufacturers have integrated a fireworks mode into compact cameras that follows the usual ISO and time specifications.

On cell phones, the standard camera app sometimes also offers settings for exposure time and ISO value. If this is not the case for you, you should download a professional camera app. For example, the “Manual Camera” app is recommended for Android and the “Slow Shutter” app for the iPhone.

Manual focus

You should switch off the autofocus when shooting fireworks to avoid incorrect focusing. The manual focus ring should be set to the infinity symbol (8 flipped over). Now the lens sharpens all subjects, even those that are further away. When shooting fireworks, the aperture should be as closed as possible so that little stray light falls into the camera during the long exposure time. Good results are possible between aperture 10 and 16.

If the picture is still too dark overall, you can also try an aperture value of 8. A wide-angle lens is great for capturing the night sky and fireworks. Most manufacturers offer 18-55mm kit lenses for their camera models, with which good results can already be achieved.

You should lock the focus on your smartphone so that the cell phone does not refocus during the recording. For most apps, this works if you focus on a point and keep your finger pressed on the display until the focus lock starts. The focus area should be farther away, so don’t aim for a very close object, otherwise the image may be blurred.

Tripod, pads and trigger properly

Long exposure times for optimal fireworks recording require a stable base. A photo tripod offers the best solution here. If you don’t have one with you, look for a wobble-free surface on which to position the camera. In order to trigger the recording, the use of a remote release, for example via infrared, cable or smartphone app, is a good idea. Alternatively, you can use the two- or ten-second self-timer so your shot doesn’t blur when you press the shutter button.

You should also stabilize your smartphone. Here, too, it is best to use a tripod with a suitable mobile phone holder or at least a stable base. So that the mobile phone does not shake when the shutter button is pressed, simply use the self-timer and set it to a few seconds.

The right time

Of course, there is always a bit of luck involved in finding the right time to release it. The fireworks have different burning times and shine with different brightness. So that there is as much leeway as possible in post-processing, you should also have the photos output as raw data (RAW) from your digital camera if possible.

The right time to trigger the camera at a firework display is often at the moment of the bang or just before it, in order to have the tail of the rising New Year’s Eve rocket in the picture as well. If you only want to photograph the explosion and the color effects, you should trigger at the moment of the bang. Fireworks photos often look a bit lonely in the night sky – try including a church tower or other structural element in your pictures.

The netzwelt editorial team wishes you a lot of fun and success with your photography and a happy new year 2023! By the way: Netzwelt also tells you how to send original New Year’s greetings as text or GIF via WhatsApp, Facebook and Co.