How to Take Photos of Fireworks Without a Tripod

With practice, hold the camera steady for longer-exposure pictures.

A tripod isn't required to take pictures of fireworks displays. Just about anything flat and solid can be used to brace a camera. If you can't find anything to do the job, adjust your camera settings to give you a little help while you hold the camera still enough to capture the picture. Luckily, fireworks emit a great deal of light, meaning you don't always need to hold the shutter open for an extended amount of time to create a good picture.

Instructions

1. Make sure any image stabilization offered by your camera is turned on.

2. Look around for anything you can use to brace the camera, such as the top of a car, a fence, a rock or branch, or even the ground. If you can't find anything, get low to the ground or sit on the ground. This will lower your center of gravity and enable you to hold the camera more steady.

3. Change the camera's shooting mode to manual, shutter-priority or bulb, in which the shutter is engaged as long as you are pressing the shutter button. Or choose a "Fireworks" or "Night" shooting mode, if this is an option on your camera.

4. Turn off the flash.

5. Set the lens to a moderate aperture, such as f/stop, to f/6 or f/8, if you are using the manual or bulb mode.

6. Choose a shutter speed of about 1/30th or 1/15th of a second, if you are holding the camera by hand. As you grow accustomed to holding the camera steady, slow down the shutter speed even more. Choose a shutter speed of about two seconds if you are using an object to prop up and steady the camera.

7. Turn on the camera's self-timer. The timer will trigger the shutter, eliminating any movement caused by you pressing the shutter button.

8. Frame the picture using the viewfinder or the LCD monitor, and press the shutter button halfway down to pre-focus the picture.

9. Press the shutter button to take the picture while you wait for the next burst of color to appear in the sky. Remember to account for the delay caused by using the self-timer.

10. Look to the LCD monitor to check the picture and then adjust the settings as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are holding the camera by hand or your support is not very steady, try using the "High ISO" setting on your camera or manually setting the ISO, which controls the camera's sensitivity to light, to 800 or higher. The pictures may turn out a little grainy, but you will be able to shoot at a faster shutter speed.

References

• Digital Photography School: How to Photograph Fireworks Displays; Darren Rowse
• Digital Photography School: Alternatives for Tripods and Monopods; Darren Rowse
• PC World: How to Photograph Fireworks; Dave Johnson; June 30, 2008