Photographing fireworks is actually quite easy, as long as your camera has manual control options and a tripod mount (or you have something other than a tripod to hold your camera perfectly steady for several seconds, like a bean bag, etc).
There are, of course, variations to the following basic instructions, but this is how I photograph fireworks...
1. Put the camera on a tripod (or equivalent support) and locate it where there is a clear view of the fireworks display.
2. If possible, shoot from up wind so it is camera > fireworks > smoke. Otherwise, after a while the fireworks will become quite hazy.
3. Use a wide angle lens. Firework displays vary in size and altitude, so they can cover a large area.
4. Use manual focus.*
5. Use manual aperture and Bulb if your camera has that option. If not, manual shutter speed. Eight seconds at f4 to f8 is a good starting point. Vary as needed.**
6. Use a remote shutter release if you have one (ideal) or the 2 second timer if you don’t.
7. Use your lowest ISO setting (80, 100 or 200 etc).
8. Disable the flash.
9. Turn off image stabilization if I.S. on your gear does not work properly while on a tripod.
10. With a DSLR, I do not use mirror lockup. I trip the shutter the moment the firework is launched so any vibration caused by the shutter or mirror slap has subsided by the time the firework detonates.
* When the first firework detonates I quickly center it on an autofocus point and then autofocus to set general focus distance and then switch the camera or lens to manual focus and recompose. Since you never know where the next firework will show in the frame, presetting manual focus is the only way to guarantee proper focus each time.
** Light intensity can vary over time, especially if the firework show starts before it is completely dark, so settings sometimes need to be changed a stop or two to compensate. I start at f8 and vary the aperture as needed to control the firework brightness. If your camera doesn’t have a Bulb setting I have found 4 to 8 seconds is a good average exposure time as most fireworks take place within that time period.
Within reason, the length of exposure does not affect the firework’s brightness but allows capturing the fireworks’ motion. Less than 4 seconds is often too short to get it all. If you are blowing out highlights, close down the aperture some rather than decrease exposure time.
In other words, shutter speed does not affect a firework’s brightness, aperture does.
Auto functions are just about useless when photographing fireworks. The only auto function I use for fireworks is auto white balance. Since I shoot only RAW, white balance is not important at the time the shot is taken. If you shoot JPEG, probably the safest white balance setting is Daylight.
By their nature, fireworks are a high contrast subject, so you want your camera set to its lowest contrast and highest dynamic range. Shooting RAW format increases the ability to recover even more dynamic range.
I prefer capturing fewer fireworks per shot and then composite them later in my image editor to create a multiple burst image.
Fireworks can be more interesting if elements of the scene are included in the shot, but if you expose for the bright firework the scene is usually (but not always) too dark to show up, so take a separate shot exposed for the scene and later in your image editor firework shots can be superimposed over it with blending set to something like ‘Lighten.’
