EsterCobe52 Week 5 // Fourth of July!

What is typical of the Fourth of July?

  • Fireworks
  • Food
  • Family
  • Outdoor time… possibly with water?
  • Fireworks!

Week five, for me, is all about fireworks and sparklers and how to get that quintessential shot! (keep in mind you are able to post anything Fourth of July related for your #EsterCobe52 – this is just my favorite thing about fourth)

Fireworks & Sparklers – OH MY!

Shel Silverstein said it best with his, “The Fourth” poem. 4th of July is mostly celebrated by lots of lights and noise in the sky. Technically, the best way to capture fireworks is with a tripod, although I typically rest my camera on a surface as I did in the photos below. Also, you want to set your camera on timer to reduce camera movement and you need a really long exposure. It is recommended to use the BLUB setting on your camera if it has one – or T mode, however I use manual with all of my photographs. You want to have your shutter speed super slow, 1/2s and ISO around 200 or less. For aperture stay between f/9-f/16.

I always start with sparklers. These were shot with a little faster shutter since it wasn’t quite pitch dark and I still wanted to capture the kids without them being too blurry… kids move fast!

Again, a tripod is always recommended with any sparkler or firework photo, although any hard surface works just fine. I also use manual focus on these shots since the light is soo dim. You can always use a cell phone light to help make sure you are focused on the sparkler holder with your auto focus, but this can be frustrating if the auto focus struggles when you are ready to take the shot. Those sparklers burn out fast! I typically use a bulb setting with my camera or around 1/15s and aperture of 2.8, iso of 100. You may want to first try this with a patient adult then a child!

Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge
Michigan Family Photographer, Fourth Of July Photographs, Photographer challenge
Writing with Sparklers, firework Photography, Fourth of July documenting
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Writing with Sparklers, Documenting fourth of July, Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Sparkler Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer
Fourth of July Photographs, How to photograph 4th of July, Michigan Lifestyle Photographer, Photo Challenge, South Eastern Michigan Family Photographer