Firework shows many times are used to celebrate meaningful occasions and so they bring about a myriad of emotions in people for more than just their beauty and that they are magnificent to see.

Figuring out where to aim your camera can be one of the most complicated factors in photographing fireworks. The difficulty lies in that you will typically need to aim the camera prior to the fireworks to be photographed go off. Anticipating the moment is essential. Note the following tips to get your framing right.

Photo by Stuck in Customs Scope out the location early - Planning is important with fireworks and getting to the location early in order to get a good, unobstructed position is important. Think about what is in the foreground and background of your shots and make sure you won’t have people’s heads bobbing up into your shots (also consider what impact you’ll have on others around you also).

Take note of where fireworks are being set up and what parts of the sky they are likely to be shot into - you might also want to try to ask some of those setting up the display for a little information on what they are planning. Also consider what focal lengths you might want to use and choose appropriate lenses at this time (rather than in the middle of the show).

Watch for the horizons. An important factor when lining up fireworks shots is whether your camera is even or straight in its framing. This is particularly essential if you’re going to shooting with a wide focal length and will get other background elements in your shots such as a cityscape. Keeping horizons straight is something we covered previously on this site and is important in fireworks shots also. Make sure your camera is level on your tripod from the time you set up.

There are two main ways of framing shots in all types of photography, vertically (portrait) or horizontally (landscape), so do you shoot vertical of horizontal? You can choose either one. Both can work in fireworks photography but I find a vertical perspective is better, due to there being a lot of vertical motion in fireworks. Horizontal shots can work if your goal is more of a landscape shot with a wider focal length or if you want to include multiple bursts of fireworks in the one shot.

Remember your framing - I find that when I photograph fireworks that I spend less time looking in my viewfinder and more looking at the sky directly. As a result it’s important to remember what framing you have and to watch that segment of the sky. Doing this will also help you to anticipate the right time for a shot as you’ll see the light trails of unexploded rockets shooting into the sky.