70 DECEMBER 2015^ http://www.asianphotographyindia.com
Recce or reconnaissance
This is an important part of fireworks photography.
Since fireworks can only be seen on certain occasions
like New Year, Diwali or maybe a sporting event, it is
imperative to do a recce of the area you are planning to
shoot. The backdrop of the photograph creates a huge
difference in the final result and one needs to have a
colourful backdrop as well. A thorough inspection of the
area will reveal open spaces from where you can get
a clear view of the sky. Buildings and trees sticking out
like a sore thumb are unacceptable in photographs like
this. On the other hand, a well thought out photograph
of a cityscape with fireworks can look amazing. It is all
about one’s imagination and luck and one has to rely
on his instinct. Learning about different fireworks is
also important. All fireworks such as shells, parachutes,
comets, bottle rockets, missiles are aerial fireworkswhereas cones, firecrackers, wheel, fountains and
sparklers are all ground based. If ground-based firework
is your main interest then a populated area would be
better where you can get human interaction along with
your firework. If you want aerial firework shows then a
clear vista works much better.Use a tripod
It is advisable to use a tripod as most firework
photography happens at night and a tripod stabilises the
camera to a great extent thus removing any chance of
camera shake in the photographs. You can also use the
screen of the camera to view rather than putting your
eye to the viewfinder while waiting for the fireworks
to go off. It is also a good practice to use a remote
controlled shutter instead of physically pressing the
in-camera shutter, as this reduces camera shake as well.Photo: LuAnn Snawder