NORTHWEST ARKANSAS (KFSM) -- Many of you will probably be taking pictures of the fireworks shows on the Fourth of July, but sometimes a photo doesn't always give them justice. Melissa L. Jones, the publicity chairman of the Photographic Society of NWA has a few easy tips for taking a good photo.
She says using a cell phone is difficult, but the following tips will help you improve your photography skills:
1.) Focus the the screen by touching the place where you want your smart phone camera to focus. This will also adjust the lighting.
2.) Be sure to keep your phone steady. You can always put your phone on a steady surface to help you.
3.) Don't zoom in. This will make your photos grainy. You can always crop later.
4.) If you're still not sure what to do, you can always shoot video and grab still images/screen grabs from that.
5.) It's also vital to turn off the HDR or High-Dynamic Resolution on your phone when taking pictures of fireworks.
Here are Melissa's tips for using a digital SLR camera:
1.) Use a tripod - Fireworks need long exposures, so you'll need a tripod to keep things steady.
2.) Find a good location - Give context to your image, such as a landmark or even an audience.
3.) Keep your aperture mid-range and your ISO low - F-stop should range from about F/7.1 to F/16, depending on your distance from the fireworks. The ISO should be low to keep the fireworks from burning out.
4.) Shoot manual and with a remote - Shoot in manual mode, and set your lens' focus before switching to manual. Otherwise, it will try to focus and you will lose out on shooting the fireworks. Also, shoot in Bulb/manual mode with a remote. That way, you can adjust your shutter speed on the fly, taking less time for brighter or more fireworks and more time for single/darker fireworks.
For more information about professional photography, visit Melissa's website.