Community Corner
4 Tips for Taking Amazing July 4 Photos
We asked Orange County photographers to share some tips to get the most out of your camera this Independence Day.
What does it take to shoot a really stand-out fireworks photo? Something to light up your Facebook wall with "likes?" A photo for your children to someday show your grandchildren?
Patch asked professional photographers from Mission Viejo and Aliso Viejo to get their answers. And what they said can be boiled down to the following four helpful hints.
- 1. Stay Still
Also, fireworks call for long exposure times. And with long exposures, not having a tripod will blur the image, said Cailean O'Sullivan, manager of O.C. Camera.
A tripod is key, and the serious photographer may want to look into a remote shutter.
"A remote shutter is a cord that plugs into your camera, so instead of pushing the button on top of your camera, you'll use the button on the shutter," Aitken said. That keeps the camera more still, she said.
- 2. Get Close
If you're not fortunate enough to have a huge zoom lens, the next best thing is to get up close to the fireworks. Even a smartphone can take solid photos with the right preparation said Mike Gillmore, who recently moved from Mission Viejo to Laguna Niguel.
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"Since it doesn't zoom very well with an iPhone, get as close as you can with a fireworks display," Gillmore said. "Shooting Disneyland photos from Mission Viejo won't show up very well."
- 3. Avoid ambient light
To get the cleanest photos, get away from other sources of light, Aitken suggested.
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"Don't shoot around well-lit houses or buildings," she said. "Make sure you're in a dark field or a really dark area, maybe even a rooftop or somewhere up high."
- 4. Shoot people, too
Photos of fireworks will only get you so far, Gillmore said.
"Instead of just fireworks going off in the sky, you can personalize it with people in the photo," he said. "Take a picture of someone with the fireworks in the background. Use the fill flash in the camera. Even the iPhone has an auto setting or a flash setting. It will light up the people and in the background, the fireworks will be going off.
"You're not going to get an award-winning photo with just a firework going off in the sky," he said. "So make it an award-winning photo by putting your family in it."
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