Samsung Cameras and the Fireworks

Tomorrow is July 4th and many of us will take to the fields, hills, boats wherever you can find the best place to watch the fireworks set off. Samsung sent a few tips over to me to share with you:

1) Turn on Image Stabilization and Use a Tripod! – When it comes to shooting
fireworks, or any low-light scene, don’t go it alone. No matter how advanced
your camera may be there is no better image stabilization than a tripod. If
you don’t have access to a tripod, try using any surface to steady your
camera, whether it be a tree, fencepost, chair, etc. Because you’ll be using
longer shutter speeds, you must keep your camera perfectly still in order to
capture crisp, clear images free of any blur caused by camera shake.

2) Setting Your Camera’s Shutter Speed -if you have a digital camera which
offers a manual shooting mode, you have the ability to adjust your shutter
speed.

Shutter speed plays a crucial role in photographing fireworks. Depending on
the look that you want, your shutter speeds can vary anywhere from one to 10
seconds. Longer shutter speeds will allow you to shoot one or multiple
explosions from start to finish, capturing the full bursts and light trails;
however, just because it’s dark, don’t use too long a shutter speed as
you’ll risk over-exposing the image.

3) Setting Your Camera’s Aperture – Again, if your digital camera offers a
manual shooting mode, you can manually configure your camera’s aperture
setting. When it comes to setting your camera’s aperture it’s important to
remember that while the nighttime sky is dark, the light that fireworks give
off is fairly bright. The aperture that you can set will depend on your
digital camera, but estimate using an aperture anywhere between F8 – F16.
Practice makes perfect as there is no clearly defined rule when it comes to
setting shutter speed and aperture. Experiment early on with the first few
bursts to make sure you have the appropriate settings and to adjust where
needed.

4) Setting the ISO – You should also manually adjust your camera’s ISO
setting. Your camera’s ISO refers to its sensitivity to light. Typically, in
a lower light setting, you would want to boost your camera’s ISO, but due to
the bright light given off by the fireworks, you’ll want to stick to a lower
value. Try setting your camera to the lowest ISO possible. An ISO of 100 or
200 should yield good results and provide a clean image.

If you’re using a point-and-shoot camera without a manual mode, you can
still take great photos of fireworks.

Dial up your digital camera’s scene mode menu and search for a scene mode
called “fireworks.” Most of Samsung’s point-and-shoot digital cameras
feature the “fireworks” scene mode. Selecting the “fireworks” scene mode
will automatically adjust your camera’s settings to capture the best image
possible. But remember; still try to use a tripod or other surface to steady
your camera.

And last but not least, the most important tip to keep in mind is to have
fun. This is your chance to express yourself and be creative, so play around
with framing the shot both vertically and horizontally. A digital camera
gives you the ability to take a preview shot to see if you’ve dialed up the
appropriate settings and better yet, allows you to delete those that didn’t
turn out so well.

A larger memory card will also allow you to fire as many shots as you can,
improving your chances of capturing some really spectacular photos.

Which camera will you be using for your favorite shots tomorrow? I’m loving the new Samsung with the dual screen. Should really get you into the photo!