Remember, remember the 5th November!!!

How to Photograph Fireworks

Summary on a digital compact camera:

Use a tripod (one of those mini tripods is ideal for this - Poundland currently doing them for a bargain £1!!

Use Fireworks option if you have it

If not - use the lowest ISO you can, the longest shutter speed you can and a two second self-timer

Summary on a digital SLR camera:

Use a tripod (not a Poundland one)

Use Manual mode (M)

Select 5 second shutter speed (you can try others)

Select the lowest ISO you can - 100 or 200

Use an aperture of f10 or smaller (eg f11, f16)

Use a remote release (if you don't have one use the 2 second self-timer)

Summary on a film camera:

Use a tripod

Use a slow film (FP4 for example)

Use 'B' mode for the shutter speed and expose for approx. 5 seconds

Use an aperture of f11 or f16

All cameras:

Framing and viewpoint

Try and get above the crowd.

Think about having a foreground interest - crowd, building etc

Lens

Use a wide angle lens to ensure that you can capture the area of the sky that the fireworks exploding

Flash

Turn off!!!

If you don't have a tripod

Then use a surface to rest your camera on - bench, wall etc

Using the self-timer will help to ensure that the camera is as steady as possible