1. Always (always) use a tripod.  The settings necessary for good night time photography do not allow for hand holding the camera.
2. Use a low ISO (400 or less).  This may sound counter-intuitive since a higher ISO is generally used for low light situations. But if you are following tip #1 above you can keep the ISO low and compensate for the low light with aperture and shutter speed thereby keeping noise to a minimum.
3. Set your aperture to f/5.6 – f/8.0.  This is obviously going to depend on your exact lighting conditions but this is a good rule of thumb and starting point.
4. Use l0nger shutter speeds.  With the low ISO and aperture int he f/8.0 neighborhood you can get the proper exposure through keeping the shutter open longer.  Experiment with different shutter speeds to get your ideal exposure.
5. Keep the anti-shake off.  When you camera is on a tripod this feature is not necessary and the camera might actually try to compensate for shake that is not there.
6. Use a cable release.  The less you touch the camera directly the better.  Event he act of pressing the shutter could be enough movement to blur the image.
7. After framing your shot close the eye piece cover to prevent light from getting in.  Since you will not have your eye against the eye piece during these long exposures you want to use another method to keep the light out.  Most cameras have either a cover you can place over the eye piece or a little “door” that closes over it.

Quick Tips for Photographing Fireworks

1) Tripod – It goes without saying (although I am saying it), you MUST use a tripod for decent fireworks photographs.  With the longer shutter speeds required for night photography the steadiness a tripod provides is essential.

2) Aperture – You might think that since it is dark out you want to open you aperture up to f/5.6 or bigger.  Makes sense, but actually I have found that keeping your aperture around f/8 is ideal.  You need to balance the night and the great amount of light that the fireworks give off.  Use your aperture priority setting as well so you can determine the f/stop and the camera can set the shutter speed accordingly.

3) ISO – My Sony Alpha 850 can go up to an ISO of 6400.  For extreme low light situations that might be perfect.  But remember that even in the best cameras the higher the ISO the more noise you are going to get.  Since you are already using a tripod you can set your ISO lower and take advantage of the steadiness of the tripod to use longer shutter speeds rather than higher ISO.  If possible keep your ISO at around 100-200.

4) Focus – It is not easy to focus on the distant horizon and leave it focused while you wait for the fireworks to explode while on auto focus.  One good trick is to let the camera focus while on auto and then while holding that focus switch it to manual so that you basically lock in the focus.

For more great fireworks photography tips here are some additional resources.

Tips for Photographing Fireworks

How to Photograph Fireworks Displays from Digital Photography School

Photograph Fireworks – Wired How-To Wiki

1) Keep your camera set to Aperture Priority (A, Av, AP depending on the make and model of your camera).  This will allow the camera to bracket the shutter speed while keeping the aperture consistent.

2) Different Cameras will have different options, but you can generally select either 3 or 5 bracketed images.  Start with 3 and see what kind of results it gets you.  Then see if 5 gets you even better results.  Or you can always manually bracket and go up to 7 if you want.

3) Again, the number of stops your camera’s automatic bracketing works with will vary by brand.  But I have found that 2 stops works pretty well.  Start with your higher number of stops and then try a few images with a .5 or .3 bracket to see how that works.

4) Always shoot in RAW.  This gives you more control in post-processing.

5) Let the camera auto focus and then lock in that focus by switching to manual focus without losing the auto focus setting.  Some cameras may also have a focus lock option to can select once auto focus has set the focus.  this will prevent the focus from changing during the bracketed shots.

6) Tripod, tripod, tripod.  It is almost impossible to do quality HDR photography without using a tripod.  You need keep the camera steady and focused on the exact same spot for each of the bracketed exposures so that when they are merged every aligns properly.

7) To further help keep things steady use a cable release or your camera’s self timer.  Even the slightest touch from your finger pressing the shutter button can shake the camera enough to misalign the images.

These two photographs were taken at Aravaipa Canyon in Arizona.  Although they follow the basic premise outlined above I would have liked to have gotten more pronounced results by decreasing the shutter time on the one and increasing it on the other.  But the hike had to go on and I was a bit rushed.

My Fireworks Photography Tips:

1. A tripod is ESSENTIAL.  I’d go so far as to say “don’t even try it without one.”

2. A remote shutter release cable can help significantly as well.  It allows you to release the shutter without touching the camera thereby reducing camera shake and blur.

3. Location is key.  It really helps to scout out the area where the show is going to be the day before to find a spot where you will get the best vantage point.

4. Read up on the best settings to use for photographing fireworks ahead of time so you can limit your experimentation during the show when time is limited.

5.  Above all else, have fun with it.

Here are some resources I have found that offer tips and tricks on getting the best Fourth of July fireworks shots:

Digital Photography School – This is a great resource for all things photography related.  Their How to Photography Fireworks guide is one of the best and well worth taking a few minutes to read.

Photographyreview.com – The Fireworks Photography Guide from photographyreview.com goes more into the technical aspects of getting the best shot.  Even if you are not familiar with all the technical aspects of photography this is a good read.  No time like the present to start learning anyway.

Canon – You don’t have to be using a Canon camera to take advantage of their advice.  The Canon Digital Learning Center’s Quick Tips: Photographing Fireworks article includes a helpful section on how to best compose your fireworks shots.

But I have decided, for the sake of improving and expanding my photography skills, I need to branch out.  I started photographing a friend and my niece.  Then last week I had a portrait photography first for me; a four year old child.  I think I may have jumped in with both feet on this one. But that is a good thing and a great way to learn something.  Sink or swim so to speak.

These photographs are from my first shoot of a young child and the tips here are a few things I discovered in the process.  Some are specific to photographing kids, some can apply to any age subject and some even work for any photography subject, human or not.

1. Be prepared – Get everything set ahead of time.  Make sure your camera and flash settings are where you need them before your subject arrives.  Get tot he location early and scout out a few good locations.  Whether shooting a child or adult don’t keep them waiting while you get things set up.
2. Lighting is key – If you aren’t using studio lighting, but natural light, be watchful of how that light is interacting with your subject.  Are there shadows across their face?  Is the  sun in their eyes?  Move around to find the best lighting and try using a reflector to bounce light back up at your subject.
3. Talk – Keep the kids engaged and having fun by talking to them, asking questions and not making the experience so much like a chore.
4. Kids move fast – Keep the camera ready and shoot.
5. Let kids be kids – Don’t try to force smiles or poses.  Kids acting natural will result in great, fun poses.
6. Work with the Kids – Let the kids make decisions of where and how they want to pose.  Let them play naturally and capture them being a child.  It will result in photos that don’t appear forced and will hopefully keep your subject relaxed and more photogenic.
7. Be Unconventional – You don’t have to limit yourself to the traditional “head shot” portrait.  If you take points 4, 5 and 6 into account these “unconventional” shots will just happen.  As cliche as it may be, think outside of the box too.
8. Take lots of photos – This is easier done with digital photography.  But, especially for those of us just starting out with portraits, shoot as much as you can and edit down later.

BBC Wildlife Magazine

• Plant Portraits
• Animals in their Environment
• Bird Portraits
• Urban and Garden Wildlife
• Zoo Photography
• Extreme Close Up

Each topic is concise and full of great advice that will help you to improve you photography of animals and nature.  You can download all 21 Photo Masterclasses in PDF format.

To start, composition in photography refers to how the elements in the frame are constructed and arranged to result in the desired final image.  There are a lot of these rules and a lot of expert opinions on how and when they should be executed.  Knowing them will help you be a better photographer and help you know when they do not apply to the image you are trying to construct.  I have already talked about framing the subject, leading lines and vertical vs. horizontal composition so up next is filling the frame.

Filling the frame is about making your intended subject the center of attention by doing just that, filling the frame, from top to bottom and left to right with nothing but your subject.  By cropping out the background “noise” and distraction you bring the subject to the forefront and leave no doubt as to what your photograph is about.  But as with all of these photography composition rules this is not an absolute rule.  You can’t zoom in on the intended subject and cut out everything in the background and expect a good rule obeying photograph.  Sometimes the background is part of the story or it enhances rather than distracts from the main subject or maybe that “distraction” gives your particular image the creative touch you were looking for.  This is where part two comes into play, know the rule and then know when it does not apply.

1) Avoid using the flash – The flash can cause some eerie effects in the eyes of your pets, from red eye to green glowing demon eyes.  In addition a particularly skittish pet can be easily frightened by a flash going off.  A tripod and proper exposure settings can compensate for the lack of flash when an abundance of natural light is not available.

2) Keep it natural – Natural light is ideal for most portraits when you can get it.  This is especially true for your pets given the negative effects of using a flash.  Natural light also allows you to capture your pet in their natural setting.  A cat in a sun filled window or a dog in a grassy back yard provides both natural light and puts them in their element.

3) Fill the frame – Using this composition technique can make for a great pet portrait.  Get in close, preferably with your zoom lens so as not to startle them, and fill the entire frame of the image with your pet.  This keeps out the distractions of the background and keeps the focus on the subject of the photo, your pet.

4) Don’t try to pose – Trying to pose your pet and getting them to keep the pose long enough to take the photo is an exercise in futility.  Both you and your pet are going to end up frustrated.  Keep it natural and let your pet chose their own pose.  It will make for a much better portrait.

5) Get down to their level – The angle from which you shoot can make all the difference.  Some of the best pet portraits take into consideration that anything but being at the cat or dog’s level (or lower) is going to be little more than a great shot of the top of their head.

6) Try the unconventional – Not every portrait has to be a head shot.  Paws, tails and ears can make for great detail shots.  Don’t limit yourself to just the conventional.

7) Have patience – You have heard the expression “it is like herding cats.”  Cats in particular can be a challenge and their natural disinterest in cooperation can make photographing them difficult.  The same can be true of all but the most well trained and obedient dogs.  Patience will go a long way and be prepared for a lot of takes for the one good shot.