Still, with a little study and some practice, you can make your fireworks video sizzle.
Check Your Camcorder
Before you go any further, consult your owner’s manual to see if your camcorder has a “fireworks” mode. This mode is a built-in shortcut that will adjust your camcorder settings to the optimal condition for filming fireworks. If your camcorder does not have a fireworks mode, a “stage” mode may work as well. If you’re not interested in diving deeper into your camcorder’s settings, a fireworks mode will let you “set and forget.”
If you want to experiment still further, you’ll need to consult your owner’s manual to determine if your camcorder allows you to manually adjust the iris or aperture of the lens and whether you can manually focus the camcorder. If your camcorder features a manual mode, you should be able to do both.
Set Exposure
One thing you should not do when filming fireworks is simply set your camcorder on automatic and hope for the best. In automatic mode, the camcorder will try to compensate for the lack of light by widening the lens aperture to absorb as much light as possible. The problem is, when the fireworks go off, the camcorder will be so sensitive to light that the fireworks will appear blown out – just bright glares, not discernible patterns.
To overcome this, you will need adjust your camcorder’s aperture to admit less light during a burst. With your camcorder set to manual mode, look in the menu for a setting called “exposure” or “aperture.” Some models will skip the technical jargon and simply describe the adjustments as “lighter” (opening the aperture) or “darker” (closing it). You'll want "darker."
Other camcorders may present opening and closing the aperture as a value of “f.” In your camcorder menu, you would see a series of numbers such f2.8, f4, f6 and so on. The lower the value of “f,” the wider the aperture will be, allowing in more light. A higher f-number means less light is entering the camcorder. You'll want a higher number.
Set Focus
You also won’t be able to properly focus when in automatic/autofocus mode. normal autofocus mode, the camcorder will find an object in front of it and designate it as the focus point. But in the dark of night, it will struggle to identify an area, leaving your video out of focus. To avoid this, you will have to manually focus your camcorder on the fireworks.
If you don’t have the option to focus manually, see if you can set your camcorders focus to “infinity.” This will prevent the camera from picking up nearby objects, like trees, and focusing on them instead of distant fireworks.
Bring Your Tripod
Finally, if you want to get the best fireworks video, you’ll have to use a tripod. When you adjust your camcorder for low light filming, it will be very susceptible to movement. Even the slightest hand shake could blur your footage, and since you’ll be handling your camcorder to adjust aperture and focus, it will be subject to movement.
There’s also your arm to consider. Holding the camcorder aloft and steady for the duration of the show will tire you out.
