My Funny Picture

Can you take still pictures of fireworks with a handheld camera?

My wife and I plan on visiting EPCOT Center this winter, and I'd like to photograph the fireworks display from the shore. Two years ago, I had no tripod but suceeded in taking pictures of another BIG fireworks show using a handheld camera, with ISO 400 film, a 28-70mm zoom set at 35 (f 3.5) and 1/30 sec. speed. Can also use a 50 mm 1.8 lens or, if need be, a small (6 inch tall) tripod. So, is handheld photography possible in this case, or should I stick to the tripod?

Public Comments

1. You can hand hold it, but why? A tripod will give your pictures a snappier look. It is nice to have fireworks clear and contrasty. With a tripod you can "place" the fireworks in their surrounding by including buildings, etc. And you can use a slower speed film. Fireworks are about color!! Why use 400 ISO? Use the slowest you can.
2. The tripod is your best option, but keep in mind there aren't a lot of places where you'll actually be able to set up the tripod without having to deal with the fences around World Showcase lagoon. If you're going during one of the less crowded times, it won't be much of an issue to stake out a spot where you'll be able to set up, but if you're going anywhere around Christmas or New Year's, you'll find it a lot harder going. The best spots to get your camera set on that small tripod are over on the Norway/China border, where there's a grassy/low-landscaped area on the other side of the fence, and if you're lucky (and if it's not crowded), you can try getting on the lowest level of the Japan pagoda, which is a spectacular spot for fireworks photos.
3. You might try carrying a small bag of unpopped pop corn. The trash cans usually have flat lids and you can prop your camera to the proper angle and set the timer to avoid jolt. Personally, I'd go with the small tripod.
4. I once knew a photographer by the name of Harry Durkes; he died about 40 years ago and his house was one big maze, there were stacks of prints, negatives, film plates, cameras and you name it all over his house, you could hardly even walk through it. Harry took tens of thousands of pictures in his long career; among them some of the very first color photographs taken in the United States, red flowers exposed on glass plates that he got from France. Harry had a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and unlike most photographers today, shot with minimal equipment. He shot the best fireworks photos I ever saw...I remember watching him at the 4th of July fireworks show-he was about 80 years old at the time-using nothing but his Leica rangefinder. He stood holding the camera on top of his head to steady it; later I saw the tack-sharp results.
5. If you want sharp, in-focus images you will need to use the tripod.
6. Tripod.