While many photographers will venture out to their local Fourth of July fireworks shows armed with a dedicated camera kit, what if you only have your smartphone on hand? It’s still possible to get great shots as Google Senior Product Manager Alex King and Pixel Camera Senior Product Manager Michael Specht explain.
“Ultimately [your smartphone] is a camera,” Specht says, so the process of shooting fireworks is similar to any other camera.
However, a smartphone like the Google Pixel has some built-in modes that can help photographers not only capture fantastic fireworks shots easily, but with something like Pro Controls on the latest Pixel models, mobile photographers can take advantage of the same creative exposure controls available on dedicated cameras, like long-exposure shooting.
Of course, just like with a full-blown interchangeable lens camera, Specht advises smartphone users to ensure they understand how to use their phone’s camera system and are familiar with all the settings they may need. Plus, a tripod is never a bad idea, although Specht and King, who shot the images seen in this article on a Pixel 8 Pro without a tripod, note that it’s not hard to find a place to prop up your phone — and certainly easier to do so with a smartphone than a large camera.
Preparation is key when it comes to getting good photos in other ways, too.
“I’ve used Google Images to search for fireworks shows at whatever place I’m going to see possible vantage points,” King explains. “That’s been a helpful trick.”
Both recommend arriving on location well before showtime to ensure you secure a good vantage point and scout out potential compositions before it gets dark.
Once you’re set up and have your settings dialed in, users shouldn’t be afraid to experiment and try different things, especially if they’re removing the guardrails in most smartphone camera apps and opting for full manual mode.
“I used the manual Pro Controls and specifically the control I was using the most was shutter speed,” King says of his fireworks photos shot on Pixel. “So if you set a longer shutter speed, that’s where you’ll really start to see the trails from the fireworks. And if you’re using a shorter one, the trails will be shorter and maybe even more dot-like.”
“And the other thing I think is important is that there is a little bit of trial and error,” King adds, encouraging photographers to try different settings and have fun. While a fireworks show is not extremely long, it is often long enough for photographers to try other styles before the grand finale.
Many modern smartphones, such as the Pixel series, also feature dedicated night photography modes, which can be helpful for those without a tripod handy. These modes combine multiple photos in a series to replicate the look of a longer exposure.
“It’s a good one to play around with,” Specht says of Pixel’s Night Sight mode.
With manual controls, photographers can achieve a wide range of looks, whether they’re aiming for a dreamy, fireworks-style photo with significant motion blur in the sky or something sharper and darker that highlights the detail in the explosions.
Another advantage that a smartphone can have over a regular camera, aside from being easy to slip into a pocket, is that many smartphones, like the Pixel, have robust HDR support. The Pixel series now features Ultra HDR, which can make fireworks photos pop on compatible displays. The gain map for Ultra HDR is included in the Pixel’s JPEG XL files, so photographers don’t need to take any special action to take advantage of it. Of course, the SDR version is also available.
King and Specht also highlight that Pixel smartphones can capture RAW images, allowing photographers to experiment with post-processing. While not every mode works alongside RAW image capture — RAW images have a lot of data that doesn’t always work for certain computational photography modes — many do and provide additional latitude when editing. King’s photos in this story were all shot in JPEG format and haven’t been edited.
As for what mobile photographers should do when photographing fireworks, each King and Specht has different advice to offer.
“For me, it’s about trying quite a few different modes,” Specht, a very accomplished photographer, says. “I personally really love Pro Controls. It mimics exactly what I get out of my standalone cameras that I like to use. Being able to have that control of ‘I actually want these trails to be really short or I want to see really long trails from long exposures’ [is great]. That’s the mode I gravitate towards due to my personal background and skillset.”
While giving his answer, Specht references a wall of cameras behind him. “As you can see, I collect a bunch of cameras.”
For King, the answer is a little different.
“I’d recommend the long exposure photo mode for someone who just wants to take pictures and doesn’t want to futz around with dialing in the specific settings. You can get some really amazing photos using that mode,” he says.
But for those who, like Specht, want more control, Pro Controls is a lot of fun.
“I’m a bit of a nerd, I guess, but it’s fun to try adjusting all those settings and seeing the different types of images you get and fine-tune the image.”
Both Specht and King agree that one of the most important things is having fun, whether that’s achieved by simply getting fireworks photos as easily as possible or by experimenting with manual controls. Mobile photographers should ensure they enjoy the experience and have a good time.
The experience leads to one final tip. Specht says that photographers should be flexible and not stay laser-focused on the subject they intended to capture.
“Usually for fireworks shows, you’re on a big lawn with a bunch of people around you, and actually the most interesting photo can be turning around and photographing the people watching the fireworks, using the fireworks as your light source,” Specht adds. “Don’t always think that the obvious subject is the one you should photograph.”
Image credits: Photos provided by Google’s Alex King
