Get everyone involved in the Fourth of July festivities by learning to take really cool sparkler pictures {even if you only have a smartphone}!  You’ve seen the photos on Pinterest; everyone’s spelling words and having a great time with their sparkler and fireworks photos, right?!  Well, it’s time you get the award for the coolest mom on the block by grabbing your family and friends to create some cool art!

Creating fun firework and sparkler pictures is actually easier than you think, you’ve just got to think about what you’re doing and follow my super simple five-step system to make it happen!

1.  Turn off your flash for the best sparkler pictures!

Yes.  I realize this may feel counter-intuitive, but we want your sparklers to be the only thing that stands out, right?!  Turn off that flash {look for the lightning bolt} and let the fireworks and sparklers be the only light source in your photos!

2.  Find the fireworks setting on your camera or smartphone

Most cameras, from smartphones to DSLR’s, have built-in “modes” that help you take better photos… even if you don’t quite know what you’re doing.  If you find the “fireworks” setting on your camera you’ll be on the right track to taking better sparkler pictures!  Just keep in mind, this will make your shutter speed {that’s the “click” you hear when you take a photo} really slow – so you MUST stabilize your camera!  Either put it on a tripod, carefully set it on top of a cooler, or lean against something sturdy so that the camera doesn’t move!  Otherwise, your photos will be blurry!

PRO TIP: The newest smartphones have incredibly powerful cameras and can take some awesome night photos.  But, truth be told, they may be “too good” for fun sparkler photos.  Experiment turning the nighttime setting on and off to see how it affects your results!  Share your photos with me too – I’d love to see them!

3.  Experiment with the manual mode

Now, I know this may make you nervous sweat a little bit {it’s cool, I won’t judge}, but you can totally do this if you listen to my directions, ok?  Spin your dial to “M,” then use your pointer finger and/or thumb on your right hand to spin some of the dials on your camera.  You may have to use google to figure this out – but I want you to change your aperture {this will be weird numbers like 3.5, 4. 5.6, etc} to the smallest number you’ve got!  Then, spin your shutter speed to 2″ or 3″ to take a “long” photo.  What you may not realize is that those “inches” marks actually indicate seconds… and, in camera land, 2-3 seconds is a REALLY long time!  But this gives your kids a chance to run around or write words in the air for your sparkler pictures!

4.  Stop stressing out and have fun!

Firework and sparkler pictures are meant to be fun… but in the process of getting a really great photo, you’ll probably take a bunch of really bad ones!  No worries – that’s why God made the delete button, right?!  Delete the ones not worthy of Pinterest and move-on with your playtime!

Keep in mind, fireworks and sparklers aren’t the only cool things you can use in your photos!  Experiment with glow sticks, glow-in-the dark balloons, the flashlight on your phone, or anything else that lights up!  Your imagination is the only limit!

5.  Keep on learning and growing as you take your sparkler pictures!

I’d love to see the awesome photos you create, so be sure to tag @Immerse Photography and @Sparkle Society on social media.  Learning to use your camera can be a really fun way to connect with your family and create memories that will last long after the parade is over!  If you want to go more in detail about each of these five steps, make sure you watch the video for some bonus tips not listed here!

Are you ready to have some fun this fourth of July?!  Grab your crew and your camera – then get out there and play!  And, if you’re ready to continue to learn more about your camera, I’d love to send you my free printable guide that shows you the three camera settings {that you’re probably not using}!  These sneaky tricks will help you get super crisp photos of your kids and create that blurry background that we all want!  Grab your FREE printable right now and let’s #glitterdone!

ps – if you enjoyed this and think your friends would love it too, it would mean SO MUCH to me if you used the pink buttons to pin or share it to Facebook!  I’d love to see a ton of you taking awesome photos with your family and friends this holiday!