Recommended Filters for Fireworks Photography
When you think of summer traditions in Japan, fireworks come to mind. Here we introduce lens filters that help you capture fireworks more beautifully and strikingly, whether it’s the dazzling skyrockets that brighten the night sky or the handheld sparklers you can casually enjoy.
To beautifully capture the light trails of skyrockets, mount your camera on a tripod and shoot with a slow shutter speed. Keep the shutter open from the moment the firework is launched until it fully blossoms, anywhere from a few seconds to several tens of seconds. If the shutter speed is too fast, the fireworks will appear with short, broken trails. Since skyrockets are extremely bright, an ND filter is necessary for proper exposure control.
ND filter: Preventing Blowouts in Fireworks Photos
An ND filter is a neutral density filter that reduces the amount of light entering the lens. Fireworks are extremely bright subjects, so when shooting with a slow shutter speed, even lowering the ISO sensitivity can result in overexposure, making an ND filter essential.
Take a look at the photos above for comparison. Without a filter, the fireworks are overexposed and appear washed out in white. By using an ND filter, the vivid colors of the fireworks can be faithfully reproduced. For skyrockets, an ND4 or ND8 filter is recommended.
Convenient Variable ND Filters
Variable ND filters are handy filters that allow you to adjust the light reduction simply by rotating the front ring. With fixed-density ND filters like ND4 or ND8, you need to adjust exposure using the aperture. However, with a variable ND filter, you can keep your camera settings unchanged and fine-tune the exposure to match the brightness of the fireworks just by rotating the filter’s front ring.
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REALPRO ND4 |
REALPRO ND8 |
REALPRO ND16 |
To capture the beautiful light trails of fireworks, using a tripod is essential. However, there may be times when a tripod isn’t available or you choose not to bring one. In such cases, we recommend filters that help create a pleasing atmosphere even in handheld shots: the soft filter and the cross filter.
Soft Filters: Gently Diffuse Light
When shooting handheld, you often need to use a faster shutter speed to avoid camera shake, which can result in fireworks appearing with short, interrupted trails, leaving the image feeling somewhat lacking. Using a soft filter allows you to enlarge the sparkles and softly diffuse the light overall, creating a dreamy, ethereal expression of the fireworks' glow. Setting a brighter exposure will enhance this glow even further. For added atmosphere, adjusting the white balance toward cooler, bluish tones can dramatically change the mood.
There are many types of soft filters, each offering different diffusion effects.
Examples of Diffusion Effects: Black Mist and White Mist
The Black Mist filter produces a distinctive diffusion effect, softening light sources and creating a cinematic atmosphere. It’s especially recommended for fireworks, as it gently blurs the bright bursts for a more magical look. The White Mist filter, unlike the Black Mist, doesn’t significantly enlarge the sparkles, but it smooths out intense light and reduces the stark contrast between the bright fireworks and the dark night sky. The Black Mist and White Mist filters can also be layered together for a combined effect.
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Black Mist No.05 N |
White Mist No.1 |
Cross filter: Add Sparkle to Points of Light
To enhance the sparkling impression of skyrockets, a cross filter is recommended. Cross filters extend lines from point light sources to emphasize their brilliance, making the bursts of fireworks appear glittering and radiant. They're great not only for photos but also for video. Cross filters come in different types, varying in the number and length of cross lines. For skyrockets, the Twinkle Star series, which produces shorter lines, is especially suitable.
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PRO1D R-Twinkle Star 6X (W) |
PRO1D R-Twinkle Star (W) |
Soft Filters: Gently Diffuse Light
Black Mist filters are also recommended for handheld fireworks. They softly diffuse light to create an emotional, cinematic mood, like a scene from a movie. Setting a slightly brighter exposure enhances the glow for a more striking effect. Since overexposed firework colors cannot be recovered later, it’s best to slightly brighten the image during post-processing rather than overexposing during the shoot.
Combining a Cross Filter with a Black Mist Filter is also recommended.
The Black Mist diffuses light from the firework source for a soft, glowing look, while the Cross Filter turns the core of the firework into a large cross. Even the smallest sparks form defined crosses, fully conveying the sparkling quality of fireworks.
This summer, try using lens filters to capture fireworks more beautifully and memorably than ever before.
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Black Mist No.05 N |
Safety & Legal Notice:
- For your safety and to protect your community, the use of fireworks must comply with all local regulations.
- Laws regarding fireworks vary significantly across the United States.
- We urge you to confirm that our products are legal in your location before use, as some areas have a complete ban on consumer fireworks/