Fireworks: Capturing the JPEGs

Liz Masoner, (About.com: Photography) put together a concise guide to photographing fireworks -- in time to save at least a few readers the Independence Day heartbreak of camera shake, blur, and missed opportunity. Her two-part guide addresses optimal shutter speed, film speed and aperture settings, depending on which stage of the show you're shooting.

Another great way to optimize your own settings is by browsing fireworks photos on Flickr. Check EXIF/Properties files on images you like. Most Flickr users post their EXIF files, complete with camera settings.

More on photography light and exposure from About.com: Photography and Luminous Landscape

See the Fourth of July weather forecast for San Francisco and Bay Area.

^{Scott Robinson/Flickr}