How To Take Sparkler Pictures With iPhone?

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How To Take Sparkler Pictures With Iphone Cover

No festival is complete without family and friends gathering. Everyone looks forward to a good time, especially on happy occasions like festivals. And when there is s festival, there are going to be extravagant fireworks I can bet on that.

I would say memorable and sentimental memories like weddings or birthdays also deserve the fireworks treatment.

It’s loud, bright, flashy, and beautiful to look at.

Sparklers are mini fireworks that you can hold in your hand and wave around the air creating a bright trail that illuminates your surroundings.

Now, if you want to do something with photography that involves sparklers, it is a good idea, but you would need some guidance on how to shoot a photograph that captures these sparkler trails. John webber, CEO of Carved says, “The magic of sparklers in photography lies in the perfect blend of timing and exposure. 

Also, safety is required while handling these things as they are hot and can cause physical injuries if not held with care. You wouldn’t want a happy occasion to get ruined, right?

How To Take Sparkler Pictures With an iPhone?

You can accomplish this feat without needing an expensive professional camera as long as you have a smartphone with decent average specs.

person watching sparkler photo on iphone

iPhones are well known for their excellent camera quality, so you shouldn’t worry about picture quality if you own an iPhone. The real challenge starts after you have decided to take eventful sparkler photos or videos.

#1- Understand Sparkler Safety

Sparkler, as cool as it looks, is still a source of sparkling light that is hot and dangerous when it gets in contact with human skin. So safety should be prioritized if you want to have fun and not ruin any eventful occasion.

person holding a sparkler

So first of all, use it in an open area. Always keep the distance between you and the sparkler you are holding, extend your arm, and then wave it in the air.

Don’t let it come close to another human being or even animals. Maintain distance from other people even when you are looking forward to a group photo

#2- Set up your manual settings

Sparklers may look great when viewed from the human eye, but getting a perfect picture can take some adjustments or prep. Keep in mind that to get the best clarity possible, use high ISO settings.

Keep the value between 1600 to 3200. Aperture settings should be kept to the widest, so you can cover as much area as you can.

Especially if there is a group session, you would want a wide angle to cover because of sparkler safety, distance between other people is necessary.

#3- Use a Tripod

Shakiness is an enemy of any good photo. You don’t want a shaky image where motion blur is highly noticeable, especially in sparkler photos. Bright lights can create smudginess in photos if the camera is not stabilized.

iphone on a tripod

Using a tripod will help a lot, especially if you are about to take a still photo of multiple individuals. That many fireworks can need a good stabilized image. For those capturing action shots or videos, action sports cameras are a great alternative, providing stability and a unique perspective.

And you can even be a part of the group photo instead of standing behind the camera. Use a tripod and start a timer to capture a group photo with you and your family

#4- Stability is Key

As I mentioned above, stability is terrific and can do wonders. You can opt for handheld photo sessions, and I can get behind the idea of freely roaming with your device and taking photos, and shooting videos.

But there is no guarantee of perfect results. The handheld movement will definitely cause shakiness, and your image will be blurred, especially in the sparkler photos.

Using a tripod is the best solution but keep in mind that your tripod is standing on even ground. Tilted photographs for family occasions are bad. Real bad

#5- Make sure it’s dark enough for you

Ideally, when capturing a bright object, you normally opt for a darker background so the main shiny object is more visible and fleshed out in contrast to the darker background.

image of a sparkler on fire

Think of a white ball in a dark room, you can easily spot it without any effort. The same logic can be applied here. Darker and black backgrounds are ideal for sparkler photography.

Nighttime is the most convenient and natural setting you can go for. The sparkler is bright enough to illuminate the surroundings and the person holding it

#6- Take Lots of Photos

You can never be sure of a perfect click. And especially if this is your first time doing it, try sticking out for a while and improvise according to the surrounding.

Start taking photos from various angles, different poses, and heights. Make sure you have found a perfect location for your backdrop. It’s all about being creative and finding a sweet spot that hits all the notes.

You will have a better chance of finding the Golden Click if you are willing to spend more time around with your iPhone.

#7- You should use burst mode when you’re shooting fast action.

Speaking of clicking lots of photos, I can’t forget to mention the Burst mode technique. Well, it’s not really a technique, but a feature found commonly in every camera nowadays.

person taking pictures of ocean with iphone

Burst mode allows you to capture photos in rapid-fire succession. It’s like continuously clicking photos. You can get each movement in each frame, so it’s going to take a lot of time going through all the images, but you will find the perfect still moment.

Let the person wave their hands with a sparkler, and you shoot them down with burst mode.

#8- Create some videos

The other best thing you can do is to start shooting videos throughout the festive occasion. iPhones have excellent cameras, so why not make them use to their full potential? After all, memories are more profound in video format. Relive the moment again and again forever.

You can also do some cool stuff, like directing an individual to do a quick spin with a sparkler in their hands, creating a twisting halo-like effect around their body. It’s more versatile this way and better if you are looking forward to spending a lot of time with your iPhone

#9- The best equipment for taking sparklers photos

The best equipment for taking sparkler photos in your hands is your iPhone. You don’t need anything else if you are looking forward to capturing the festive moments with your iPhone.

a group of people using sparklers

But if you own a DSLR camera, you will need good lenses, preferably wide-angle lenses. And also a tripod. Tripod is your best friend in this scenario, without any doubt.

You would need all the stability and accurate light settings to create perfect crisp results. It’s a preference for everyone, but the tripod won’t hurt. Use it when possible

#10- You should try third-party apps

There are multiple apps on your app store that helps improve the photography experience overall. If you want to capture sparkler photos, then you would need to tune some settings manually.

A high shutter speed works better as it allows to capture of fast action frames. But slow shutter speed settings can also capture amazing frames.

Set your shutter speed to 5 seconds, and in this time frame, the person you are shooting can write with a sparkler in the air, and it will capture it perfectly. It is called sparkler painting/writing.

Some other apps help improve the lighting of the frame, especially if you are having trouble doing it manually.

Final Verdict:

Creating sparkler photos is a fun experience, and once you are done with it, you can go for post-editing and fine-tune them according to your likes.

It is quiet to grasp how to capture a perfect sparkler photo, but for some people, it might take some time. Keep doing it as a hobby, and you might find yourself learning and honing your skills along the way.

The iPhone is way capable of holding its own when it comes to providing excellent picture results. Try different settings for different occasions and lightning so you can add some sparklers in your life. (no pun intended)

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do you do a sparkler effect?

Start the camera and turn it into manual mode. Calibrate your settings on your own. Use low ISO value with high shutter speed time and wide angle lenses for your camera. Also, make sure the background is dark

Does iPhone 12 have a long exposure feature?

Yes, iPhone 12 does have a long exposure feature. To use this feature, head over to the photo gallery and look for the image you want to use. Click on the live button on top and select long exposure.

When should you use long exposure on your iPhone?

Long exposure is suitable for landmarks and landscape-style photography. One of the best examples you can find is taking long shots of the waterfall, long rivers flowing down, or even high traffic at night.

Where can I buy the Sparkle filter?

You can easily buy sparkle filters on numerous online websites. These websites are reliable and provide great service. It’s not very expensive, and you can also get hold of these items during holiday sales.

The sparkle filter is perfect for nighttime shooting, you can even gaze at the stars in the sky if you are keen on astronomy

How do you do long-exposure sparklers shots?

Long exposure shots will allow you to capture the cursive sparkle writing effect in our photos. You hold the person at a wide-angle shot and then proceed to capture a long take with a slow shutter speed timer.

The person then waves the sparkler in the air as if they are painting on an invisible canvas. Make sure it’s dark enough on the background, or else your sparkler will dim and provide no illumination

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