P#6: An Iconic American Photograph -- Fireworks and the Statue of Liberty

Adding fireworks to a photo of the Statue of Liberty

Jim Zuckerman: Okay, let's go onto some of the fireworks pictures. I included two photos of the Statue of Liberty where I put fireworks behind it to show that you can use fireworks pictures as components, as elements where you can put them behind a city skyline or a statue or whatever might interest you.

Again, you want to make the lighting on your subject work as a firework. Otherwise it will look like a Photoshop job.

You want it to look real - unless you're going for surrealism. Surrealism is fine if that's your intent.

But if you're trying to make it seem like you had really taken the fireworks behind that subject then, for example, you would not take a daylight shot of the Statue of Liberty, cut it out, and put fireworks behind it. It would look ridiculous. (click the image for a larger version)

You take these shots of the statue and either digitally make them dark as if it were taken at night, and maybe make it a little bluish or reddish to match the fireworks. You try to make the two components look like they just blend together naturally.

These two firework pictures were taken with the formula that I gave you. (click the image for a larger version)

The only other exception to the exposure rule that I gave before, about the 1.6 seconds at f14 with 100 ISO, is during a fireworks finale when a bazillion fireworks are going off. Then you might close the lens aperture down one f-stop because it's going to be so bright.

Like I said, the finale in Nashville was just brilliant. It lit up the whole city and the concussions were intense, so when I shot the finale I did close my f-stop down one stop just to prevent overexposure. It worked out really well.

To summarize

These two photos of the Statue of Liberty with fireworks behind the statue were created by combining the two elements. If you're aiming for a realistic effect, it's essential to combine the proper components and make the lighting work.