Look for details during holiday celebrations.
Yes, it’s almost here– The Fourth of July. For parades, here are the camera settings I recommend for a sunny day: ISO 200, WB Sun f11 at around 1/500 shutter speed. Any focal length between 24-70 will work well for overall parade units and isolating individuals. As always when photographing a parade, look for details.
When shooting fireworks, a focal length between 20-35 works best since the bursts are different sizes. Some photographers mistakenly use a long lens in an often futile attempt to magnify the colors. If that’s your choice, wait to see the general arc of the burst, then zoom in on that area. I use a tripod, a fast 28mm lens (i.e. f1.4) and live view with an ISO of 800 and an aperture of f3.5 with manual focus.
Add a touch of flash on the crowd.
Use a wide lens for the grand finale.
classes!