The Ultimate Guide to Taking Photos + Videos of Fireworks with GoPro

The Fourth of July is right around the corner, and with that comes many summer fun traditions, including our favorite: fireworks.

The tradition and spectacle of fireworks dates back to the late 1770s and is best enjoyed outdoors, cuddled up on a blanket, giving your undivided attention. That means, those folks who are watching through a screen, struggling to capture the moment, are missing the magic. This is why we want to teach you a hands-free way to capture the show.

The following is our ultimate guide to capturing fireworks with a GoPro.

Step 1: Use a stable mount.

We recommend grabbing the new 3-Way 2.0 mount. It comes with a built-in tripod that's paired with a ball joint that swivels a full 360° to change your camera angle without having to reposition the mount.

Shorty, Gumby and the Magnetic Swivel Clip are more great options. Shorty has the same stable, built-in tripod. Whereas Gumby and Clip allow you to get really creative with using your surroundings to come up with unique mounting angles and locations.

Step 2: Dial in the proper camera settings.

Mode: Night Lapse Photo Mode

Shutter: 2, 5 or 10 seconds.
Shutter speed will depend on how large the fireworks are. In general, the sweet spot is a 5-second exposure, and a longer shutter speed will work nicely for larger fireworks. Mix it up for different looks!

Interval: Auto

White Balance: 3200 - 4000K

ISO Min: 100

ISO Max: 800
ISO Min and Max also depends on the size of the fireworks. 100 will result in a cleaner and crisper photo but darker, while 800 will be noisier but much lighter. 

Sharpness: Low

Color: GoPro

For a "set it and forget it" option, try the following:

Mode: Night Lapse Video Mode

Resolution: 4K 4:3

Shutter: 2, 5 or 10 seconds.

Interval: Auto

White Balance: 3200 - 4000K

ISO Min: 100

ISO Max: 800

Sharpness: Low

Color: GoPro

PRO TIP: Newer GoPro cameras also have modes called Night Effects that offer an easy preset options for capturing pro-quality Vehicle Light Trails, Star Trails and Light Paintings. These are great options to quickly dial in low-light settings for capturing fireworks.

Step 3: Enjoy the show.

Double-check the action is framed up properly by connecting your GoPro to the Quik app to use your mobile device to preview what’s in the frame. Then, sit back and let the GoPro do the work while you enjoy.

After you take your firework photos and videos using these tips, you can use the Quik app to edit footage, pull frame grabs and even share content direct to your social channel.

Hopefully this guide has provided some helpful tricks for taking the best photos and videos of fireworks in all their glory. And if you really like what you capture, send us your fireworks footie for a chance to be featured on GoPro social channels through the holiday weekend. Submit at on GoPro.com/Awards or via the GoPro Quik app.

For more night photography tips and tricks, check out this GoPro Tips tutorial on night photography with GoPro engineer and night-photographer extraordinaire Shreenivasan Manievannan.