Fire photography may seem challenging for photographers of any level. However, it’s not as difficult as it looks with these few tips and trick below.

Since ancient times fire has caused amazement and looked like magic to humans. Since the time when the fire was at people’s hand, it changed the course of history once and for all.

Dancing flames and light in complete darkness can confuse your camera and your photos can turn out overexposed or underexposed with lots of highlights or, conversely, shadows and blackouts.

Keep reading this article if you want to know how to shoot fire, what equipment you need, and how to make fire your subject or create a magical atmosphere in your images using fire.

Tips on Equipment

You already know how to use the exposure triangle and take pictures in the manual mode. When it comes to fire photography, there is always room to experiment. But the one thing essential in fire photography is using a tripod.

A tripod will come in handy if you use slow shutter speed for your fire image. It helps to reduce camera shake and get a sharp photo even in low light.

Since fire can be clearly seen on a dark background, consider using slower shutter speed. It allows enough light to go in the camera sensor and get a steady image. Switch to the Shutter Speed mode to get the best results and take full control of your camera settings.

However, if you are going to shoot fire shows or a person with fire, fast shutter speed will be one of the best options in this situation.

Photograph fire in different ways

Try to stay creative when you take pictures of fire. The fire can be your main subject. Show the details of flame patterns and freeze the motion with fast shutter speed. Start with 1/320 and get even higher shutter speed, depending on your conditions.

Another way to shoot fire is to make it the main source of lighting. Thanks to its soft warm light fire is an ideal solution for low-key portraits or creating a cozy mood in a photo.

A simple candle can change the whole mood of a photograph. Use candles to create the mood you want in a photo.

Shoot candles and campfires

You can shoot different kinds of fire. Obviously, a candle is a type of fire that everyone has at hand at home.

However, the snag of a candle is that it does not give much light alone. One candle is a great option when you have other sources of light within the frame.

Take more candles to get enough light. Pay attention to your exposure settings because fire created a high contrast to the background.

Campfire produces more light than a candle, thus it is an easier subject to work with. You can try shoot silhouettes of people in the background to a campfire. Or take a picture of fire while it’s still daylight. It will add cozy warm light to a photo.

Experiment with longer shutter speed to get amazing results. Remember – fire is a dangerous thing and you need to keep safe while working with fire. Don’t get too close to the fire, and have an emergency plan in case everything gets out of your control.