3 Tips for Photographing Wedding Sparklers

Probably the most desirable and popular facet of using sparklers at your wedding is the fun and excitement they can bring to your wedding photos. Simply adding some lit sparklers to any part of your ceremony or reception can make ordinary pictures turn into unforgettable moments captured on film. However, depending on how you will be using your wedding sparklers and whether your photographer has taken pictures of wedding sparklers before, there are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare for your photo shoots. Below, you will fun 3 tips for photographing wedding sparklers that will help you get the most out of your experience.

Choose the Right Length

While this may seem obvious to many couples planning their wedding, having sparklers that burn out before you can get those memorable photos is the fastest way to disappointment. When determining which length of sparklers to purchase, you need to think about the amount of time you will need to be posing for pictures as well as the amount of time it will take for everyone to get their sparklers lit and into position. It may seem like 1-2 minutes of sparkler is enough, but if you have to coordinate several people getting lit and into position; this can quickly prove to be much less photo shoot time than you expected.

Plan Everything in Advance

Once you’ve chosen the appropriate length sparklers based on the type of photos you are after and how many people will be involved, the next thing you should do is plan out all the details in advance. By creating a good strategy for everything from the order people will light their sparklers to exactly where they will be positioned, you can eliminate any last second hang-ups or errors than can cause your sparklers to be wasted. Also, it’s a good idea to have a fast and efficient way to light your sparklers to save as much of the “sparkle” time for your wedding photos. Grill lighters (barbecue lighters) or candles care a great choice for this purpose because the large flame lights your sparklers quickly; or you can use another lit wedding sparkler to get your going.

Camera Settings

If you have a very experienced wedding photographer who has capture sparklers on film before, then this part will already be handled for you. However, if you are having a friend act as your photographer or have a professional that has never done this type of work before, there are a few things to keep in mind for your photos to turn out.

Depending on what you will be doing with your sparklers, there are a few techniques that can be used to capture them in photos in perfect clarity. If you are going to be writing shapes or words in the air with your sparklers, you will want to make sure you have the exposure set to a much longer time. It is a good idea to experiment with your camera settings in advance using only one sparkler at a time to get everything correct before lighting several sparklers and having everyone get into position for the final shoot.

If you are going to be getting photos of your sparklers during a sendoff line, first kiss, or other similar type of scenario, then you should be able to use the same settings you use for nighttime shots. Since most people use digital cameras these days, you should likely be able to see the results on your screen immediately. The same rule applies as with the method above; practice your shots in advance to fine-tune the camera settings and take as many pictures as possible during the event. This will give you the most photos of your wedding sparklers to sort through and find the ones that turned out the best.