Tag: photograph fireworks

Photoshop CC 2017 gives us an amazing feature under the crop tool.  Normally we think of using the crop tool to reduce an image or take away something we don’t want in an image.

(This tool was added in version 2015.5, by the way, so you might have it.)

With Crop we can ADD a bit to an image.  This is useful if we cut something off or something spills out of the frame.

Notice in the photo on the left that the burst of light exceeded the size of the frame.

In the photo on the right, you’ll see that the top of burst has been captured — or recreated.

I did that with Content Aware in the crop tool in  Photoshop 2017.

Here’s how it works:

• Open the image in Photoshop CC.
• Click on the crop tool
• Click on the tiny box next to the words Content Aware in the ribbon above the photo. (I’ve circled it below)
• Then pull the crop box up about 1/4 inch.
• Press return and Photoshop works magic and the small area above the photo is filled in.
• Do that again with another 1/4 inch and a bit more area is created.
• Flatten the layers when finished.
• Click Filter>Camera Raw Filter or open into Lightroom for minor tweaking to the cloned area.

Pretty amazing tool, Adobe.  Give it a try as you process your fireworks photos.

Not every photo you take at the fireworks display will be perfect.  The burst will be too small, the burst will be a bit to the left, the other too far to the right, etc.

Let Layers in Photoshop come to the rescue.

This only works, by the way, if you don’t move your tripod during the display.

Highlight each image that you want to blend in Photoshop Bridge.  Clicked on Tools >Photoshop> Load Files Into Photoshop Layers.  Photoshop opens the images in a layer stack on the right side.  (Lightroom users will highlight all the images, click Edit>Photo>Load Files Into Photoshop Layers.)

Highlight each image, then clicked on Lighten in the blend mode.  Then click Layer>Flatten.   Click on Filter>Camera Raw Filter to open the image in Adobe Camera Raw so you can tweek it a bit.

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Don’t stress it if things aren’t going well at the fireworks display.

Put the camera on the tripod.  Frame the scene in front of you.  Set the camera’s mode to Aperture Priority.  Dial the f/stop to 5.6.  Raise the ISO to around 400.

Take a couple of shots.  Look at them on the back of the camera.  Too bright, then drop the ISO to 200 or 100.  Not bright enough, raise the ISO to 800 — though this is usually not the case.  Take a couple of shots and repeat.

The key is to not get flustered.  You can do it!