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How to Blur Fireworks with Your DSLR for Some Wicked July 4th Photos

Try "unfocusing" your photographs for some dreamy, evocative and somewhat abstract takes on life. Check out the two tutorials (here and here) from Michelle Geoga of Lights! Camera! Photoshop! for tips on unleashing the blur-power of your camera. You can see plenty of example images there to help you out.

Tips for Blurring Fireworks

And since it's Fourth of July time, it's a great opportunity for you take some wonderful, blurry pics of the fireworks on display. Not sure how? Mark Rosal has some great tips on his Gomarky blog for taking some unbelievable fireworks photographs on July Fourth.

With his camera set up on a tripod, he set his ISO to 100, his aperture to around f/9.0, his shutter speed to around 1 second, and his lens to manual focus — at the closest range possible — so the fireworks are completely blurred.

The trick is to snap the photo right before the fireworks burst happens. Over the course of the exposure, turn your focus ring all the way to infinity. In other words, if you were to photograph the fireworks on infinity, they would be crisp and sharp.

For more information, make sure to visit Mark's blog.

Other Subjects to Blur ...

Here are some more non-fireworks examples from Michelle to help inspire your photo blurring.

A lively carousel at a fair, illuminated with bright lights and filled with people enjoying the ride.

Waiting at the Merry Go Round, Motion Blur, Shutter Speed

Woman peering through greenery.

Portrait through Willow Tree, Blurry Foreground

Photographer capturing a scenic river landscape with large rocks.

Photo Road Trip, Slow Shutter

How to Blur Fireworks with Your DSLR for Some Wicked July 4th Photos

Portrait with Disco Ball for Background, Slow Shutter

How to Blur Fireworks with Your DSLR for Some Wicked July 4th Photos

Millennium Park Chicago, Motion Blur, Slow Shutter

Black and white view of a busy city street lined with tall buildings.

Monroe and Michigan in Chicago, Motion Blur, Shutter Speed

A lively carousel at a fair, illuminated with bright lights and filled with people enjoying the ride.

Waiting at the Merry Go Round, Motion Blur, Shutter Speed

Woman peering through greenery.

Portrait through Willow Tree, Blurry Foreground

Photographer capturing a scenic river landscape with large rocks.

Photo Road Trip, Slow Shutter

How to Blur Fireworks with Your DSLR for Some Wicked July 4th Photos

Portrait with Disco Ball for Background, Slow Shutter

How to Blur Fireworks with Your DSLR for Some Wicked July 4th Photos

Millennium Park Chicago, Motion Blur, Slow Shutter

Black and white view of a busy city street lined with tall buildings.

Monroe and Michigan in Chicago, Motion Blur, Shutter Speed

Apple's iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 updates are packed with new features, and you can try them before almost everyone else. First, check Gadget Hacks' list of supported iPhone and iPad models, then follow the step-by-step guide to install the iOS/iPadOS 26 beta — no paid developer account required.

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