Do you ever wonder how people manage to take such great pictures of fireworks?  I have tried before in the past, but could never get more than sparkly blurs to show up.  I wish I could take beautiful pictures of fireworks like the photo above. 

The photo enthusiasts at Pholium, the digital photo book design and giving app for the iPad, have provided some handy do’s and don’ts to help amateur photographers take a series of sparkling photos to capture the show.

TIPS FOR TAKING PICTURES OF FIREWORKS

1. DO have the right equipment. A camera with manual controls and a tripod are crucial, with a remote shutter release being a close second.Setting the camera on manual allows you to control the focus of your pictures, and a tripod provides a stable place to rest the camera while taking shots – which also allows you to join the photo-taking fun!

2. DON’T use the flash. A flash is not necessary for capturing fireworks displays since it’s already brighter than the light we normally photograph. Turn off your flash setting and let the natural light take control.

3. DO use a lens that is wide enough to capture a more visible area than you think you need. You don’t want to miss the candid shots of your kids running around while the fireworks are in motion.

4. DON’T be afraid to reposition. When the fireworks start going off, look at your preview screen and reposition your camera to frame the images the way you want. Feel free to move the tripod around and make sure the landscape is captured as you intend.

5. DO lower your film speed. Lowering your film speed (or ISO in tech terms) reduces the opportunity for shadows, color specs and grain and makes for a clearer image. Because the fireworks you are capturing will be very bright, 100 ISO is an ideal place to start.

6. DON’T forget to adjust the f-stop. The f-stop measures lens aperture and will show you if the fireworks photos are over or under exposed. If colored fireworks are white and not well defined, the shot is overexposed and the f-stop number needs to be increased. If the fireworks aren’t bright enough, the aperture needs to be opened by reducing the f-stop number.

7. DO adjust your shutter speed. Because the length of each fireworks blast varies, setting your shutter speed to B instead of a pre-determined setting will allow you to control how long your camera’s shutter is open to capture blasts. The B setting allows you to keep the shutter open for as long as you press it to capture the perfect shot.

In the end, fireworks displays offer the opportunity to experiment with your camera and have fun with your photos.  And, once all the images are captured, you can use Pholium to create a digital photo book that tells a story that can be shared with family and friends.

I’m a firm believer in teaching children financial smarts at an early age.  Our son is just now learning how to count money and how to stay within his budget when he uses his spending money to shop for toys.  It’s hard to teach him the concept of saving at this age because, like most children, he wants to buy toys every time we go to a store.  He is slowly learning that if he has $5, it won’t buy that $10 toy and that he will have to save his money.

However, my son is also very generous.  Just this morning he wanted to give half of his money that the tooth fairy left him to a friend to spend on snacks at the swimming pool.  We also encourage him to tithe 10% of his money.  Generosity is also an important character trait I hope he will always possess.

Earning, saving, giving, and spending money are all financial tools covered at Tykoon, a website to help your child learn to manage their money while they earn money and incentives for chores they complete.  It’s easy to set a goal for your child, set up chores to earn those goals, and help them keep track of their savings, giving, and spending.  You can also download a Tykoon app from the iTunes store to run on your or your child’s iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad.

ABOUT TYKOON

• Tykoon is a financial services platform for kids using real money and real experiences to help educate kids on how to earn, save, give and spend.
• Partners with parents to help teach kids the family’s values about money and instill a strong work ethic.
• Empowers kids to be confident and smart with money by teaching them what they need to know.
• Changes “I want!” arguments into “How do I earn?” conversations.
• Built by parents and kids for parents and kids.
• For kids of all ages and is especially recommended for ages 8‐12.

FEATURES

• Chore Charts: Parents set up activities on chore charts so kids know exactly what they need to do to earn their allowance each week.
• Allowance Tracking: Tykoon tracks how much allowance kids get each week but only with parental approval, making sure kids are doing what they need to do to earn it.
• Non‐monetary Rewards: Money isn’t the only thing kids want. Tykoon rewards also include minutes for TV, Internet, gaming and staying up past bedtime.
• Goal Setting: Kids and parents work together to set the right financial goals like regularly saving money, saving up for wishlist items and donating to good causes.
• Wishlists: Kids choose items from the Tykoon Store to add to their wishlists. Wishlists can be used to list things kids are saving up to buy, as well as to help extended family members know what the kids want most for the holidays, birthdays and other special occasions.
• Giving: Giving back is important so Tykoon supports many charitable organizations and works with Network for Good to process verified 501(c)3 charity donations through the Tykoon platform.
• Parent Dashboard: Enables parents to set parameters, oversee their child’s activity, assign household chores and approve all transactions before a child makes a purchase.
• Parental Controls: Over 25 parental control and privacy settings that parents can set based on personal preferences.
• Kid Dashboard: Kids can track how much they have saved, set goals and shop online in a kid‐safe, secure Amazon‐powered store that only lets them access what parents let them access.
• Safe & Secure: Certified by kidSAFE® Seal Program and 100% COPPA compliant.
• Tykoon Store: Enables kid‐safe, secure online shopping. Parents can control what products kids can see
and the store requires parental approval and participation for every purchase.
• Tykoon Spotted iPhone App: Kids can use the app to snap pictures of what they want and add it to their wish list; parents have easy access to the app for efficient approvals and chore chart updates.

SPECIAL “5 Friends” OFFER:

If you sign up for Tykoon and get 5 friends to sign up and they use the site for a month, you will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!

OUR THOUGHTS:

My son really liked this website and enjoyed looking through the possible ways to donate to causes and the items he could spend his money on if he completed his chores.  The video game category was a big hit!  I think it has really motivated him to help out, as well as show him that a job well done will be rewarded.  I personally found the website easy to use and I think the conversations we are having about being money-wise are so important.  I also like the fact that my son could also keep track of non-monetary rewards, such as extra TV time and extra game time.  Sometimes, those rewards are more enticing at his age than money!

If you are looking for ways to teach your children about being financially savvy, I definitely think Tykoon is a great place to start those conversations and teachable moments.

I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Tykoon. I received a promotional item as a thank-you for participating.