Sparkler photography on a phone: how to write words with light

This guide covers sparkler writing: names, words and hearts in the air on Bonfire Night. For torches and glow sticks, see our beginner’s guide to light painting with a phone.

11. Why does a normal phone photo show a blob?

An ordinary photo lasts a fraction of a second. Lindsay Ross, who tested this on a phone, found the built-in camera did not stay open long enough to record the trail. You need it to keep recording for a few seconds.

Curbly gives three ways to do that on a phone:

• Manual or pro mode. Many newer Android phones have one. Curbly suggests starting at 1 to 3 seconds and ISO 100 to 400.
• iPhone Live Photos. Take a Live Photo, then choose the Long Exposure effect. It covers about three seconds, so keep words short.
• A long exposure app, which builds several seconds of light into one picture.

22. How do you keep the phone still?

This matters more than any setting. Curbly says nobody can hand hold a phone still enough for a long exposure, so use a tripod or brace it on something: a clamp, a wall, a table or a pile of books. Avoid touching the screen once the capture starts; a self timer or a helper makes that easier.

33. How to photograph sparklers: setting up the shot

• Go somewhere properly dark. No lit windows or street lights straight behind the writer.
• Focus on the sparkler, not the background. DateBox suggests having someone light a sparkler in the spot where the writing will happen so the camera can focus there. On a phone, tap the screen where the lit sparkler is, as Lindsay Ross did.
• Keep ISO low. If you can set it, start at the low end of Curbly’s 100 to 400 range. The sparkler is bright enough.

44. How do you write words with a sparkler?

Write backwards, or flip it later. The writer faces the camera, so normal writing comes out mirrored. DateBox suggests writing backwards; Curbly says it is much easier to flip the finished picture in a photo editor.

Give each letter about three seconds. DateBox suggests a 3 second exposure and counting out loud, “one thousand one, one thousand two, one thousand three”, so the writing starts on one and ends on three. Too bright? Try 2 seconds. Too dark? Try 4.

Use one person per letter, or joined-up writing. DateBox used four people for “wish”, or one person writing in joined-up script. If several people write at once, stand well apart: London Fire Brigade says not to wave sparklers close to other people.

Keep the letters simple. A lifted sparkler still draws a line, so letters drawn in one stroke, such as O, L, N or V, come out cleaner. Lindsay Ross shows an X that grew an extra line this way.

55. Can you get people in the picture too?

Yes, with a trade-off. LearnPhoto365 notes that if the person holding the sparkler stays in one spot, the light builds up on them and they start to appear, though not sharply. Curbly says a clear face needs an exposure of about one second. For crisp writing, wear dark clothes and keep the sparkler moving; for a portrait, go short and accept fewer trails.

66. Is sparkler photography safe?

Sparklers are hot. RoSPA says a sparkler can reach temperatures approximately 20 times hotter than boiling water, and London Fire Brigade compares them to a welding torch. The advice from RoSPA and London Fire Brigade includes:

• Don’t give sparklers to children under five, and supervise all children.
• Everyone holding a sparkler wears gloves.
• Light sparklers one at a time and hold them at arm’s length.
• Don’t wave sparklers close to other people, and never run with one.
• Never hold a baby or young child while holding a sparkler.
• Put finished sparklers straight into a bucket of cold water.

For a burn, the NHS says to hold it under cool running water for 20 minutes, and to call 999 or go to A&E for a very large or deep burn or one on the face.

Respect other people too. GOV.UK says you must not set off fireworks, including sparklers, in the street or other public places, and you must not set them off between 11pm and 7am, except on Bonfire Night, when the cut off is midnight. RoSPA and London Fire Brigade both say a public display is the safest way to enjoy fireworks. There, enjoy the show and ask before photographing people you don’t know.

77. Where the Light Painting: Long Exposure app fits

Light Painting: Long Exposure is our Android app for this kind of shot. It is a live long exposure camera that keeps the brightest light it sees, so you watch the sparkler trail build on screen and stop when you like it. Everything happens on your phone, with no account, and nothing is uploaded. Free pictures carry a small mark in the corner. A one-time Pro unlock adds longer exposures and extra looks, including Sparkler gold, and removes the mark.

Because it keeps the brightest light rather than gathering light over time, it suits sparklers on a dark background, and a dim scene will not brighten as it would in a real long exposure. When the scene matters as much as the light, a phone’s manual or pro mode or a camera with true long exposure on a tripod is the better tool.

Questions people ask

Sources

1. How to take great sparkler pictures with your phoneCurbly · curbly.com
2. Sparkler writing with your camera or mobile deviceDateBox Club · dateboxclub.com
3. Sparkler photos with your phoneLindsay Ross · lindsayrossblogs.com
4. Fun with sparklersLearnPhoto365 · learnphoto365.com
5. Firework safety tipsRoSPA · rospa.com
6. FireworksLondon Fire Brigade · london-fire.gov.uk
7. Fireworks: the lawGOV.UK · gov.uk
8. Burns and scaldsNHS · nhs.uk