Opportunities to photograph flames only come up occasionally, but these occasions can yield beautiful and interesting pictures if you know how to handle the situation.  Fire can portray warmth and quaint charm or danger and extreme peril—or almost any type of emotion in between. If you get certified as a professional fire photographer, you can even earn a decent living with this genre of photography. However, there are definitely considerations in this field—as in every type of photography. Here are a few tips that should help you get started.

1. Be safe.

   Fire is dangerous, as every kindergartener can tell you. If you want to live unscarred to take other photos, you will need to treat it with care. Always stay a safe distance away from the fire and respect any boundaries (if the situation warrants them) placed by authorities. If you need to get close to a fire, wear nonflammable clothing and, if necessary, protective equipment designed for fires. This may seem extreme, but there is no such thing as being too safe with fire.

2. Choose the time of day wisely.

   There will be times when you must shoot a fire at a less than perfect time of day, but when possible you should photograph fire at dusk or later. This provides a more dramatic shot and also high contrast for an attractive photograph. Although the contrast presents issues—which we will address in this article—darker times of day for a photograph of fire.

3. Buy the right equipment.

   The first and most important thing you need is a camera with night settings that can be adjusted manually—even if you don’t start out photographing fire at night, it is bound to come up eventually. You will also want wither a tripod or another stable surface, as well as a self-timer. While you may be able to find sturdy and stable surfaces at first, you will want a good tripod in the long run, so you might as well invest in one now.

4. Settings for success.

   The first thing you will need to do is to set the shutter speed for as long as possible. Automatic settings are not a good idea here, as they will focus on the fire itself and generally not capture enough light to create a detailed photo. Second, experiment with different ISO settings. Low ISO settings work well in dim light condition, but it may take a little practice in order to get a good photo without having unattractive noise. On the other hand, higher ISO settings give a fluid flame but definitely require a tripod. You may also want to experiment with aperture settings, as these can have varying effects depending on the precise situation and your particular make and model of camera.

5. Turn off your flash.

   Because fire is essentially made of light, flash will be your enemy in photographing it. Make sure your camera has manual flash settings and keep them off at all times. Flash not only provides distracting light within your fire photograph, it will rob your fire photographs of their distinctive warmth.

6. Start small.

   Many fire photographers begin with the smallest flame we can access in our day-to-day lives—that of a glowing candle. Because candles are small, easy to create, and vary little from situation to situation, they make it easy to play around with different settings and see what works best for you. When you have gotten the hang of photographing a still flame, try blowing slightly at the candle and seeing if you can capture the flicker and dance. Once you have mastered the art of photographing a candle in a variety of ways, you can move on to bigger and better fires.

7. Consider getting certified.

   You can get formally certified as a fire photographer through the International Organization of Fire Photography. This will not only open up job opportunities, it will show emergency personnel that you are trained to work in the stress and danger of a fire scene. This certification is the first step toward “going pro” in this genre of photography. With this certification, you may find yourself taking pictures of fires for investigations, training photos, fire prevention materials, and the media. Many people with this certification are able to make deals with local fire departments allowing them to work with firefighters and get in on more of the action.

8. Practice, practice, practice.

   There’s a reason you start with a single candle flame and work your way up to larger fires is simple: this is the only way to ensure that you learn to balance technique, safety, and the multitude of other considerations that are part of this photography genre. While all photography is a balancing act, fire photography combines unique light considerations with extreme danger.

9. Manipulate the scene.

   As with any type of photography, you will need to work on building a scene worthy of a photograph. Consider not just the fire, but the background and the foreground as well. Use your best photographic sense and don’t forget basics such as the rule of thirds. Fire may be the subject  of your photos, but like any subject it will be best portrayed as part of a well rounded and attractive photograph.

10. Think outside the campfire.

    Many fire photographers choose a specific type of fire and stick with it, such as building fires or candles. However, there are many exciting places where fire is common. Many acrobats and street acts feature flames, as do certain concerts with pyrotechnic shows. Look for fire in less expected places; this will create more interesting and unusual photographs.

Fire photography is unique in the photography world because it combines a need for technical skill with a need for being vigilantly aware of your environment. If you believe you have what it takes, start practicing. Then, when you are ready contact the International Organization of Fire Photography for certification. Soon you too will be making a living from this fun and fast paced type of photography.