When I used the fireworks mode on my Nikon S700, in most of the pictures I got the tail end of the firework burst. What did I do wrong, and at what point should I be snapping the picture?

This camera supports MACRO mode. Please makes sure the MODE you are shooting in SUPPORTS MACRO mode. For example in FIREWORK mode MACRO is disabled. This mode is often shown with FLOWER symbol.

On you camera's mode dial, you will see an emblem that looks like an encircled downward pointing lightning bolt. It should be located below the "Auto" symbol when the camera is in the auto mode. Turn the dial to that setting and your flash will be disabled.

sounds like a damaged screen on a LCD or a Plasma TV---if so it is fatal.

I'm sorry that the Built in flash is not working as expected. If the Forced flash setting is already enabled and the flash is still not working, then the issue may be due to another camera setting. Even if the Forced flash setting is enabled, the flash will still not work in the following circumstances:

• When shooting MPEG movies
• When shooting in the Twilight or Handheld Twilight mode
• If shooting with the Burst or Multi Burst mode
• Shooting with Sweep Panorama
• Shooting with the Fireworks or High Sensitivity mode.
• If an external flash is connected.

Please make sure that the Camera is not set to any of these modes. You can check the manual to get the information to change the settings
If the issue persists, please try initializing the Camera. To initialize the Camera, please use the Initialize option under the Setup 1 Menu of the Camera. If the issue persists after performing all the above mentioned troubleshooting steps, service is required. You can click hear to locate your nearest local repair option for the Camera.

Thanks for understanding. Please let me know if you require any further assistance or help with changing the above mentioned steps.

Welcome to Fixya,

The reason why your pictures so bright when you captured it it just beacuse of the settings. We have different scene mode that you have to chosse when capturing pictures outside or insde doors.

I have a manual here where in page 23, you can find the correct scene mode to select for capturing your pictures. You can choose from Party/indoor, beach/snow, sunset,even a Fireworks show scene mode where you can catch the best shot while watching a fireworks. Just click here.

You will also know more about your camera settings with this manual.

Hope this can help you.

Thank you for using FixYa.

Hello
Here are some general guidelines for shooting fireworks:-
Get a good position! Try to determine approximately where the fireworks will be bursting. And get a spot with an unobstructed view of that area. You'll probably need to show up early to get a good spot. Figure out the wind direction and get upwind of the fireworks so that your shots aren't obscured by smoke blowing toward you. Find a spot where you can avoid getting a lot of extraneous ambient light in the picture, as this will cause an overexpose.

Set the camera on the tripod. Don't extend the legs or neck of the tripod. Keep everything close to the ground to keep the camera as steady as possible.
Ensure the camera settings are correct. It is best to set these well ahead of time, as it may be difficult to see your camera controls or your checklist in the dusk or dark. But it's wise to double-check now.
Set your focus to infinity. You're generally far enough away from fireworks that you can adjust your lens focus to infinity and leave it there. If you want to get a closeup of a small part of the burst, you may need to adjust the focus as you zoom in. If you want to include buildings or people in the background, you may want to bring these into focus. Avoid the use of auto focus if possible. Most cameras have difficulty adjusting focus in low light conditions.
Use a smaller aperture. Set the aperture in the f5.6 to f16 range. F8 is usually a good bet, but if you're shooting with ISO 200 film you may want to kick it up to f16.
Turn off your flash. The fireworks are bright enough, and your flash wouldn't effectively reach them anyway.
Take off any filters or lens cap before shooting. If your lens has IS (Canon) or VR (Nikon),Turn it off before shooting. If you are shooting with an SLR or DSLR camera, chances are your lens has the IS (image stabilization) or VR (vibration reduction) feature built in. And if you have IS or VR (it is essentially the same thing, but Canon and Nikon just had to label it differently), then chances are you are used to leaving it on close to 100% of the time - which is generally a good idea. IS/VR is meant to sense the vibration (the shaking of you hands, mostly) and compensate for it. When it does not sense any, it... creates it. Turn it off in order to get sharper images. This tip goes not only for shooting fireworks, but is valid any time you shoot off a tripod.
Frame the picture before shooting. Look through your viewfinder during the first few bursts and figure out where the action is. Point your camera at that spot and leave it there. You don't want to be looking through the viewfinder while you're trying to shoot, because you'll likely shake the camera or your timing will be off. If you're trying to get closeups, of course, your framing will need to be more exact and you'll probably have to play with it more. Once again, frame carefully to exclude other light sources that might distract from the fireworks or cause your photos to be overexposed. 5Keep the shutter open to capture the entire burst. Set the exposure to the maximum length. To get the sharpest image it is best that nothing comes in contact with the camera during the exposure. Use the automatic long exposure of 30 seconds or more. If your camera does not have an automatic long exposure the use of a cable release is OK. Use the BULB (B) setting, which will keep the shutter open as long as the button is depressed. A rule of thumb is to open the shutter as soon as you hear or see the rocket shooting into the sky and to leave it open until the burst is dissipating. This will usually take several seconds.
Spice it up. Even good pictures of fireworks can be boring if there's nothing to distinguish them. You can make more interesting photos by including buildings in the background or spectators in the foreground. Choose your shooting location to try to get an unusual and unique perspective on the show if Possible.
Hope it helps, if so do rate the solution

Set it to FIREWORKS in SCENE mode and use a tripod

For MAC
Re-creating the Fireworks CS4 preferences file restores settings to their defaults. To re-create the Fireworks CS4 preferences file:

1. Quit Fireworks CS4.
2. Rename the Users\[username]\Library\Preferences\Adobe Fireworks CS4 Settings\Adobe Fireworks CS4 Prefs folder to Adobe Fireworks CS4 Prefs.old.
3. Start Fireworks CS4. Fireworks creates a new Adobe Fireworks CS4 Prefs file.

For Windows

re-create the Fireworks preferences folder:

1. Quit Fireworks.
2. In Windows Explorer, go to C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Fireworks CS4 (where C is the start-up drive) and move this folder to another location (for example, the desktop).
3. Start Fireworks. Fireworks creates a new preferences folder.

Hey liz2007,
Some scene modes don't allow the flash to be used such as landscape, sports, sunset, dusk/dawn, night landscape, museum, fireworks, and copy modes. If anti-shake mode is selected the flash will not fire, and if the camera is set to continuous shooting mode the flash will not fire. I hope this helps!

Sincerely,
Allan
Go Ahead. Use Us.

Burst mode is set in the Menu of the camera. Then press left arrow instead of right arrow. You will see normal or burst mode. Select normal mode. Hope this helps.

Thanks