Last year’s Fourth of July fireworks made you say ooh and ahh, but when you look at your iPhone photos from that night, the sound you make is more of an ugh. Want to shoot better fireworks photos this time around?

Don’t blame Siri or some engineer in Cupertino for previous photo fails. The iPhone camera, as mighty as it is, can’t do all the thinking for you — especially in challenging lighting conditions like a fireworks display. But with a little thought and preparation, you can make this holiday worth reliving on your iPhone camera roll.

Below are some simple tips to make your iPhone fireworks photos sizzle.

May 31, 2013: The Chicago Sun-Times fires all 28 of its photographers, with the goal of training its staff to shoot photos using iPhones instead. Pulitzer Prize winner John H. White is among those who lose their jobs.

The move is significant not just because of what it says about the declining newspaper industry. It also spotlights the iPhone’s growing acceptance as a professional camera.

You know those cool photographs that are half underwater and half above water? They’re called split photos. And a new waterproof case on Kickstarter called the SJPro Smartphone Mobile Mini Dome will let you take them with your iPhone, or almost any smartphone, for a pledge of $45.

Photography is a lot more than pointing and shooting a camera. However, learning everything from staging a shot to editing it in Photoshop can take years if you tackle it on your own.

Photo School: Learn Photography & Photoshop from Hollywood’s Masters will teach you how to work through the entire photography process the way real professionals do. And after a huge price drop, it’s on sale for $99.99.

If you thought drone photography was super-expensive, think again. Right now, you can grab this top-rated Black Drone with Dual HD 4K Camera on sale for just $74.95.

That’s a 16% discount off the regular price of $89.

If you’re looking for a way to instantly improve your photography chops, and maybe even launch your own side hustle, you need to zoom in on these 10 helpful bundles. They’re chock-full of photo accessories, image-editing apps and educational courses that will get you started or take your photography (or videography) to a higher level.

Whether you need help selecting the best lens for portraits, need a brand-new setup for your in-home studio, or want the ultimate app to help you perfect your pix, we rounded up the best tools to help you take beautiful photos without any formal training.

If you want to get into photography and learn like a professional, then give the Intro to Professional Photography, Lightroom, & Photoshop Bundle a try. This pack of courses is a great starting point for new photographers, and it’s on sale for $40.

WnSoft’s PTE AV Studio is powerful but easy-to-use slideshow software that is widely used by photographers, camera clubs and AV groups for competitions and festivals. Shows created in PTE AV Studio have won prizes in events held in the U.K., France, Belgium, Italy and other countries.

Now, WnSoft calls its latest version of PTE AV Studio Pro “the most powerful photo slideshow software for Mac.” And judging by the robust feature set it includes, that may be no exaggeration.

A Kickstarter campaign pushes a new iPhone camera grip and MagSafe case combo called the Fjorden. It promises to turn your iPhone into a DSLR camera — while still fitting in your pocket. Its physical camera controls might make a lot of photographers very happy.

There is a talented individual behind the lens of every iconic movie poster and stunning magazine portrait. And surprisingly often, one of those individuals is either Michael Muller or Patrick Hoelck.

These longtime friends and photography colleagues are responsible for some of the most striking and globally recognized images, from Wolverine film posters to Rihanna album covers. Now, Muller and Hoelck are sharing the secrets of Hollywood-level professional photography in a 20-hour master class that’s now available for $99.