peter_k4 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Hey all, I'm going to have the good fortune of being in orlando durning the next Atlantis launch on the 7th. I'm SO excited! does anyone have any favourite spots to shoot from? I think I"m going to setup somewhere in titusville. apparently the place is a zoo right around launch time. Unfortunately I only have 300mm reach with my lenses which I don't think will be long enough, but, I'll make do with what I got! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_ferrante Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 I am so jealous. That has been one of my dreams. Night launch or day launch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_k4 Posted January 25, 2008 Author Share Posted January 25, 2008 day :( 2 in the afternoon at that... man I wish I had some big glass though! ah well, just seeing it will be better than the pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john v. Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Here a link to <a href="http://www.spacelaunchinfo.com/faq.html#photo">Space Launch FAQ</a>, which give some tips on where to see the launch and some quick advice on camera settings, as well some other camera tips. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob_gentile Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Peter, thanks for the heads up. I recently moved to Orlando and shooting a shuttle launch is something I'd like to do. Maybe I'll see you there! John, thanks for the link. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmitchell Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Why don't you see if you can rent a more powerful lens for a day? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike_godwin1 Posted January 25, 2008 Share Posted January 25, 2008 Rent a lens for the shoot. I've always had great luck with <a href="http://www.lensprotogo.com/">Lens Pro to Go</a><br> Great prices and service. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybee Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I'm going to speak heresy here, but don't waste this opportunity by viewing it through a camera viewfinder. Download pictures from the NASA website later. If you're lucky enough to get to go a second time, take photographs then. I was fortunate to see a night launch several years ago. I was originally going to try to get some good pictures, but decided I wanted to watch the launch as it happened. I didn't use my camera at all that night. I've never regretted my decision. Regardless of what you do, enjoy yourself. It's one of the most spectacular things I've ever experienced. You'll be hit with a bone-rattling sound wave several seconds after liftoff. It's an incredible experience. Joel Berry - Sugar Land, Texas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 You will be many miles from the launch site. It will be wayy up in the air before the sound of the launch is heard. Its like photographing a 184 foot/10 story building from many many miles away. The NASA causeway is the closest spot but it might be sold out/tickets. <a href="http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html"><b>"The following are photos of shuttle launches as seen from each of the areas"</b</a><BR><BR>@FIN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 </b> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raczoliver Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 I was there on last October's launch of Discovery and managed to take a couple of decent pictures. I was at the Kennedy Space Center's visitor complex, which was 7 miles away from the launch site, and all I had was an 85mm lens. With 300mm, you can still forget about close-ups, but you can definitely take nice pics. From where I was, the launch pad itself was not visible, so we had to wait a couple of seconds after the liftoff to actually see the shuttle. There is a bridge going from Titusville onto Merritt Island, it is slightly further away, but the launch pad is clearly visible and it looked like a nice spot to watch the launch from. Bring a tripod, your hands will be shaking from the excitement:-) And finally, don't forget to actually watch the launch with your own eyes too. Here are some of the pictures I got of Discovery: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=62947&l=bec9c&id=905425330 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_k4 Posted January 26, 2008 Author Share Posted January 26, 2008 awesome! thanks guys. and I definately understand just watching it aswell...I think I'll plan on just putting my camera on a tripod and with a cable release and letting 'er rip which I watch, we'll see how the pictures turn out afterwards. Have people found it terribly difficult to meter the launch? It's pretty bright right? but it's also a mid-afternoon launch. I have that annoying D80 which ignores highlights, I don't wanna over expose the flame or anything too much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_k4 Posted January 26, 2008 Author Share Posted January 26, 2008 it looks like this is probably what I'll be getting anyways, that's with 300mm I would think about renting a lens but I'm on vacation in florida, from canada, I'm sure it'll be more hassle than it's worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_ferrante Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Try rentglass.com or ziplens.com, maybe they have something bigger than 300mm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas_hardy1 Posted January 26, 2008 Share Posted January 26, 2008 Even if you get zero photos, just seeing the launch will be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_cooper Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Peter, you are correct that those two flickr shots are 300mm digital shots, so that is what you will get. It is my advice that, because you will be in Titusville, going any higher is also going to blow up the atmosphere and heat waves rising off the water. The 300mm shot is not so bad; but getting a really right shot of the vehicle from that distance is probably indeed more hassle than it's worth. As far as viewing closer, the closest viewing at the NASA causeway, which requires tickets, was sold out when it went on sale last Fall. There is one closer place than Titusville, which is the visitors complex as noted above, but if you want a nice photo I recommend Titusville; Titusville is the next closest place after the causeway with a view of the pad and liftoff. Good luck and feel free to ask more questions. -Ben http://www.launchphotography.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
summitar Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Just don't be standing underneath it when it goes up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelly_flanigan1 Posted January 27, 2008 Share Posted January 27, 2008 Also dont view the launch with a high powered rifle scope with rifle attached! :) and have live ammo on you.<BR><BR>At a shuttle landing at Edwards AFB in California about July 4th weekend of 1982; I used a 500mm lens and a Nikon F. Some idiot/duffus/bozo/dolt/goober in the super giant 1/2 million? crowd used his Super high power rifle scope to view the shuttle landing; with the rifle still in place. The security and crowd freaked out about this. The chap said he was "just using the scope to view the shuttle" and he "didnt want to remove the scope because it was blueprinted in".<BR><BR> Folks got there at the Edwards AFB the night before and camped out along the runway fence area. It was super dusty with the cars and folks and dry desert and hot sun. Few got any sleep; some joker was always making noise; others yelling back to shut up the whole night long. <BR><BR>We got to see the other shuttle take off attached to the special 747 jet later that day; I think the President was there too. All our camera gear got covered with dust; unused stuff was kept in ziplocks; but still dust got everywhere. After the 747 took off we went up in hills for about 4 hours in a 4x4 and drank a few cold ones and let the traffic jamb reduce. It was the largest group of folks I have ever seen at one event; a total zoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_k4 Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 alright, i've been experimenting around with shooting with my 50 1.8 through a pair of 10x binoculars to give me (as expected) a 500mm lens. god knows what the aperture is, probably f11 or some crap. but if it's a bright day out I think it will do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_cooper Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 My number one advice to all who are trying to shoot the launch, especially if it is their first and may not be back to see another, is to make sure they watch with their eyes. What you are planning on doing is interesting but it sounds like you will be juggling to keep them together and not be focused on the shuttle; people I have known who looked through the viewfinder the whole time regretted it, because they can't remember the launch and experience itself now. It is my recommendation to go with the 300mm, on a tripod :-) Make sure you have it in manual exposure and focus before it launches. If you have a cable release, have everything set so that you can click the camera while watching with your eyes. Good luck with whichever method you use, I will be interested in seeing the results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter_k4 Posted January 28, 2008 Author Share Posted January 28, 2008 all right I got it all set. I have two tripods one for the camera on for the binoculars. I have a wired cable release so I don't even have to worry about using the remote and aiming it at the camera properly. From test shots with my 50 1.8 lens at f2 I figure the lens/binocular setup gives me about f8 so using sunny 16 rule at ISO 200 I should be packin a shutter speed of about 1/800, 1/400 for safe measures. and I can always bump up the ISO to 400 if need be. I'm thinking I probably want a minimum shutter of about 1/250. Do you guys think that's ok, or will I need faster to freeze the smoke plume? I'm not really sure how this is going to look! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_cooper Posted January 28, 2008 Share Posted January 28, 2008 If you go with that setup, I would aim for one more stop (1/500). The 500 (750 really) mm is going to have more effect than the shuttle's speed. If you want an idea of what it is like, and its speed, from Titusville: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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