Val and I have a golden opportunity to photograph a Shuttle Launch and don’t want to mess it up. Any advice appreciated!
We will be able to take photos of the launch of shuttle mission STS-118 from the causeway at about 7pm on August 7. We will be using D200 cameras and several different lenses. I plan to shoot the launch with my 400mm f2.8 AF-S and 2x TC from a Gitzo and Wimberley. She will likely have her 300mm f/2.8 AF-S and 2x TC on a similar tripod set-up. I think I also want to do a long exposure with a wide angle to capture the launch arc. I plan to set it up, trigger it and leave it alone for about 6 minutes while I run the big lens. I have a 4 stop ND I can use on the wide angle.
I found one site on the web with lots of info but want to get some from other sources. This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing so it has to work first time out.
I have a friend that has some killer shots of a launch taken back in the days of that stuff known as film. I think he may have used the Nikon 2020. He had special access and setup the camera on a tripod a few days in advance with a remote device which activated the camera when the sound / vibration of the launch occurred. As I recall the setup(s) were placed out in the shallow water in a restricted area so theft was not really a concern.
Not sure where your vantage point is or how serious you might be in making the most of your shoot but you might want to look into this hands off approach while you are using your other equipment. Just thought I would mention it in case you have some older film bodies laying around.
Discussion
3 repliesWe will be able to take photos of the launch of shuttle mission STS-118 from the causeway at about 7pm on August 7. We will be using D200 cameras and several different lenses. I plan to shoot the launch with my 400mm f2.8 AF-S and 2x TC from a Gitzo and Wimberley. She will likely have her 300mm f/2.8 AF-S and 2x TC on a similar tripod set-up. I think I also want to do a long exposure with a wide angle to capture the launch arc. I plan to set it up, trigger it and leave it alone for about 6 minutes while I run the big lens. I have a 4 stop ND I can use on the wide angle.
I found one site on the web with lots of info but want to get some from other sources. This is probably a once-in-a-lifetime thing so it has to work first time out.
Any help?
Not sure where your vantage point is or how serious you might be in making the most of your shoot but you might want to look into this hands off approach while you are using your other equipment. Just thought I would mention it in case you have some older film bodies laying around.