Rocket Launch Photos

The Antares Rocket is currently scheduled for Launch on Dec. 19 (sometime after 9PM) and I would like to be able to photograph it from a distance. Here is a link to the facility:

NASA's Wallops Flight Facility | NASA
I have a Nikon D7000 with a 50mm f1.8 lens and an old Canon Digital Rebel XT with kit lens (18-55 f3.5-5.6) and a Tamron 70-300 f4-5.6 lens and two cheap tripods (one better than the other). I want to purchase some better equipment for the Nikon at some point, but I will not have anything new for my planned shoot.

Since this is a very quick event and I will not have any time to play around with settings, I was going to try to collect some recommended information before that night. There are two types of photos that I would like to get:

1. a long exposure (or multiple long exposures for stacking) that will show the streak of the rocket.
2. a quick stop motion view that I might be able to zoom in and crop to get the best view I can of the actual space craft (maybe too far away and not have enough focal length for this, but I'm not sure).

Heres a quick map of where I am and where the launch will be. I was able to watch the last one (but not photograph it) and it was pretty impressive.

http://goo.gl/maps/M1L7S

What recommendations can I get for which equipment to use for which of the shots (or should I just give up on one or both of them with the equipment I currently have) and what settings should I have ready to go on the night in question? Let me know if there's any other information that you need to make recommendations and I will get it to you as quickly as I can.

Thanks.

​ - Kris

I got a shot from the last rocket launch from there. I was on the NY/PA border. I wasn't ready for the shot since my wife called me too late. I wanted the full launch and only got a small piece. It's pretty much like taking fireworks shots and just have to be ready.

If you're not close enough to capture details and all you'll see is the trail in the sky I would recommend a series of long exposures taken with no gaps (turn off long exposure NR) stitched together to form a single trail. Use a remote so you can engage the constant shutter mode without touching the camera and causing movement (the small IR remote won't engage repeated frames - you want something like the Vello Shutter Boss). Set your ISO as high as possible without adding excessive noise (about 800 or 1600 on the D7000). You want to keep a constant exposure since you're stitching, so shoot test shots before launch so you can get the exposure setting you want on the area outside of where the trail will be and then use those as your setting in Manual mode (if you are close enough where the rocket will cause ambient light then stop down -1 or 2 EV from the test shot depending on how close you are). Set the camera angle so that the trail will stay in frame for as long as possible and fire away. Then stitch them together in Photoshop or Elements. If you need to adjust exposure make sure you do the same adjustments to each frame, or better yet do them post stitching.

What I would try is multiple exposures to capture the whole sequence, kinda like a bird in flight

Thanks for the advice. Looks like it all might be moot anyway since I just checked the weather and it is supposed to be pretty cloudy. Maybe they will cancel it until after Christmas.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

kluisi said:

Thanks for the advice. Looks like it all might be moot anyway since I just checked the weather and it is supposed to be pretty cloudy. Maybe they will cancel it until after Christmas. Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk

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Just FYI in case anyone else cared, but the launch scheduled for tonight has been delayed until at least some time in January.NASA's Wallops Flight Facility | NASA