Space Shuttle Photo Shoot @ Nighttime

I am going to be going up to the space center or close to it so that I can get some pictures of the Space Shuttle going off at night time.

I will be using a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 with a 2x xtender to bring it up to f5.6.

I was wondering if I should use the bulb feature for the camera to get a long exposer. The shuttle rockets light up the whole sky almost like a sunrise.

If any one could direct me on this so that I can uptain a good picture please walk me through with what I should do.

Thanks
Scott

I don't think so. Before the launch, I'd find the basic exposure to get the white shuttle at the right of the histogram & lock that in on "M". Use that when the mains fire, shoot RAW, too & hope for the best.

Depending on how close you will be, I think the closest you can get is the causeway which is 10km away unless you got invited to view from the press site, you might consider renting a real long lens. Anyway, here is a real good site I ran across when we were looking to see what it took to see a launch. Post pics when you get them.

I used to live at Cape Canaveral and I worked at NASA. If it is at night you may want to take some pics the night before when it is all lit up. You can see it from the top of the many causeways just a few miles from the base. I think you will find the rocket exhaust extremely bright. I was very very close to a few flights during the day and I was amazed at how bright it burned.

And don't be in a rush to leave when it is over, you will never get out fast.
Post some pics when you have them.

kona77 wrote in post #2330146
And don't be in a rush to leave when it is over, you will never get out fast.
Post some pics when you have them.

Hehe yeah in 1998 when I saw a night launch it took 3 hours to get back to Orlando. (normally take 1 hour).

so any pics yet? my father lives in sarasota and i told him about this night launch. he drove out in the car to watch it and i talked to him on his cell phone. he saw it just as the solid rocket boosters separated. i think that was about 10 miles up as they announced on the internet broadcast?

that's not the cool part though - he want to the store after that and 5 mins later returned. he found another person out in a similar area where he stopped to look for the shuttle and asked the stranger if he was still watching for the shuttle. the stranger replied that he had seen it and now he was waiting to hear it! sure enough within about a minute they both started to hear the low rumble. my dad described it as a low rumble with a pop-corn like sound in it. he and i have seen the shuttle go up from about 10 miles away in titusville and he said it was that same unmistakable sound. sarasota is ~110 miles away from the cape as the crow flies. sweet!

i found this really cool picture on airliners.net

http://www1.airliners.​net/open.file/0421834/​M/

how cool is that - depicting the shuttle curving into orbit...

That is WAY cool! nice find.

I took some pics.. from my house in Orlando.

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Wow, I had no idea it would be that bright 50 miles away.

sugarzebra wrote in post #2382960
Wow, I had no idea it would be that bright 50 miles away.

We heard it as well... quite amazing.

best shot i've seen was taking from space. Incredible to see from that far up the shuttle launch till it goes through the atmosphere.

sadly I couldn't watch it, i was at work but i'm around 150 miles away or so.

2005GLI wrote in post #2383038
best shot i've seen was taking from space. Incredible to see from that far up the shuttle launch till it goes through the atmosphere.

That is a great picturebut alas, the space station reference is storytelling. it was actually taken by a very high flying chase plane. But whether from chase plane or space station, it is an awesome picture none the less. I would have loved to be the photographer attached to the camera that captured that moment.

^^^ those shots are awesome