Vandenberg is launching a Delta 4 rocket at 1:08 this afternoon. A friend is coming up to Ventura to shoot some video and asked me about local vantage points.
I'm thinking that I may as well join him and try to get some still photos. We'll just drive up to the top of one of the small foothills east of Ventura.
I have a 150-500mm Sigma OS lens, so my best guess is to use a tripod, leave OS on (because my cheap tripod setup moves a lot and the OS settles it down) and then go for a fast shutter speed, perhaps between 1,000 and 2,000th.
Since I'm going to be shooting into a clear blue sky with an afternoon sun, I'm wondering if I should increase the exposure to bring out some detail in the rocket. (If that's even possible - I have no idea!)
My very first time trying something like this, so I just hope to avoid the most obvious mistakes.
"A Delta 4-Heavy booster will carry a National Reconnaissance Office payload into orbit from Vandenberg Air Force Base's Space Launch Complex 6. The Delta 4-Heavy is a big machine, comparable in payload and size to the Titan 4. It uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as its propellant and oxidizer, respectively. This results in a relatively dim exhaust "flame", and a relatively transparent exhaust (essentially steam). "
