Space Shuttle STS-133

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DaveThurlow

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I'm after some advice please. I'm off to Florida in November for the penultimate space shuttle launch. I hope to be able to get tickets to photograph it from the 'causeway'.
Unless i upgrade in the meantime I will be using a Canon 40D with 100-400mm.
Has anyone photographed a launch?
Have you got any advice?
What settings should i use?

I do not want to mess this up!

Thanks

Dave

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8740358@N03/
 
100-400 what?

I haven't and have no idea how close you will be to this, however AF-C would be an option with the camera in AV mode.. Basically you set the DOF and let the camera sort out shutter speeds...

Also may be worth checking google maps etc and launch time to get a rough idea of direction you are facing, position of the sun etc....

Whats the approx distance from you and the launch pad?
 
Register on the NASA site for ticket information as believe you me they go in nano minutes! We saw the last launch but missed out on tickets despite both of us in the 'waiting area' (system used for a fairer allocation of tickets).

It's the 2nd one we've seen and if you do miss out on tickets then the next best public area is in Titusville. We saw both from the lawned area next to 'Pauls Smokehouse' (could be steakhouse) - about 12 miles from the launchpad I think. It's on the main road that runs parallel with the Indian River. The car park fills up hours before but there's also a big car park opposite with an 'Arbys' so you can snack from there and use the toilets if you don't want to go into Pauls. Google Earth it, it's really good as it's got streetview and would gives you an idea what to look out for!

My advice is to head out really early. Normally about 90 mins from Kissimmee area, it took us 4 hrs to get there. Would have taken longer (we did 500m in 2 hrs!) but we saw a turn off for the I95 and chanced it. Lucky as it brought us into Titusville from the top end and the roads were much quieter. Launch was just after 2pm, we arrived at 11am and it was already mega busy. Locals were saying each launch is getting even busier as people realise the programme is almost at an end. On the way back it took us 6hrs - we just made our 9pm reservation in a Disney restaurant!!!

Camera wise, it depends what images you want but you really want to check this site out http://www.launchphotography.com/Shuttle_Launch_Viewing.html as it tells you (at the very bottom) what shots were taken from where at what time and with what kit so it'll give you a really good flavour of what you can achieve. It's a great reference point for all things launch day and helped me to make my mind up to take the TZ7 rather than the DSLR. If the luggage allowance had allowed and I had other reasons to take it then I would have done. I'd include the tripod in your packing list.

You hang around for so long and the shuttle goes up in seconds. I savoured it and the atmosphere around this time, the camera came second.

You'll love it though. It's certainly a sound and an image I'll remember for a long long time. Watching it on tv is just not the same. Enjoy.
 
We've been to Florida twice, seen the shuttle launch twice. Some good advice above, especially about the travelling. It's always packed.

The first time we saw the launch we went to the launch site. The last time we saw the launch we were on an airboat probably 30-40 miles away and saw the shuttle launch. You could still hear it, and at 100% crop with my 100-400 you could make out the shuttle at the top of the smoke trail.

It's all over in seconds though.
 
Yeah, I went to the STS-132 launch and, with it being one of the last shuttle launches, the traffic was worse than all the sites said. We left Orlando at 9:00 to get to Titusville for a 14:30 shuttle launch and ended up getting there at 1pm - about 2 hours later than expected.

Don't plan on getting tickets to the space centre for the launch 0 they are like hen's teeth. Do try to get them though, and definitely pay extra for the causeway tickets if you get the chance for them.

Also, if your plans allow it, have the launch be near the start of your time in florida. That way if it has a delay you can try again. Also, try to do the Kennedy Space Center visit before the launch - if you're going with people who aren't space buff it'll give them a good appreciation of just how awesome the launch is. Plan a full day at the center - there's loads to do.

In terms of photography, I used a 600mm mirror lens, set it manually for a daylight exposure (and so allowed the exhaust plume to be a blown) and prefocussed. Use a tripod and a remote release - you want to see the early part of the launch with your eyes, and not intermittently through a viewfinder. Shoot RAW - you'll want to tweak settings afterwards. Once the shuttle becomes a dot, then use your camera as a spotting scope - I got to see the solid rocket booster separation clearly this way.

I've got some pics of the launch here. They are geotagged - the bridge they are taken from is considered the second best place for the general public after the NASA causeway (the place you need tickets for).

Liftoff

Full throttle


Booster Separation
 
If I was you I'd get everything set up, camera sat merrily on a tripod and then just bash a remote constantly as it goes up so you can watch it for real, rather than through your eye-piece. Even if you're holding it you won't get time to change any settings, so you might as well make sure your eyes get a good show rather than the camera.

This is a pretty good one:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drsprite/4275361478/

Lynton said:
Whats the approx distance from you and the launch pad?
Click to expand...

It is 6 miles to the pad from the causeway.

EDIT: My post is made more or less entirely pointless by Cuchulainn's - simultaneous posting!
 
Thanks for all the advice, looks like we are in for a good day out!
Will post some photos when we get back.

Dave
 
DaveThurlow said:
Thanks for all the advice, looks like we are in for a good day out!
Will post some photos when we get back.

Dave
Click to expand...

Hope to see you there Dave as i'm flying out 2 days before this launch .It looks like i'll be in titusville watching this as the causeway tickets are like gold dust :thumbs:
 
Oh, just thought of one more thing - SD card. Don't use a cheapy low transfer rate one. You'll be hammering the remote button like a good thing and rapidly fill the buffer on your camera. At that point you're limited to the transfer rate of the SDCard, so for 30 quid or so, it's worth getting a good one!
 
Cuchulainn said:
Oh, just thought of one more thing - SD card. Don't use a cheapy low transfer rate one. You'll be hammering the remote button like a good thing and rapidly fill the buffer on your camera. At that point you're limited to the transfer rate of the SDCard, so for 30 quid or so, it's worth getting a good one!
Click to expand...

That's good advice ;)
 
Hiya,

I seen a shuttle launch from the Causeway in 2007.

I had only got the camera 2 days prior, so forgive me for the crappy picture where the autofocus got the trees in the foreground rather than the shuttle, but just having any pic was worth it.

This is Canon EOS400 (Rebel XTI) with a 75-300mm lens @ 300mm no cropping

IMG_0227.jpg


So you should get not too bad a shot with a 400mm lens, just remember you are still 7 miles away from the launch pad.

And just to say, its awesome, like nothing you would imagine. And your gonna be one of the last few to see the shuttle go up, so nice to capture it in anyway you can.
 
Last time I was close enough to get a pic of the space shuttle was in 1982. I used a 400mm lens on a 35mm film camera & found it short & I was as close as the public will ever get. Your 400mm on a Canon sensor will give you 60om but it may be worth adding a 1.4 & use manual focus by pre-focusing.
 
roverspeed said:
Hiya,

I seen a shuttle launch from the Causeway in 2007.

I had only got the camera 2 days prior, so forgive me for the crappy picture where the autofocus got the trees in the foreground rather than the shuttle, but just having any pic was worth it.

This is Canon EOS400 (Rebel XTI) with a 75-300mm lens @ 300mm no cropping

IMG_0227.jpg


So you should get not too bad a shot with a 400mm lens, just remember you are still 7 miles away from the launch pad.

And just to say, its awesome, like nothing you would imagine. And your gonna be one of the last few to see the shuttle go up, so nice to capture it in anyway you can.
Click to expand...

I'd still be a very happy chappy with that shot !
 
Just wanted to say good luck with the photo's guys. I'm so envious. I bunked off school to watch the first shuttle launch - which was then delayed due to weather and launched on the weekend anyway /facepalm

I've been fascinated with it ever since but never had a chance to see it in real life. Enjoy the spectacle!!!
 
Is the last one not going up in Feb 11 now? My dad was thinking of going in Nov but decided against it as it's not the last anymore.

Sorry, just ready your post again, you never said it was the last one!
 
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