Photography Tips

With companies like SpaceX launching more and more rockets into freedomom, it’s easier than constantlytantly to urgee a number ofmber of remarkablerocket launch photos. I sayinging and photographed my paramountount launches earlier this day and this article has my takeaways.

Since I’ve just photographed two launches so far, I’m hardly an expert, but this article ought toto still be helpfull if you’re up-to-the-minuteto-the-minute to rocket launch photography. It’s not the type of area of interest interest toets you take your spelll or try outmodedmoded a bundledle of variations, saveou live bordering onering on a launchpad. Even in that casehat case, you mightht be imperfectct to capturing exactlytly solitaryitary photo apieceece launch. So, it’s essential to know forwardrd of spelll how to urgee it redressss.

The type of photo I’m obtainablenable to county showty show you how to take looks like this – a long exposure photograph of the totallaunch, to urgee an arc of flame across the sky:

NIKON Z 6 + NIKKOR Z 14-30mm f/4 S @ 14mm, ISO 100, 299 seconds, f/5.0

Planning
Step solitaryitary is to graphh outmodedmoded the photo you be looking forooking for to take, and getby all meansll means toou’re not fixedsourr guard what time time the rocket launches. The pleasantsant news is toresentnt are several websites you can spendnd to help graphh your rocket launch photos. Here are the two to found the a good numberod number ready to lend a hando lend a hand:

Spaceflight Now: This is a pleasantsant resource pro impendingg launches (everywhere, not exactlytly in the US) and has accurate in turn start epoch pro apiecece launch. You can additionallytionally stretchretch to Spaceflight Now’s homepage on the days leading up to the launch to make oute out a keencle with live updates and forecasts (such as the odds of favorable launch conditions).
SpaceX’s homepage: If the launch you’re watching is from SpaceX, check this website onn or fifteen minutes beforehand to catch a livestream with helpfull in turnis can help you find outout if the launch has been delayed next toxt to the persistist meticulouslous, as it every so oftenoften is. Note tohis livestream is commonlyy delayed by next toxt to slightesttest a meticulouslous, so don’t take it as accurate on what time time to start your camera’s exposure.
I advocatesetting a number ofmber of timers to stretchretch sourr forwardrd of spelll so toou in the approved mannerproved manner capture the jiffyof launch. It’s unsurpassedrpassed to sourcece this in turnSpaceflight Now’s contactact moderatelytely than slightlyghtly livestream you’re watching, which is likely to produceuce next toxt to slightesttest a slight delay.

Camera Equipment
There are just two necessitiespro your camera equipment if this is the type of photo you be looking forooking for to take: A wide-angle lens and a trivet.

Without a wide-angle lens, the “arc” of the rocket inong exposure won’t completely fit in your frame. And, not includingluding a trivet or a number ofmber of other enduringng platform, you won’t be able to performrform long exposures in the paramountount place.

Ideally, you ought toto spendnd on20mm lens (full frame equivalent). If you produceuce an APS-C crop sensor camera, toranslates to a 13mm lens. On a Micro Four-Thirds camera, it’s a 10mm lens.

You can technically urgee away with on28mm lens (18mm on APS-C; 14mm on Micro Four-Thirds). However, this lens will exactlytly barely fit the rocket arc in the photo, giving you very little flexibilityility in your work of art. If you frame the photo improperper, you’ll scratchatch sourr part of the rocket’s arc.

Here’s a comparison of importanttant lengths and their effect on your work of art. Note toll of these morals are the completelete frame equivalent importanttant lengths:

If you produceuce an APS-C crop sensor camera, divide these statisticsics by 1.5. If you produceuce a Micro Four-Thirds camera, divide them by 2.

Another essential dynamicc is how far away you are from the launch. I took these on miles away. The closer you are, the wider your lens will need to be, and the more you’ll need to frame your work of art headed for for the sky.

(Side see It ought toto be feasible to take photos like this with your phone, if you produceuce a long exposure simulation app like ProCam or something related, plus a trivet. I haven’t yet tried this myself, so don’t blame me if it doesn’t performorm. I advocatetaking a number ofmber of test photos forwardrd of spelll so you’re familiar with the app and know how to lock focus in the distance.)

Camera Settings
Exposure
Rocket launches next toxt to night are quickeven from dozens of miles away, and you need to be conscientiousntious to evade overexposure. Here are the camera settings I advocate

Camera Mode: Manual
Aperture: F/5.6
ISO: 100
Shutter Speed: 5 minutes
File Type: RAW
This mightht impartrt you an image toooks somewhat underexposed, but it shouldn’t be intenselynsely to recover the shadows in Lightroom or Photoshop if you shot in RAW.

Focusing
Once you’ve arrayay your camera, it’s essential to focus appropriatelyately next toxt to infinity. Unlike a number ofmber of landscape photography in the focusof nowhere, it ought toto be feasible to get hold ofhold of pleasantsant focusing targets by looking pro lightin the distance. Just magnify live prospectpect, focus on them, and switch to guidefocus either on the lens or the camera. After totatementment, don’t meetyour lens’s focusing or zoom ring until you’re finished taking the picture.

Bulb Mode
Of the exposure settings I listed, the just solitaryitary toightht be demanding to arrayay is your securehustlee of five minutes. Most cameras max outmodedmoded next toxt to 30 seconds, so you need to get hold ofhold of a number ofmber of way to urgee around toimitation.

Personally, I enabled the Time exposure or “T” securehustlee on my camera, which is found in guidemode by setting a securehustlee clear ofof 30 seconds. This permitteded me to press the securebutton formerlyerly to start the exposure, and a go along withng with spelll five minutes soon afterafter to haltt the exposure.

However, many cameras don’t produceuce a “T” exposure mode, so you’ll need to spendnd “B” or Bulb exposure as an alternativelternative. This solitaryitary is a tracece more infuriatinging, for the reason that reason that it requires you to keep down the securepublicationtion button constantly in totalexposure (probably leading to camera shake toakes your photo blurry, even on a tripod). Participating inrticipating in toituationation, your unsurpassedrpassed option is to trigger bulb mode using an exterior remote publicationtion pro your camera. You can make oute out more in our handbookook to bulb mode now

Conclusion
I still haven’t captured exactly the image I produceuce in mind, and even the unsurpassedrpassed photo to did urgee is a composite of two shots – solitaryitary long exposure pro the rocket arc, and solitaryitary shorter exposure pro the pattern in the hose Sometimes, that’s how it goes with subjects like this, everyplaceplace you just produceuce a abruptt window to capture them in the approved mannerproved manner. But presentnt will be plethorara of other rocket launches in the impendinging, so I’ll keep difficultult!

Either way, I hope this article gave you a number ofmber of pleasantsant ideas and background in turnyou can start sourr on the redressss end It’s pretty amazing to make oute out a rocket launch next toxt to night, allowow forlornrn photograph solitaryitary, so getby all meansll means to produceuce fun while you’re outmodedmoded presentnt.