rocket launch photography

Some insight into the logistics of photographing a NASA rocket launch

May 11, 2019 by John Aldred Add Comment

Photographing a rocket launch is something I’ve always wanted to try. For me, though, it’s not easy. There aren’t exactly many of them here in Scotland. Or, well, any at all, really. Yet. But I do enjoy looking at the images and video created by others.

Lensrentals recently featured photographer Justin Hartny and his coverage of the NASA Antares Rocket Launch in April, along with a breakdown of the gear and techniques used to get the shots and stand out from most of the usual rocket launch photography we see.

This is what happens when your camera is too close to a rocket launch pad

May 23, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 18 Comments

Photographing a rocket launch can be very unfriendly to your camera, as we have seen before. But today, a post on my Facebook feed appeared and I saw just how bad it can get. NASA photographer Bill Ingalls was photographing a rocket launch on 22 May 2018 and he shared the photos of his poor camera after it. It’s completely melted, but hey – at least he saved some of the photos.

How to photograph a NASA rocket launch with remote cameras

May 16, 2018 by John Aldred Add Comment

Under the pre-dawn skies of Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on May 5th, 2018, NASA launched InSight. Destined for Mars, InSight launched on the back of an Atlas V-401 rocket, one of the biggest rockets available for interplanetary flight. It’s the first mission to leave Vandenberg Air Force Base that is destined for another planet and it gave Tested’s Norman Chan an opportunity to document it.

The video goes over Norman’s process for shooting the event. And he wasn’t entirely sure what gear he’d used to photograph the launch, so he took a variety of kit to the launch, to make the decision on-site. Ultimately he chose a Canon 5D Mark IV, Sigma 50mm lens, Manfrotto 290 tripod, MIOPS trigger, sandbags and trash bags.

This is what a rocket launch does to a camera from 45 meters away

Dec 13, 2016 by Dunja Djudjic 6 Comments

Have you ever wondered what a rocket launch can do to a camera? A young photographer John Kraus recently showed us what happens when you shoot rocket launch from 45 yards distance.