Shuttle Liftoff - Sigma 600mm Mirror Lens

[Cuchulainn]

I was in Florida last month to see a shuttle launch. We weren't able to get tickets to the space center as, with so few launches left, they are in very high demand. We got the next best place though - a bridge in Titusville that's about 12 miles from the launchpad.

These were taken with a Sigma 600mm F8 mirror lens on a Pentax K20D. No cropping, but some bumping of saturation and contrast. I know the exhaust plume is blown, but exposing for that will have everything else black - it's so bright that even 12 miles away it was painful to look at without sunglasses!

[JWH]

Woaw, must have been a great experience too.

I've been to Florida in September last year and there was a launch scheduled during my stay, but sadly it kept being delayed due to the weather. Visitting the Kennedy Space Center was amazing though for something interested in Astronomy since I was like 7 .

[Cuchulainn]

It's genuinely an awesome sight. There are only two scheduled launches of the shuttle left, so if you can arrange to be in Florida for one of them I'd recommend it. And make sure to bring a cable release - you really don't want to look at the initial part of the launch through a viewfinder!