Moon tourists and rockets, just a walk in the park (a typical Florida night) with fellow photographers Trace Cloulat, Keith Bartholomew and John Anderson; an evening photographing the moonrise and the St. Augustine Lighthouse then later into the early morning (12:52 a.m.) photographing the Delta IV launch from south New Smyrna Beach.

Moon BeamLighthouse tourist watching a twilight moonrise while a revolving light beam shines above their heads. StairwayAugust 18th 2016, tourist watching a full moonrise over the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

Rocket Launch: United Launch Alliance Delta IV AFSPC-6 August 19, 2016 12:52 a.m. Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Space Launch Complex 37

To infinity and beyondNew Smyrna Beach, August 19, 2016 12:52 a. m. Launch under a Full MoonUnited Launch Alliance Delta IV AFSPC-6 August 19, 2016 12:52 a. m.

Looking forward to more captures like this with the U.S. manned launches starting up again in 2018.

Notes on night rocket launch photography techniques:

For the vertical image: NIKON D4S, 20mm, exposure (shutter set to bulb) 124 sec at f/16, ISO 200, manual focus 

If I shoot this again under the same ambient lighting with a full moon in the composition (with the same equipment), I’ll try f/11 @ ISO 100 (two reasons: First, exposure in the original file about 1-stop to dark. Second, reduce moon flare from the lens)

For the horizontal image: NIKON D810, 14-24mm @ 14mm, exposure shutter set to bulb) 176 sec at f/20, ISO 100, manual focus. And the adjustments I’d make here for next time; f/13 at ISO 64