bloodhound31
06-03-2013, 02:02 AM
A unique opportunity presented itself today as I was driving in parts of Canberra I haven't been to in years. I spotted Panstarrs out the window as I was driving and thought, "I have the camera in the car - and there's mount Stromlo!!!" That thought was followed quickly by, Oh no!! I don't have the tripod in the car!"
I drove up the mountain expecting to be stopped by a closed boom gate as per usual for night time. Lo and behold though, the gate was up!! I was able to zip straight to the top at the EOS facility.
Once there, I had to find a way to stabilise my camera for long exposures. I parked the car nose towards the comet and opened the passenger door, rolled the window down then rolled it up to trap the lens in the window. Presto! Instant stable photography platform. Panstarrs was just setting and chasing the sun when the EOS satellite Laser flared into life, so I set up my camera on my work jacket on the ground. Bazza's pimpmobile was just asking for a portrait next to that!
Behind me, was one of the old burnt out observatories from the 2003 fires, which has beautiful old rusty running gear in it, so I dropped my jacket on the floor in the doorway for another few shots.
I drove up the mountain expecting to be stopped by a closed boom gate as per usual for night time. Lo and behold though, the gate was up!! I was able to zip straight to the top at the EOS facility.
Once there, I had to find a way to stabilise my camera for long exposures. I parked the car nose towards the comet and opened the passenger door, rolled the window down then rolled it up to trap the lens in the window. Presto! Instant stable photography platform. Panstarrs was just setting and chasing the sun when the EOS satellite Laser flared into life, so I set up my camera on my work jacket on the ground. Bazza's pimpmobile was just asking for a portrait next to that!
Behind me, was one of the old burnt out observatories from the 2003 fires, which has beautiful old rusty running gear in it, so I dropped my jacket on the floor in the doorway for another few shots.