Shoot for the stars: How & where to photograph the Orionid meteor shower near LA (Map)

Mae Ryan and Andrea Wang | October 19th, 2012, 7:26am

Nathan Trail

Nathan Trail took this photo of the Perseid meteor shower over Maryland on August 12th using KPCC's tips. Try your camera out on the showers and send them to us at pix@kpcc.org.

The Orionid meteor shower will be on full display over Los Angeles this Saturday night and early Sunday morning. And if you can't leave the bright lights of the big city, look at the map below for some areas in L.A. where you should be able to see nature's light show.

And you may need to go to higher ground: The National Weather Service forecast calls for low clouds and fog Saturday night.

To capture the meteor streaked sky you'll need more than just your iPhone, so follow the instructions below to get high quality images. Then select your best shots and send them our way.

Pro Tips:

Step 1: Put down your iPhone. That little guy isn't man enough for the meteors. (Caveat: The app "Slow Shutter Cam" might work if the stars are aligned properly, so to speak.)

Step 2: Bring out your digital camera. Your best bet is a digital dSLR camera, but you can also try out your point and shoot if it has manual settings.

PHOTOS: Your views of Space Shuttle Endeavour

Mae Ryan | October 9th, 2012, 5:14pm

The space shuttle Endeavour will take off on its final mission across the streets of L.A. this Thursday night, and we've got the where, when and how to take your own photographs of the historic trek across the city.

And we want to see your photos of this monumental event! But beware: Getting up close and personal with the shuttle on its last journey won’t be easy.

Police are closing off the streets and sidewalks near the travel route, so it's up to you to get creative shots of the shuttle as it moves through the city.

Check out our map of the travel route and start thinking about creative locations that aren’t directly along the closed-off streets where you could catch a good view.

The shuttle will make pit stops along the way, so those events will be your best bets for close-ups and shuttle party pics.

Update: How to take photos of Shuttle Endeavour landing in Los Angeles

Mae Ryan | September 18th, 2012, 6:00am

Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images

The Space Shuttle Discovery, aboard a specially modified NASA Boeing 747, flies over the Washington, DC, April 17, 2012, as seen from Arlington, Virginia.

Space fans and photo nerds will have a great chance to create a memorable photograph this Friday as the shuttle Endeavour glides into Los Angeles. The retired orbiter made 25 trips into space, and Friday will mark its final day in the air. It is expected to enter L.A. airspace at about 11:30 a.m. and is expected to land at LAX by 12:45p.m., weather permitting.

Check our Twitter or the KPCC homepage for updates.

Here at KPCC we’d like to see your photos of the Endeavour when it soars over Los Angeles and lands at LAX. Check out our photo recommendations below and send in your images to pix@kpcc.org or use the hashtag #KPCCShuttle on Twitter or Instagram and we’ll find it.

Gear: The Endeavour flight will be a once-in-a-lifetime photo op, so you’ll want to bring out your pro-camera gear to capture the historic moment. The shuttle will be piggybacked onto NASA’s modified 747 and flying at around 1,500 feet when it reaches Los Angeles. At that height, your iPhone just won’t cut it; you’ll be able to capture a little space shuttle speck, but that’s about it.

Too cool for school? Share photos of your child's first day back in the classroom with us

Mae Ryan | August 17th, 2012, 9:44am

We know your kids would rather be splashing in the pool, but it's time to jump back into the books.

Tuesday was the first day of school for many students across the Southland, and we want to see photos of you and your loved ones heading to class.

Send us photos of your child's very first day of elementary school, your teen driving off to high school, your friend rolling out of bed to catch a lecture or your favorite teacher.

Here's how to send us your Instagram images:

Follow KPCC on Instagram.
Use the hashtag #FirstDayLA in your Instagram photo descriptions.

Here's how to send us your Twitter images:

Use the hashtag #FirstDayLA when you tweet pics of heading back to school.

That's it. We'll find them from there. If you don't use Instagram or Twitter, email your photos to pix@kpcc.org and then check back on the site to see your photos.