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.

Read More...

Photo by Jose Francisco Moreno

Photo by Instagram user @babujani

Photo by Twitter user Zander Lane

Photo by Instagram user @dj_analogue

Photo by Tim Marchini

Photo by Instagram user @babujani

Photo by Mike Hall

Photo by Lee Olivares

Photo by Instagram user @IsaacMoore

Photo by Deborah Seller

Photo by Gregory Hedgepath

Photo by Mike Hall

Photo by Gregory Hedgepath

Photo by Mike Hall

Courtesy of Amanda Hawk-McFadzen

The scene from beneath Endeavour's wing

Photo by Joel Schroeder

Photo by glenn.habas

Photo by Instagram user ali_boo_boo_child

John Rabe/KPCC

Photo by Instagram user @rhonysol

Photo by Instagram user @davidtho

Photo by Instagram user @ilegend_photographer

Photo by Instagram user @careheart

Photo by Elson Trinidad

Photo by Instagram user @j_phillip_h

Photo by Instagram user @ilegend_photographer

Photo by Instagram user @reiy

Photo by Twitter user Tom Humbarger

Photo by Instagram user @ilegend_photographer

Photo by Twitter user Melissa M. Geisler

Photo by Instagram user @rhonysol

Photo by Twitter User Emily Lakdawalla

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.

Read More...

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.

Read More...

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Stars streak while a Perseid meteor makes a path across the sky early August 12, 2008 near Rogers Spring in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada.

Shooting for the sky? KPCC's Mae Ryan has some expert photography advice for trying to capture the Perseid meteor shower.

Step 1: Put down your iPhone. That little guy isn't man enough for the meteors. (Caveat: The app "Slow Shutter Cam" miiiight 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.

Step 3: Put your camera on a tripod.  To get all the beautiful streaks you'll need an exposure that's at least 30 seconds long so your camera has to be still — very, very still.

Step 4: Try to find a location that's a little further from the city.  All the lights in LA will drown out those meteors and your image won't be as pretty.

Step 5: Set your exposure for at least 30 seconds.  Set your camera to "B" mode if you've got it.  That will let you keep your shutter open for as long as you desire.

Read More...