Taking pictures of lava flows

[dcp81]

We will be cruising past the lava flows on the Big Island of Hawaii at about 10:30 p.m. The ship will be moving during the viewing time which creates some problems.

 

I have a Canon Powershot G6 digital camera and was wondering what settings might give me the best chance of getting some decent shots. I know I will need a tripod and I also have a 2X teleconverter (which will give me 8X optical zoom capabilities).

 

Thanks for any suggestions or opinions you can offer.

[cruzmann]

I have to say that I have never had a bit of luck shooting any night photos from a moving vehicle. The problem is that even at a thirtieth of a second you can't get a good shot from a ship due to the motion. I also consulted my friend with a digital SLR and he agrees, laughed a bit about the tripod, said something about it being just as valuable in an earthquake. All kidding aside, I got some shots of lava by walking up to it. If you have a day in Hilo rent a car and drive to the base of the volcano (chain of craters road?) It took me about an hour to walk from the last parking spot before the lava wiped out the road to the place where red hot lava was slowly flowing. Hot, but interesting. I didn't take enough time to get anything that was fantastic but my friends are amazed that you can get as close as the photos prove.

 

SS Independence, American Hawaii Cruises

and others

Cruzmann

[sillylizzie]

Not being sure of the answer to this one, someone over at http://www.trekearth.com or http://www.treklens.com might know. There are some amazing photographers over there who might have some tricks that would result in some photos of a lifetime.

[mountainhouse]

I had no luck last year. Even though the waters may seem very calm, the exposure times required are simply too long, and there's too much movement. Sorry I don't have better news. I'd agreed the only way to catch any good photos is to drive over there while in Hilo. Be VERY CAREFUL to read all Park Service warnings about lava. Good shooting.

[dcp81]

Thank you for your replies. They weren't quite what I was hoping to hear, but pretty much what I expected. I'll keep looking and if I find any other possible solutions, I will post them.