How to Photograph a UFO

I'm finding more and more recently that people are starting to own affordable DSLR cameras. By DSLR I mean digital cameras on which you can manually control ISO/Shutter Speed, Focus, etc. In fact, they're becoming smaller and more practical to carry around every year, to the point where it will be common place to have one on you most of the time, perhaps even built in to your phone. The problem is, most people have no idea how to use them. They just turn on the Auto function and click away.

For you future, or current consideration, here's the proper way to take a picture of a UFO.

Your camera needs to be adjusted manually. I don't care how smart the Auto feature is, it's most likely not going to work right.

1) If it's a bright UFO, always shoot LOW! That means an ISO of 100, or whatever the lowest number your camera can do is, this is going to give you the cleanest possible picture that your camera can produce. Conversely, if the UFO is more dim, shoot with a higher ISO value.

2) Use a low enough Aperture setting. That means that your "F-Stop" should be low enough as to not let too much light in. F6 or F8 might work, depending on how bright it is.

3) Shutter Speed should be set depending on how fast the object is moving. If it's going quickly across the sky, you'll need a FAST shutter speed. 1/125 would be a good example. But remember, if you make your shutter snap very quick pictures, you may need to compensate by allowing your Aperture settings to take in more light.



Good Luck!

I would personally like a close up picture of a UFO or alien, these lights in the distance don't do it for me really.

reply to post by Alphacore


Hello, could you please post some your UFO pics?

You forgot the part where you throw away the DSLR, grab your flip-phone from 2001 with its 320x240 resolution camera and shake your arm around wildly while pressing the shutter button.

Voila, instant proof.

Should I wait for the camera, coming out after the end of 2011, where you can adjust the focus, after you have taken the picture with the camera; possibly on your computer?


Thanks,

Erno86

I might just have an older camera that doesn't have any of these features, but I have no idea what any of the words you said mean.

I'm not sure a 1/125th of a shutter speed would be enough for a fast moving UFO. If I pan with my girls on their bike with the same shutter speed I can blur the back ground. At very least double the mm you are shooting on, ie. 200mm = 1/400th second, if you can go higher do so. I would recommend anything over 1/250th to 1/500th.

You cannot give a good camera lesson in a couple paragraphs, especially when your describing daylight and nighttime photography, there are too many variables and if they are not efficient with camera settings they have the chance of missing the object they want to photograph.

Best bet for a person who isn't up on photography is to get a damn tripod. I have a CF quick release manfroto, I can slap my camera in it in less than a second, and if you want to recommend setting without confusing people, put it in your 'P' mode, it will keep away from firing a flash when shooting at night, which is completely useless.

If there are enough people I could possible do a thread on precise settings for certain situations...but it is a lot to comprehend if you know nothing about photography.

Pred...

Not only that, but just imagine someone who knows nothing about these settings...

A UFO hovers over their house.. they run in and get their sapnking new DSLR. UFO is still there, and then they start fumbling the settings. OMG what was this guy saying.. crap! Set this.. play with that.. ISO goes up to 1800.. shutter stays open to long and they have shaky hands...

WHAM!! By that time the UFO is gone