I noticed an interesting article in Sky and Telescope about how to image geosynchronous satellites and I plan to try it out.
Surrounded! This geosat diagram depicts the number of satellites in geosynchronous orbit in 2011. At this scale, the real satellites would be microscopic. About a dozen geosynchronous satellites go out of service each year. Defunct satellites, of which there are hundreds, are moved to a "graveyard" orbit 500–1,000 km above and out of the way of active satellites. Click the graphic to see a larger, readable version.
Image credit: Boeing
From my location at Latitude 34° South, according to the table provided in the text, it would seem that the geo-synchronous belt here will be located about +5° or 6° declination (North).
According to my SafariPlus app they are slightly further North than that, so I need to experiment. I'm going to give this a go using a 70-200 mm zoom lens on my Canon 60D, using a plain old tripod mount.
According to the author of the article, Bob King:
"Many geosynchronous satellites shine between magnitudes 10–12, so you can spot them in telescopes as small as 4 inches. They're also easy to photograph. High ISOs and fast, low light lenses aren't necessary, just a camera capable of a several-minute-long time exposure — long enough for the stars to trail, so you can easily tell them apart from the satellites. Set your shutter speed to "B" and ISO at 400. You can hold the shutter button down with your finger, but a shutter release cable is much better and vibration-free. Use a 100–200-mm telephoto lens, focus sharply, and expose for 2–4 minutes. When you enlarge the image, you'll should see long trails and a line of pinpoint dots — satellites!"
Geosynchronous satellites orbit at an altitude of approximately 35,786 km (22,236 miles) above Earth's equator. From this altitude, their orbital period matches Earth's rotation period and the satellites hover over the same spot.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons / PD