Panorama City Scape - Learning exercise

[Brownbear]

Hi Grahame,

Thank you. And also thank you for sharing. Yes, I should've used a larger aperture for IQ (the view is across a large expanse of ocean) but I really wanted the stars. Nevertheless I will try both next time around, or one set one night and the next set the following night to allow for more time.

PS Thank you for sharing your panorama. Reading about your experience was very helpful.

Hi Christna,

Good to see this exercise and the results show it went very well.

The 'stars' on the lights is an interesting one and I can understand why you chose a smaller aperture to try and get them. I photographed the building front of a new hotel the other morning pre sunrise and noted that I got the star effect on certain lights at f/11 but not in the shots taken at f/22, absolutely no idea why.

With this type of shot of which IQ with respect to sharpness plays quite a significant factor should the priority be to use the sharpest aperture of the lens coinciding with required DOF? On your next visit it may be worthwhile experimenting with different apertures to see the affect on the finished image if you have not already done this.

Look forward to the next series.

Grahame

[Rita]

Well done. You are getting good at these

[rpcrowe]

Very nice shots... All are nice but, I like the second shot with boats in the foreground best.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Rita & Richard,

Richard

I would like to ask if you could share anything you know about capturing the stars in your images. I see them in your images and I was under the impression that one simply uses a smaller aperture to capture them.

The boat shot which was not planned at all and not part of this series. I simply liked the colours and shared it because of the stars and of course it is a beautiful boat(Yacht Attessa) I'm also curious as to why you like that image best. Because of the foreground interest? If yes, then I will find another locale likely in the city with something nice in the foreground when I try this again. Unfortunately the dock that leads to the boat is closed to the public. Thank you for your time.

[Polar01]

Christina when I do panos usually 3 shots (23 the most), I check the level across the sweep to the shot, that is for me left to right to make sure that the camera stays level the whole sweep. Now I have a spirit level in the leveling base of my tripod along with one on the quick release clamp on the head. I use live view's digital level to make sure that it is perfectly level by rotating the camera on the tripod to make sure that it is level through the whole sweep of what I am shooting. If you only make sure it is level in the direction of the first shot, how to you know if it is level on a 360 deg. sweep. I usually check through 180 deg. of sweep.

Cheers: Allan

[Brownbear]

I thought that if I was on level ground and I made sure that my tripod was also level that the the landscape would be straight as it would follow the natural formation of the shoreline, cityscape, etc - throughout the entire scene.

The next time I head out anywhere I will bring along my tripod just to try this and practice. It sounds a little complicated. ie; if that 3rd image is not level than one needs to adjust their tripod on at that point, and possibly the next image, and so on.

I also have a level built into my tripod (circle with fluid in it) on the head but this time around I used the virtual horizon tool. I also see a circle with degree markings (0,45,90) located lower down on the tripod so I see that I am not as familiar with my tripod as I should be so I will look for a manual on line.

I would like to ask one more question for clarification....
If live views digital level (or the virtual horizon tool) doesn't match the spirit level which guide do you choose to use? Or do they all match if everything is set just right?

Thank you for your help. Truly appreciated.

Christina when I do panos usually 3 shots (23 the most), I check the level across the sweep to the shot, that is for me left to right to make sure that the camera stays level the whole sweep. Now I have a spirit level in the leveling base of my tripod along with one on the quick release clamp on the head. I use live view's digital level to make sure that it is perfectly level by rotating the camera on the tripod to make sure that it is level through the whole sweep of what I am shooting. If you only make sure it is level in the direction of the first shot, how to you know if it is level on a 360 deg. sweep. I usually check through 180 deg. of sweep.

Cheers: Allan

[Polar01]

Christina it is not complicated it is just a workflow that you do to take pans. I level for the middle shot, sweep left to see it the virtual horizon tool moves if not then sweep right to check if ok than shoot. It is almost impossible to get everything 100% level so do not worry about it, remember with the shots you did you got a whole lot of sky and foreground so you can crop it needed.
Now Christina I am adding a link to this thread of something I use, now you do not need this for what you do, myself I use it a lot as I shoot a lot of pans of landscapes and such, but no birds (which you excel at, Oh and bears too), this tool lets me adjust and level the tripod base very quickly with out having to adjust legs. It is not for everyone and not you at this time, maybe in the future who knows.
http://www.feisolcanada.com/?products=lb-7572

Cheers: Allan

[Brownbear]

Thank you Allan! Indeed, your method sounds simpler than what came to mind. Truly appreciated.

Also thank you for your kind words, and for the reference link. Yes, perhaps one day.

Christina it is not complicated it is just a workflow that you do to take pans. I level for the middle shot, sweep left to see it the virtual horizon tool moves if not then sweep right to check if ok than shoot. It is almost impossible to get everything 100% level so do not worry about it, remember with the shots you did you got a whole lot of sky and foreground so you can crop it needed.
Now Christina I am adding a link to this thread of something I use, now you do not need this for what you do, myself I use it a lot as a shoot a lot of pans of landscaper and such, but no birds (which you excel at, Oh and bears too), this tool lets me adjust and level the tripod base very quickly with out having to adjust legs. It is not for everyone and not you at this time, maybe in the future who knows.
http://www.feisolcanada.com/?products=lb-7572

Cheers: Allan

[Cantab]

Christina, congratulations in particular on the first photo! It's a real success.

[Brownbear]

Thank you Bruce. Truly appreciated!

Christina, congratulations in particular on the first photo! It's a real success.

[ied]

I know nothing about this kind of work but I can say they all look great to me.

Irene