Improving sunrise photography

[maloufn]

I'd suggest a number of things ...

1. Make it panoramic - scenes with long horizontal lines streatch well.

2. Kill the writing - it drags the eye to the edge of the frame rather than lets it flow through the image

3. Be careful with your colours / levels / sharpening

Dear Colin,

I didnt get a reply from you as to how you transformed this photo into a panorama on site I would be
greatful if you could help.

regards

Nasseem
you could help me out.

[Colin Southern]

Dear Colin,

I didnt get a reply from you as to how you transformed this photo into a panorama on site I would be
greatful if you could help.

regards

Nasseem
you could help me out.

Hi Nesseem,

My apologies - I meant to reply, but it's one of those things that "slipped through the cracks".

In terms of the panorama aspect ratio, I start by cropping as agressively as I can - many panoramic shots are wide angle by definition, and these often have excesses of sky and/or foreground anyway, so they're relatively easy to crop away. Regardless though - with what's left - it's a simple case of just resampling in Photoshop, with the constrain proportions option disabled; as a rule, images start to look panoramic at 2:1 - look very panoramic at 3:1 and 4:1 is about the limit in my experience.

Generally images that already have horzontal lines stretch fairly well - even those with people in them.

In terms of other enhancements, I gave it a quick tweak in ACR and a subtle sharpen - unfortunately, not a lot I can do with a low-res JPEG, but hopefully you got the idea I was trying to present.

[maloufn]

Hi Nesseem,

My apologies - I meant to reply, but it's one of those things that "slipped through the cracks".

In terms of the panorama aspect ratio, I start by cropping as agressively as I can - many panoramic shots are wide angle by definition, and these often have excesses of sky and/or foreground anyway, so they're relatively easy to crop away. Regardless though - with what's left - it's a simple case of just resampling in Photoshop, with the constrain proportions option disabled; as a rule, images start to look panoramic at 2:1 - look very panoramic at 3:1 and 4:1 is about the limit in my experience.

Generally images that already have horzontal lines stretch fairly well - even those with people in them.

In terms of other enhancements, I gave it a quick tweak in ACR and a subtle sharpen - unfortunately, not a lot I can do with a low-res JPEG, but hopefully you got the idea I was trying to present.

THank you so much Colin. I can understand the 2:1 or 3:1 ratio for panoramas now. Looking at your edit and comparing it to my original, it seems like you have not cropped but stretched the image to achieve the desired ratio! Am I wrong?

Regards

Nasseem

[Peter Ryan]

Just wondering Nasseem if you have found what you were looking for. The question was out there but I am not sure what it was that you were actually trying to find out.

[Colin Southern]

THank you so much Colin. I can understand the 2:1 or 3:1 ratio for panoramas now. Looking at your edit and comparing it to my original, it seems like you have not cropped but stretched the image to achieve the desired ratio! Am I wrong?

Regards

Nasseem

I can't remember - but I probably just stretched most of it.

[maloufn]

I can't remember - but I probably just stretched most of it.

Sorry Colin. What exact steps do you take to stretch a photo without cropping??

Regards

Nasseem

[maloufn]

Just wondering Nasseem if you have found what you were looking for. The question was out there but I am not sure what it was that you were actually trying to find out.

Hi Peter. Sorry I have not been back to you. I have been taking some portraits at our Clay Target Club of members and did a function the other day. I have not competed or looked at the site for a few days. I was just trying to know from Colin how he stretched my photo that he edited inthis thread. I didnt know you could do that and still dont know how. I have just asked Colin again as to the steps needed to stretch a photo without cropping.

Hope you are well.

Nasseem

[Peter Ryan]

Always well Nasseem, but my question was more about your original post not following up on Colin's stretching. What was it you were looking for originally?

[maloufn]

Always well Nasseem, but my question was more about your original post not following up on Colin's stretching. What was it you were looking for originally?

I just wanted some ideas on how to improve my sunrise shots.

Nasseem