I love creating panoramas. For me, it’s just plain fun.
BUT, it is challenging, and it does take planning. Just as you plan and visualize the finished photograph for a “regular” shot, you have to do so for a panorama. I add an extra twist, as most of my panoramas are also HDR images. For those who don’t know, HDR stands for high dynamic range. Think of the zone system. The eye can see a wide range of values (lights to darks), but the camera can only record a fraction of that range. By merging a series of bracketed images, one gains details in the highlights and shadows that might otherwise be lost.
My very first panorama was also an HDR image. Nothing like starting out with something simple. Arnie and I were out in Arizona on assignment, and I got up at 4:00 a.m. to climb one of the local hills. It was August, and it was HOT, even at that early hour. I could not face lugging my tripod up the steep slope, but when I reached the saddle, I regretted my decision.
There was the most gorgeous scene with what I call “ZOT light,” those rays of light that spread out, much as in a painting from the Hudson River School. Clearly, I needed to make a panorama. I’ve always been steady, having developed some pretty effective but definitely humorous stances. I took a chance. After all, in this digital age, if it doesn’t work, hey, nothing lost.
I planned where the beginning and end of my shot would be, then rotated, click-click-click, click-click-click …
“Ah well,” I thought to myself, “there was a lost opportunity for a great panorama. Bummer!”
When we returned home, and I had a chance to process the panorama, I was happily stunned to find out it actually worked …
Some of you will recognize it from one of my early blogs. With the extreme range of values, it had to be an HDR, so I had been doubly challenged in making my first panorama — being steady for both the HDR (best done on a tripod so all the outlines match up) and the rotating for the panorama.
I recently had a quick visit out to Colorado to see family and, of course, to photograph, hopefully with some panoramas. Some of the mountain vistas are perfect for them. As my daughter was putting my young grandson to bed, I removed the distraction of Granny being in the room, and went out for a couple of hours.
It has been an unusual year due to climate changes. Drought in the west has produced red dust that the winds have carried over the mountains, giving the snow contours a warm hue that complemented the late afternoon light on the russet “puckerbrush.”
I was reviewing my photographs early one morning, including the shot above, and thought, “Hmmm. This would make a great black and white!”
Into SilverEfex Pro I went, selected a standard nik preset, then tweaked it to my liking.
Same place, exact same scene, but a different view through different post-processing.
The Southwest has always been a feast for my eyes. I have made a number of panoramas there, one of which was the header at the top of the blog for quite some months. It was the first such one I made in this location, and again, an HDR image.
Every fall, we return, and the light and skies are always different. This means that you have to plan ahead to take in the different combination of elements to make the most effective shot. You’ll see subtleties in the cropping, because the exact cropping for the above photograph didn’t work for the light and skies in the one below.
Same place, for sure, but a completely different look.
It is a reminder that no matter how often we return to a spot, there will always be something different about it when you aim your camera in the same direction. And as always, don’t forget to look behind you. Don’t get so caught up in the current scene that you miss something in the other direction.
In all these cases, I did look behind, but there either was nothing, or it was the wrong time of day for my taste for that particular scene.
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Margo, love the panoramas in HDR; I note that SN will be in Maine and she too is eager to try a pano or two.
Have downloaded Lightroom 3 but not purchased yet. It seems to be much improved and is running much faster on my computer. By the time I see you in August I should have made the upgrade.
Trust that Europe was great.
George,
Glad you like them. We’ll work on panoramas in Maine with you and SN if you want. It is a process that requires careful attention. Right now, I am working on one from Tuscany!
Take care,
TBC
Loved this post Margo! I love the first-person accounts which add such flavor. HDR is on my To Do list, hasn’t even made it to my dipped-my-toes-in-the-water list, yet.
Thanks for posting.
Rick
When you try it, Rick, you will have a lot of fun. That said, HDR isn’t good for every shot unless you are into photo illustration, which I believe you are not. I often find that the “straight” shot is better than the HDR rendition. That, of course, is relative to the value/tonal range in the scene. If the eye can discern a greater tonal range than the camera can handle, then HDR is often a good solution. Thanks for your feedback.
Take care,
TBC
Margo:
Great images as usual. I am curious whether you have tried the pano in CS4 (and now CS5). I have found it to be almost flawless, so I was interested in your comment about being disappointed with CS. Also, when you do both the HDR and pano together, do you first process each image for its HDR characteristics before running it through the pano software? I am going to be getting the GigaPan EPIC Pro robotic camera mount shortly and it allows for multiple captures at each step, so I am curious about your workflow. See you in Yosemite this December. Maybe Les can be convinced to bring Emy, since my Kathy will be there, and have a long-overdue reunion. Dave
Dave,
Thanks for your comments. It was actually CS4 that was misbehaving. I wasted a day and a half trying to make it work on those Spain stitches. Arghhh! When I worked with Autopano Pro, there was not even a hiccup in the processing. I have just upgraded to CS5, so I’ll have to, at some point in my spare time 😉 , try those same “frames” with it and see what happens.
I also found that Autopano Pro was so much better about blending the skies, etc. I always shoot on manual, so it’s not a question of the camera trying to override me.
And finally, HDR first, then stitching, although I’ve done it successfully the other way, too.
So, new toy, eh? Autopano Pro will also allow you to do several tiers of images. Pretty cool stuff, if you check it out. Meanwhile, it’s either steady-Eddy or double-bubble for me, along with that program!
It would be great if Les and Emy came along. What fun that would be!
Take care,
TBC
Love the blog regarding HDR and panoramas! Your timing is perfect as I have been experimenting with HDR recently. Now, I need to add panorama to my HDR. I have been using Photomatix with the Lightroom plug in for the HDR’s….what software do you recommend for processing panoramas? Looking forward to Bryce/Zion in September…..I am having TBC withdrawals! Hugs!
Sherrie,
So glad you enjoyed the blog. I used to use Photoshop for my panos, but in Spain last year, it wasn’t reading the overlapping matches, yet I wasn’t doing anything different. I researched, tested and tried several, and I settled on Autopano Pro. It easily handled those stitches from Spain that CS botched up. I’ve used it ever since.
We look forward to seeing you again in Zion and Bryce. It will be a good group.
Hugs,
TBC
Margo, another great blog. And, of all things, I had just been thinking that I would like to try some panoramas on the Maine trip. Will look into the software you mentioned. See you in August! SN
Squirrel, I think you will not be disappointed with the programs! We look forward to seeing you again in Maine (you again, rather than you in Maine again!). Meanwhile, take care, TBC
These are all great shots. It tells the story of your heart-felt passion. Thank you for taking the time to show us we can take chances, and sometimes those chances turn out as great shots. As did the one of your first where you left your tripod, and decided to shoot the shot anyway.
Stan
Stan,
I am so happy that my passion for this shows. As we keep saying in our workshops, the greatest, technically-correct photograph is nothing without passion.
And you’re right. Always take a chance. Did you ever read my blog on Making “Mistakes”? It speaks to experimenting. No pictures, but many have found it a good read. Just look for Making “Mistakes” in the drop-down search box to the right of the blog.
Thanks for writing.
Take care,
TBC
Hi
Photos are wonderful!
Especially the ones from the G canyon. Never stops amazing me. Makes one feel very quiet.
Thanks
Regards
Piet
Piet,
Thank you for your kind comments. They are fun to do, albeit a lot of planning and work.
Actually, it is not in the Grand Canyon, rather in the Moab, Utah area. Most people think it is the former. Either way, there are some magnificent vistas!
Take care,
TBC
Great job with the HDR panos! Your title image is AMAZING.! I like it better than the B&W version. Miss you and Arnie!
Les,
So glad you liked it. My gut instinct said it was going to be a winner long before I saw any part of it on the computer. I liked the unusual and subtle colors of the snow, the point-counterpoint nature of the light, and the way the lines in the scene worked for me. You have a good eye, so I am honored that you like it so much!
Thanks!
We miss you, too. You and Em must join us on one of our trips. It’s been too long since we’ve seen you! Besides, I want to challenge you even more next time!
Take care,
TBC