We are having a very hot 4th of July and beyond, so I'm sending a picture that cools me by looking at it! This was taken last year in early September when monsoon rains were just beginning.
This is a view from Comanche Peak at the eastern edge of the South Rim, Grand Canyon. I was lucky to visit with the NPS archaeologist and he had access to a jeep trail that got us most of the way to this point. Since I was not making a full 8-mile hike, I used my Olympus mirrorless camera on a tripod and took this view of approximately 9 miles of the Colorado River as it goes through the Grand Canyon.
Normally without a tripod, after a hot hike to this place, I was eager to test out taking panoramic shots to stitch together in LR when finished. This was taken in full sun, with the Zoom lens at around 35 mm for each shot (I took 5). ISO 200, f4, 1/250 seconds via remote trigger. I took a variety of shots to test different outcomes, and the one below was the one I was happiest with.
The 35mm gave lots of space for the final stitching. I was surprised at how seamless LR makes it. I read about using PhotoShop but am not as comfortable in PS as I am in LR, and it seems to me that it works for my purposes.
This round’s discussion is now closed! 8 comments posted
Lori Azevedo
Wow what an amazing opportunity to take photos. I'm sure every direction you turned was a photo op. Very well done. Posted: 07/17/2024 17:23:01
Carol Heffernan
How exciting to be able have this memory of taking a great panorama. I haven't tried stitching a pano in LR (or PS) but you are inspiring me to try. What a great shot. I would have liked to see more of the clouds - they gave a great feel, though a lot of shadow underneath. And maybe either more foreground (interesting bush on the right), or less to just give the vista. I know foreground is important, but this view is breathtaking. Posted: 07/17/2024 21:30:13
Zina Mirsky
I did have a lot more foreground, and clouds, until the stitching began. That's a natural consequence. So for a future effort, I think I could configure my shots better to focus more on sky, or more on foreground and that might make a better outcome. I will look forward to experimenting! Posted: 07/17/2024 21:35:57
Rick Taft
Zina,
Grand Canyon is truly spectacular, and it is a stitched panorama waiting to happen no matter where you look! In this case I like the way you composed it and I think you did a nice job capturing the sky and clouds. One observation is that your horizon line looks like it is curved a bit, as in showing the curvature of the earth. That may be an illusion because I see there is a bit of raised topography right under the clouds in the center of the frame. I'm not sure there is anything you can or should do about this...I mention it because it made a significant impression on me as I look at the shot. My second observation again may be a trick of the eye, but I have the impression that the middle ground of the image is not as sharp as it could be. Could that be a function of how LR did its stitching, since you said you took the original shots on your tripod? Or could it just be a trick of my eye?...Not sure. Posted: 07/17/2024 21:40:24
Zina Mirsky
I too wondered about the middle focus and can't really figure out why. In the selection of how the stitching is done, I chose the option that was "Auto Crop" rather than "Boundary Warp" thinking that the resulting image looked more natural. In that geographic area, with that vast view, you do normally get an upwarp that reflects the geologic formation of the Colorado Plateau. Posted: 07/17/2024 22:01:26
Alec Chester
Zina, You did a masterful job in putting together such a magnificent panorama. I thought it might benefit by some more "pop." Apropos of our discussion last week I developed it in Topaz Studio using their "Basic Correction" for your interest. Posted: 07/18/2024 20:51:29
Zina Mirsky
What an eye-full! WOW! Thanks again for the nudge toward Topaz Studio. I'll enjoy myself anew .../z Posted: 07/18/2024 21:27:36
Pauline Jaffe
What a lovely image. It's amazing how panoramas can give you a greater feeling for a space or situation or tell a better story. The sky and clouds in your image are so dynamic, I love it. I agree with Rick that your horizon line seems to be curved and if you were on a tripod and moving your camera straight across taking 5 images, you may not have had that issue. I love the vibrance that Topaz brought out in the image Alec showed above. Nice work! Posted: 07/28/2024 15:34:03
