I want to shoot more at night. And ride at night, especially in open rural landscapes under a full moon. I’ve thought about it for months and now it’s cold and windy. Making photographs that take a long time to expose when it’s cold just doesn’t sound inviting at the moment. Maybe because the wind is howling.
I made the above image to see how Photoshop would stitch together multiple exposures to build a panorama. Click the image to see it better. Depending on the size of your monitor you might have to scroll across it.
The cold weather is definitely here. A small section of Interstate 80 east of here was closed temporarily because of snow. Oh well, maybe I’ll make pictures in the daylight.
I’ve got a couple of questions about the photo in the post.
First off how many frames did photoshop stitch together? And, how did you compensate for the orange glow of the hp sodium lighting? In the camera or in the computer?
Great photo, Steve, though I too find it more and more difficult to embrace the cold (wind) as the years go by.
I love wandering around at night but because I’m not a photographer, and I’m not too fussy, to put it mildly, I find it easy, I let the camera and the gorilla pod do the work. Plus of course I work nights in a place that knows no frost. Except in real photographer’s pictures!
(ps: should I be worried when the word verification is “ricin”?)
I could never figure out how to use PS. I have experimented with a FREE program called “autostitch” (google it). it does everything automatically. All you have to do bring in all your photos in any order, the program knows how to figure it all out (landscape mode only)
I have been working with panoramas for many years and have dedicated film cameras that do pano only. (Noblex 150F, and also 4×5 w/super angulon, horizon 202, and a few russian ones, like FT-2)
doug c: Four frames were stitched together in Photoshop using the Photomerge feature in the tools menu. I use the “auto” function. Select the images and press “OK”. A few minutes later it’s done. It’s pretty amazing.
As far as the lighting correction it was done mostly in the camera.
conchscooter: Wandering at night is definitely more fun in warmer weather. But like riding in the cold if I dress for the wander I do fine. My problem is I have gotten so lazy of late…
bobskoot: Photoshop’s Photomerge feature appears to work much in the same manner of Autostitch. Once I tried it (with the help of Scott Kelby’s book “Photoshop CS3 for Digital Photographers”)I found it really simple to use.
I’ve never worked with any panorama cameras but have been eying the 35mm panorama adapter for my Mamiya 7. My friend Gordon uses one and it delivers some amazing results. When I was using 4×5 and 8×10 cameras I considered some adaptors to shoot panoramas but it just seemed too difficult. Photoshop has made it so damn easy though. My only challenge has been to figure out how to reliably get the Vespa in some other part of the frame. The way the software stitches things together I often find I only have half a scooter…
steve:
I also have a Mamiya 7 (1st issue) + 2 lenses 50+150, and have the 35mm Panorama adapter. It works very well with the 50. It is my favourite camera. (I also have a few Leicas, and Fuji GSW690). I would say that the GSW is sharper than the Mamiya 7 but as it is a fixed lens I don’t use it much.
As for the Panorama Adapter I find the the viewfinder lines are not marked that well. It would have been better if they provided etched lines.
I know what you mean about cutting your scooter in half, but have you tried to include the whole scooter in one frame, then shoot images on both sides, or skew it to the left or right as desired. If you use the “autostich” you may find that you will have a whole scooter
Really a well done panorama. All the multiple, different temperature light sources, plus great shadow detail. Thanks for sharing!
Joe E.