Pano a day 3/8/11

I've got so many panos of the national parks and monuments I thought I would just post one a day until I run out or get tired of it. Enjoy

The new forum software seems to automatically resize large images (doesn't seem like a good idea for a photo site). Here is a link to the full size image.

George,

This is awesome! I will be in DV next week and you just got my juices flowing!!!!

James

Thanks James. With all the rain we've had this year in California, this could be a great wildflower year.

BTW: What's up with the image resizing. Seems like if the software is going to resize the image there should be some way to view the original image, like linking the resized image to the original.

Geo

Hey Geo,

Are you saying that the forum software is doing this?

James

I think so. When I look at the image in the post in Firefox and IE8, it appears to have been resized to fit in the post. If you follow my link to the image on one of my web pages it shows up as the full sized image. I know this used to be the way the image showed up in the old forum software.

Personally, for panos I like to see the full sized image and use the scroll bar to pan it. I think a pano resized down to post size loses its impact.

Let's see if it re-sizes this one.



Yep . . . it did.

Jim

Link to full size image of Blue Mesa pano

Hey Geo,

That's cool! I am not sure why the software is resizing the files. I am looking at the parameters and getting bubkus.

Cheers
James

Here is the link to the full sized image

Hey George - This is great - probably my favorite of the panos so far (though I really like the Zabrisky Point one as well). I have also been hit by the pano bug - but I have no where near the number you have.

James

Hey Geo,

Any idea why your images are not coming up when I post them on our Facebook page?

James

Don't have a clue. How are you posting them?

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Another place I need to go!!! I was just talking about Chaco yesterday with my pop.

Very nicely done - and keep'em coming!

James

Great place to visit. I highly recommend it. FYI The only place to stay out there is the campground.

Link to full sized image

The Canyon de Chelly is my favorite with Chaco as a close second. Canyonland areas are just *begging* to be photographed and the panos are one way to attempt to do them justice. They are landscape sculptures and literally here, a snapshot of the passage of time with the many many exposed geological layers.

Diana

Diana,

As a Chaco and Canyon de Chelly lover you might like these two links
http://www.lamsonweb.com/Galleries/Panomania/index-canyondechelly.htm
http://www.lamsonweb.com/Galleries/Panomania/index-chacocanyon.htm

and the 360 panos of these locations at this one
http://www.lamsonweb.com/Galleries/Panomania/index-360panos.htm

Oh, Panomania is right! I especially like the Antelope House overlook. I actually have not been to either of these places, although Chaco has been on my list for years.

When I lived in Colorado, a good friend introduced my sons and I to Arches, and we camped there several times when I was on breaks from college. One year, as soon as I was done with my last final, my sons and I packed up our little trailer and drove up to the Wind River Range in Wyoming where a couple uncles lived and camped and fished, then drove down through Flaming Gorge (happened to be driving down into it right at sunset, WOW!), then to Dinosaur for a few days then on to Arches. My sons were little but we used to climb up on the fins and more than once they got into trouble climbing up the side of some rock they couldn't get down from.

All of my photos from there are pre-digital camera and have been meaning to dig them out and scan some.

Great images George which bring back great memories for me. Which I guess is the beauty of what we do as photographers.
Diana

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Hey Geo,

These are great. I was at Zabriskie yesterday and was inspired by your pano. Hopeully when I get back and out it together, it will look 1/2 as good!

James

PS Love tthe two new panos!

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Love the Bryce Canyon pano! I was there in October (a year ago) and wish I had thought to do this. BTW, was at Zabriskie the other day and attempted a pano. Will see what it looks like when I get home next week!

James

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image
Link to 360 viewer

Link to full sized image

Hey Geo,

Thwnks for keeping these up!

Jamss

Link to full sized image

Full size link didn't work for me in this last one.

Diana,

Not sure what the problem is. The url is working for me and is the same as it has been for all the others. I wonder if anyone else is having this problem?

Link to full sized image

Technically Mono Lake is a national scenic area and not a national park, but I think it's close enough.

Link to full sized image

George,

This is absolutely beautiful. Most shots of Mono Lake I see are done with the foreground in silhouette. I think that shooting this in full light adds a lot to the image. ...Just beautiful!

James

Thanks James. This is one of my favorites. I have a 4ft print of this hanging in our great room at our cabin.

Geo

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

The scene of the Tetons, I feel like I know like the back of my hand. I definitely need to get out to monument valley though at some point. It just looks amazing. May I ask how big a park it is, and how long it takes to explore?

Thanks,
James

James,

Here is a map of Monument Valley. Other than the Mitten Buttes, the drive out to the desert view area is the main attraction at the park. It is really a spectacular area.

Link to Google Map of the area.

That's awesome, George! Thanks!!

James

Didn't know if I was going to make it today. We having a series of monster storms up here on the summit, with 8 feet of new snow in the last 3 days.
This morning I woke up at 5 am to the flashing and popping of electrical devices due to a large power surge.
Lost our microwave and the controller for our furnace (we're back using our wood stove as a backup).
I'm doing this post on generator power.

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

James:

I'm not George, but since it is in my backyard, so to speak, I thought I'd provide a brief reply to your query about Monument Valley.

A trip to Monument Valley could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Monument Valley is a Navajo Nation Tribal Park and, while there is a 17 mile (unpaved) loop road through the park that provides numerous pull-outs & locations for photography, the remainder of the park is off-limits to tourists except when accompanied by an approved Native American Guide.

This makes sense to me since it is home to many people who live there and work the land. In addition, many locations are sacred and trespassing for any reason would be inappropriate.

The park road is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Times vary with the season, but I do not think the hours would allow you to take advantage of the best light. Cost to drive the loop road was $5.00 last time I was there.

If you want to get off the loop road (highly recommended) there are a large number of guides and tours available ranging from 1 1/2 hrs to half & all day tours, as well as sunrise and sunset tours. There are also several guides who specialize in Photography Tours. My recommendation is to go with one of the specialized photography guides who are familiar with your needs, know when and where to find the best light, etc.

I have promised myself that on my next trip to Monument Valley I am going to do the Hunt's Mesa overnight photography tour.


http://www.navajonationparks.org/index.htm

Jim

Link to full sized image
Link to 360 viewer

Hey George,

This pano is a bit overwhelming for me in its size - it is really quite impressive. It did not occur to me to try a pano on the dunes!

James

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Both of these are really spectacular!!! The one of Glacier is really nice - particularly when you open up the larger file. The Cliff Dwelling is also really nice and fits the smaller UBB viewing plane nicely.

James

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

These are both cool. I did not comment on the one from yesterday, and I particularly liked that one a lot. I wish that I could get your images to show on the FB page. I think that the html page that you are running them on (vs a jpeg images) is causing the problem.

James

James,

Getting the url for the image is fairly straight forward. If you are using IE as your browser go to the full sized image and right click on it. Select Properties and the url for the image will be listed and can be copy and pasted. If you are using Firefox just right click on the full image and select "Copy image location" and paste the link where you want it.

Let me know if you are still having problems.

Link to full sized image
Link to 360 viewer

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Thanks for sharing! Chaco Canyon is on my short list of places I would like to go (after Churchill Canada, Glacier and Monument Valley)!

James

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Sweet!!!

James

A little change of pace today. A vertical pano.
Link to full sized image

Oooh...vertical pano! Nicely done, George.

James

Link to full sized image

Hey Geoge,

This is very nice. Those are petroglyphs below, yes?

James

Yes those are petroglyphs. There is a closer look below. You can view more rock art at this gallery

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is one of my favorite places in Yellowstone. I did a vertical pano of it some years ago that I rather liked. Did you take this up by the observation area or down to the left?

Cheers
James

I'm pretty sure this one was out at Artist's Point.

Speaking of vertical panos, you might like tomorrow's image.

Another vertical pano.
Link to full sized image

You were absolutely right. I love it...completely sweet!

James

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Really beautiful. IMO, one of the best ones yet!!

James

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image
Link to 360 viewer

Gorgous! So beautiful!

Agreed. It is really quite beautiful. We went to Badwater this year and there was nothing out there - a bit of a disappointment (i.e. no salt flats). Having said that, it is still a remarkable place.

James

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Thanks for sharing, as usual! I am honestly amazed at the number of panos that you have in the system. Very impressive.

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Beautiful! I don't recall your going to Botswana. When were this taken?

James

Went last September with Thom Hogan.

Curiously, how was the workshop with Thom?

James

Link to full sized image

Hey George,

Quite nice!

James

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Hey George!!

I did not see the one from Carlsbad Cavern yesterday. Honestly, I thought you missed a day!!! Very nice.

James

Link to full sized image
Link to 360 viewer

Hey George,

The big monument in the center left - is that supposed to be cut off at the top?

James

These 360 panos can be a little tricky sometimes especially with things at variable distances in the shot. Unfortunately this one didn't quite catch the top of the rock.

Today's pano is a bit of a cheat because it really is just a portion of yesterday's 360 pano of Monument Valley.
This posting is really a response to James comment about cutting off the top of a rock monument as a result of producing a complete 360 pano.
This image shows the complete prominence.

Link to full sized image

Link to full sized image

Cool George,

I like them both a lot. i particularly like the different wildlife shots you have posted as panos. I don't tyypically think of doing them and I really like them a lot.

James

Yes I like using the panorama format for group shots of wildlife. It makes for much more interesting image. Here is the much less dramatic 3:2 image of the elephant herd.

Hey George,

So are these cropped, or are they multiple shots that have been stitched together?

Thanks
James

All of the landscape panos I do are stitched together from multiple panned shots. For wildlife shots it is usually pretty difficult to get multiple shots to stitch smoothly because of movement of the subject. In addition to stitching multiple images together, I consider a "pano" to be a format choice for an individual image that gives a much longer horizontal width than vertical height, like the one today.

Geo

All things come to an end. I'm off on a short trip for a few days and this seems like a good time to bring this thread to an end. Thank you to
everyone who viewed my work and for all the feedback. I thought I would end this where I started, Zabriske Pt in Death Valley.

Link to full sized image

George,

That's spectacular!! Did you drop the moon in?

James

As anybody knows that tries to do these types of moon shots, the moon is usually so much brighter than the landscape at night, it always washes out when you expose for the landscape. For these types of shots I do what I call a moon specific HDR. I shoot the same shot first exposing for the night time landscape and then another exposure for the moon. To tell the truth, I do usually zoom in for the moon shot just because in a wide format like a pano the moon is just too small. At processing I specifically drop the moon in over the washed out moon. I think this works well because there is always a little bit of aurora around the moon and if you just drop a moon in it looks fake without the aurora. The mistake I think people often make is to drop in a perfectly exposed moon which just looks phony to me. I drop in an overexposed moon that retains just enough detail.

BTW - There is one very special time when there is a full moon when moonset and sunrise occur almost simultaneous. This is truly a magic window in which the moon and landscape can be very close in light levels. I was hoping for that when I took this image, but unfortunately the two events missed each other by 20 minutes and I had to resort some HDR compensation.

No problem. george. I thpught I would ask. . Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for putting together this series. It has been a lot of fun, and in mzny cases, very educational for me.

James

I like it's all!