Sunset Panorama

Tried a little different approach and stitched together two frames

vertically to show more of the cloud formations. I'd really appreciate

if you'd tell me how this looks to you, what you like, what you might

do differently... and thanks very much for looking!

Stitching is an excellent (though challenging) way to increase the mpxls and "width" of a photo without using a wider lens, and can certainly help create more realistic photos.

I know you are asking about whether the stitching works, but it must be evaluated as a photo first, technical challenge second. The sunset is pretty enough, and the exposure is right, but as a photo my first impression is that it lacks much that would immediately attract a viewer: just a pretty sunset with some silhouetted trees.

In this case there is a problem with composition. The 2 large blobs of shadows (the trees) are too equal in "weight", making the base of the photo feel too boring (no dynamic feel; would be improved by having a single tree considerably bigger than the other). And the power pole in the center doesn't help at all. In general, sunsets as a main subject require the support of either an interesting silhouetted skyline (which means the shape of the secondary subjects need to be interesting, and composed well); or else exposed so the foreground is visible (that gives much more room for interesting composition, but then becomes a challenge in exposure).

If you want to create this type of photo, I suggest the second method is better. To simulate reality (ie, what the eye/brain would actually see) it is often necessary to merge two separate exposures, to overcome the inadequacy of cameras.

Hope you find this helpful.

Cheers

Thank you very much. What you've written is exactly the kind of feedback that is helpful and instructive... just what I hope for. You've brought my attention to aspects of this (and similar) shots that I hadn't seen or considered. Interesting that what I initially thought of as symmetry you see as boring, and I can certainly see your point. I'm thinking that on this particular shot, it might become more interesting, and the phone pole and transformer might work better if I cropped some off the right, maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the width of the right tree. Certainly that wouldn't fix all that you've pointed out, but it might help it to be at least a bit more interesting... see what you think. And thank you for taking the time to give me a substantive and useful critique! Regards, David

I like this a lot, and I particularly enjoy your willingness to experiment and accept new ideas. I always learn something from the way you learn, if that makes sense. I don't mind symmetry a bit in a good shot, and the power pole and lines don't bother me at all. They have long been part of our true landscape, for better or worse, and simply cloning them out as if they're nothing but intrusions on otherwise virgin vistas hardly deals with that issue. I think you made the right choice.

 

(I'm taking the liberty of rating both versions at once. As usual, I don't understand the ratings for this shot. It's as fine a landscape as many that garner much higher numbers. But I should add that I don't think the rating system is "broken" as so many claim. I think it was just sort of meaningless -- even silly -- to begin with.)

 

Regards as always, Joe

I'm so glad you said what you did about the pole and transformer. Actually, for me this kind of scene, particularly the pole and transformer, has been part of the landscape forever... since early childhood years. But I certainly can see how it might well seem out of place to many. And I think I do understand what you're saying about learning. I think I learn much the same way. As for the ratings, I don't much care. I'm interested to see what they are, but I think it's really tough to compress my reactions and thoughts via two, somewhat vaguely defined parameters. Originality and Aesthetics are quite inadequate and too narrow to describe or rate the many important parameters of an image. And they are also entirely subjective and seem overall to be capricious. Warm regards, David

David, I don't have much to add here. But,

 

1. I don't mind the pole and wire. The seem intentionally placed and handled, which is good. I only think they are a problem when they feel intrusive.

 

2. I really, prefer your second crop. In the first image my eye gets bogged down mid-frame. The bright light just above the pole seems so well balance by the trees that the image become really static and doesn't have much rhythm or interest. In the re-crop, my eye flows up nicely and follows the curving cloud in the sky and the image feel so very much more dynamic.

Thanks for stopping by and for your thoughtful comments. I'm glad you like the re-crop better. I do, too, and doing it has helped me learn more about composition. The way you've described it helps even more. Thank you! Regards, David