"The Old Homestead"

I enjoy putting together stitched panos. Early on, I had some difficulty identifying potential comps for stitched panos. The camera needs to be level (someday I will have one of those expensive TS lenses, which will eliminate that requirement), so many potential comps end up as mostly sky. With experience, my eyes have been improving. I now know that you need to have a lower perspective. Scenes where the camera needs a forward tilt are generally ruled out unless the sky is enthralling enough to dominate the scene. A tremendous advantage to stitched panos is the increase in file size, which offers the potential of very large and sharp prints full of detail. This scene jumped right out and said "pano" me! Yes, this could get cropped on either side, but I like the extra space. It's difficult to see the strength of the image at web resolution, but printed and framed on a large scale (24" X 50" image opening, 32" X 60" with mats) would provide a scene that could consume your interest. Thanks for your thoughts and please utilize the Larger preview for best results!

Thanks for stopping by. The Larger preview is preferred!

very pleasant scene! good sharpness and lighting. maybe increase the contrast a little? and bluer sky?

This photo has a beautiful dreamy pastoral quality. I think the contrast, tone and lighting is perfect as is, and it contributes to the overall mood of the scene. An excellent composition, and beautifully executed. Well done. Would never have guessed it is a stitched pano.

Thanks John and Michael! John, I actually see what you are referring to. When a file this size is reduced to web value, it seems to lose it's richness and looks a little flat. At full resolution, I feel certain that the image has the same qualities as the original scene. Keep in mind, I am not a hardcore purist. If I feel the need to infuse additional contrast to make an image work, I will execute some measured adjustments. For this scene, however, I recall a hazier atmosphere with a very soft and light blue sky. In fact, Michael's reference to a dreamy look is a perfect description. Michael, as far as the invisible stitching, I can thank Photoshop CS3 for that. In fact, for this job, I did not use my L bracket to mount my camera on the tripod. As a result, the camera was not perfectly level and did not swivel on it's nodal point. Despite my haste, the stitch is still seamless. The only problem is I had to crop a fair amount of image because the verticals did not line up, so there was some wasted space along the top and bottom. Please note that the image works so much better when viewed Large and seems to have sufficient contrast!

Mark,  This is lovely just as it is and I can't see where you stitched it...looked hard too! I like the colors a bit softer just as they are presented, so many find it hard to resist the oversaturated and surreal editing. There is much detail for my eye to see as I enjoy my wander through this image.

I know what you mean about panos not representing as well as they could when resized to PN, I have never had one look as it does when I view it larger resolution on my monitor. As always it is a pleasure to look at your work, thanks for sharing.

All the best, Pamela

Mark... A wonderful testament to the beauty and resiliency of Nature.  The natural scene here is so fresh and new, and the farm is past it's glory and slowly being reclaimed.  Nostalgic, none the less, for the hardships and happiness that this old homestead may have had... As always, an impeccable presentation... Mike

 

 

Hey Pamela and Mike! Thanks for stopping by. What I haven't mentioned is that I have driven by this site several times and knew there was a picture here, but couldn't find the right angle. You see, there is also a newer barn to the right that has a brand new tin roof which kills the story. So I have moved on without attempting anything. If I could get in close, I could work up a comp without the new barn, but it is private property and while I may jump a fence from time to time for a better pic, I won't when buildings are involved. The last time through, however, I saw this angle with the large tree blocking the new barn. This view involves a zoomed telephoto, probably why the pano worked so well. If I lived in a perfect world, I would have less sky and more foreground. Wait a second! If I live in a perfect world, I would have the keys to the gate because this would be my property!

This is a treat for the eye, Mark. Wonderful clarity and a lovely colour palette. You're having fun with panos, eh? I can easily imagine how mind blowing details must be on a big print.

Paolo