Topic: POW - Week 69: Vista

vis·ta noun an extensive or distant view
Synonyms lookout, outlook, perspective, prospect, scape
Related Words panorama, scene, sight, view; range, scope, survey


Guidelines:
1. Photo needs to go along with the subject in some way.
2. Use thumbnails for photos with any dimension larger than 450 px or over 40 kb.
3. Post as many as you want.
4. At the end of the week the person who chose the topic (me) will pick someone to choose the next topic. This isn't a "winner," just someone who gets to suggest the next topic.
5. No critiques (unless requested) this is just to share our photos.
6. No sigs.

(Edited by briggl on 03-29-2005 05:50)

clicky 1
clicky 2

edit: fixing UBB

(Edited by OlssonE on 03-29-2005 11:18)

Here are six examples

Yeeah; top photos :D

Colorado panorama
uhm, living room vista
everytown on a nice day

Link.

The three most recent were from last night.

Liverpool from the top of the Anglican Cathedral
Gosh, it's been a long while since I posted in this lovely part of the Asylum. My initial plan was to visit the Anglican Cathedral, take some shots of the stained glass windows, then go to the top and take a series of photos covering 360 degrees and stich them to-ge-th-er in PS.
Four words to remember buddies, preparation, preparation, preparation, preparation. I paid my photographers fees to the geezer who handles such stuff for the cathedral, took a dozen or so shots of the stained glass, none of which turned out very well (it's not just point and click I realised) I then asended the stairs and lifts. After paying another fee, got to the top and found that I had to take each photo through a narrow opening in the brickwork. This meant I had to tilt and angle the camera to cover as much of the vista as possible. Then guess what happened after I'd taken about eight or nine pics. Oh yes, flat batteries

So, acentuating the positive, I'm calling that a trial run. Next time I think I will need to find some way of ensuring that the distant horizon stays flat instead of the rounded one I was getting here. I think this must be achieved by keeping the camera level through all the shots.
OlssonE, those "lunar" photos can be tricky to get right can't they. That second clicky has a great atmosphere to it.
briggl, those photographs are awesome.
Jason, I can see I'm going to be pestering you via IM for some tips on stitching. Jacob (I think it is he in the Colorado panorama) looks like he's having a rare old time playing in the snow and grass. Why's that one called "burn area" btw?
cyoung, some gorgeous shots there. I've not tried taking photos of lightning before, but after seeing those I'm gonna. Guess you must need a "B" setting on the camera to capture those?

Tao, thanks. Yea, a bulb setting is a good thing to have. So is a cable release.

Normaly I don't go beyond about 20 seconds or so but this time I wanted to try balancing the ambient light with the lightning.. so I could silhouette the trees and get all that depth. By the time all was said and done I was shooting 4 minute exposures and using my rain poncho to protect my cam. Those were shot with a 24mm lens (x1.6 = 38mm) so it was actually closer than it appears. I got wet, my cam stayed dry.

The thing to remember with lightning is aperture, aperture, aperture.. usually a wide one, depending on how close and how bright. With lots of trial and error you'll start to get a feel for that part. Bring towels too.

LOL thanks cyoung. Sounds like you're not using a digital camera, at least not one like mine. My DC (Fuji S304) does not have a "B" setting (I didn't realise that meant "bulb"). Does not have a facility for a cable release, or long exposures. I'm starting to outgrow it actually but I still love it and use it all the time.
[update]While I was visiting the DPReview site I noticed this Photoshop CS2 released [/update]
[upadte2] Solar Eclipse on April 8th NASA news For those like me who love astrological wonderment [/update2]

(Edited by Tao on 04-04-2005 14:43)

quote:

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I can see I'm going to be pestering you via IM for some tips on stitching....Why's that one called "burn area" btw?

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I have a pano assist mode on my nikon coolpix 4500 that overlays the last panel you shot halfway onto the LCD preview at 50% opacity so it makes getting accurate pans very easy even when you don't have a tripod. When the successive shots are that spot on you can just toss it into something like http://www.arcsoft.com/en/products/panoramamaker/ and it's done for you for the most part.

burn area= area that had been burnt big fire on the mountain in the background at the leftmost side

cyound: that lightening stuff is beautiful

Really great stuff all 'round; especially love that lightning :D

speaking of panorama software, here's a neat java app (the viewer is free)

http://www.albatrossdesign.com/demo_panorama/index.html

I would not pay for standalone software though, it can be done easily in photoshop or any other image editor.

A week is up, so the person to choose the next topic is... Tao

(It was a toss-up between Tao and JKMabry, and the deciding factor was that JK had picked a topic more recently.)

Sorry for the delay, I've just got back from my meanderings. I'll post up a new topic in a few hours.