Critique Welcomed Daybreak in the Desert

[Chris Dodkin]

Taking a leaf out of Lesley's book, we were up at 4:30am this morning, and on the road by 5am, heading East.

As the sun came up, it climbed through an outer band from Tropical Storm Ileana - coming up from Mexico.

We pulled off the road at an overpass to gain some elevation, and had a ten minute window of light to shoot with, before the sun broke through again.

I used the X-Pro1 Panoramic mode, with the 18mm Lens, and set the exposure for the brighter part of the shot before starting the left-right pan.

The shot is in camera JPEG, with Fuji's Velvia film simulation.

If you click and open the image in a new window you'll see a larger version - or you can check it out on FLICKR.

All sizes | Daybreak in the Desert | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

 

[Pete Askew]

Now that was worth getting up for. Impressive indeed and wonderful colours.

I'm quite intrigued by these in-camera, stitched panoramas. I'd never had a camera that could do them (and, as you know, I'm not often seen shooting panoramas anyway!) until the Sony RX100 - and I've only done one of the living to try it out! As with the desert panorama you posted, there is some patterning in the sky at the top of the image that looks like it has come from the stitching. Was this because the clouds were moving or maybe it is to do with the field of view of the 18mm lens (or maybe it is real 'mackerel' clouds). And the red on top of the posts and the flowers and at the edges of the far trees. These are not criticisms, as I said I'm intrigued, and impressed, by this technology and curious about what it delivers.

 

[Rob MacKillop]

Pete: "I've only done one of the living to try it out!" - you plan use it on the dead? Or the Undead?!

Oh, how I wish I was there, Chris. Looks so beautiful.

 

[Brian Moore]

Nice Chris. I noticed in the earlier image--I think it was the B&W one that featured the Land Rover prominently--that there appeared to be a column of smoke rising from afar. Its in this image, too, just right of center. Something burning in the desert I suppose. (I hope you didn't crash your saucer!)

Lovely pano. I do love Velvia also.

 

[Chris Dodkin]

Thanks chaps

Pete - You can definitely get artifacts from the stitching - but I suspect you'd get a better final result using a tripod.

I hand held the shots yesterday, and that must introduce some up/down wiggle, as well as making a smooth L-R pan less likely.

I'll get the tripod out next time!

Brian - well spotted on the smoke - as we drove on, it appeared to be a large area of greenhouses on fire?? They were really going up, so no idea what was in them, or if it was being done on purpose. Probably someone's pot crop going up in smoke!

Agree with you on the Velvia - it's always a stunner

 

[Ralph Thornton]

Another good comp. I like how the curves in the clouds draw the eye toward the distant center of the image.