My take

Hi! My first post here. This is a 5x1 pano, each section a three-shot +/- 3.0 EV HDR, compiled in Photomatix 3.0.2, default settings except higher light smoothing, stitched with Photoshop CS4 and processed further from there. I am happy with blue, the contrast, and the stitching, but I think I may still be a little short on detail. Maybe +/- 2.0 EV would have been better. Please let me know what you think!


(EDIT) took the photo down because after replacing it the original became unavailable

(EDIT 2) re-added photo here so it isn't buried (link is per Flickr community guidelines for using hosted photos):

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

From a purely technical standpoint: Well Done!

Aesthetically: you've got some heavy vingetting in the corners and the building at camera left is vanishing into the shadows. A little work to balance it a bit better and you've got a wall hanger!! Nice

I love it, absolutely love the depth of the blues, i agree just take care of that vignetting!

excellent job, well done. Oh welcome to POTN !

* runs and dumps dirt field tree line pano in trash bin

the left side of the photo needs some detail to balance it out. Its a great shot! I think that is what you might be missing. Maybe overlay a 0 exp shot on that side bump up the shadows and highlights in that area. Then erase back the remainder of it.

Thanks for the comments! I used curves to try to correct the vignette and dodge to lighten up the brick building on the left. Unfortunately the building isn't much to look at (uneven wear on the bricks), so I might have to get back in and do some serious processing to clean this up... I'm a little disappointed that the blues in the water and sky aren't coming out quite as brilliant in the JPEG as they seem to be in the PSD... Anyway the difference here is subtle but I think that's the point right?

2319 wrote in post #6752924
the left side of the photo needs some detail to balance it out. Its a great shot! I think that is what you might be missing. Maybe overlay a 0 exp shot on that side bump up the shadows and highlights in that area. Then erase back the remainder of it.

I will try that, but I am hesitant; in order to smooth out stitching lines I metered out somewhere in the middle (more sky than buildings) and took the neutral exposures all at f/4 1/500. So... like I said I'll see what I can do with it. Thanks so much for the suggestions!

Man I wish I had a photo like that for my 1st post.
Talk about an opening line. Beautiful shot, and great work! I dig the lesser detail on the left. I have no idea of the story of this city but the picture conveys one of the old past on the left and the shinny new high detail to the right. And mabey I am just crazy but looks good to me!

randy.wick wrote in post #6753066
Thanks for the comments! I used curves to try to correct the vignette and dodge to lighten up the brick building on the left. Unfortunately the building isn't much to look at (uneven wear on the bricks), so I might have to get back in and do some serious processing to clean this up... I'm a little disappointed that the blues in the water and sky aren't coming out quite as brilliant in the JPEG as they seem to be in the PSD... Anyway the difference here is subtle but I think that's the point right?

Did you shoot this AdobeRGB? If so, did you convert it to sRGB for the Web?

FlyingPhotog wrote in post #6753640
Did you shoot this AdobeRGB? If so, did you convert it to sRGB for the Web?

Wow! Wow, wow, wow! I had no idea what a difference this would make! I just replaced it again with sRGB version and my God it looks better! Thank you so much!

I put it up in the original message so the photo isn't halfway down the thread.

I would be tempted to open the +/- 3's and +/- 2's in ACR and change exposure so I had a full set of tif's from +/-4 and open those in Photomatix.

You should also go get the latest download, which is up to 3.1.1. Makes a big difference from the version you have now. The new version has noise reduction and CA reduction, and a few other tweeks that are real nice.

tb7379 wrote in post #6753136
Man I wish I had a photo like that for my 1st post.
Talk about an opening line. Beautiful shot, and great work! I dig the lesser detail on the left. I have no idea of the story of this city but the picture conveys one of the old past on the left and the shinny new high detail to the right. And mabey I am just crazy but looks good to me!

Thanks! To be fair I have been at it for a few months, just not on this forum, and I had my hands on a sick camera and lens for that shot (1Ds Mk II + 24-105mm f/4 L).

You know you make the rest of us first time posters look bad. Let me get at the back of the line again.

This is an Awesome Shot... Way Cool!

What’s even cooler... I’m totally getting Married in April at the Art Gallery "SmackMellon"
that is at this exact spot on the other side of the park. We are more then likely going to take wedding photos right there. Man I hope they come close to your Badass Pano.

What’s NOT cool... You can find all kinds of used needles/syringes at the same spot. Well I guess its cool if your into that kind of stuff, but for me... not so much.


For real Randy... Amazing Pano.

excellent job...
nice compo...beautiful colors and amazing PP work..

thanks for sharing..

Avi