Hout Bay

It’s been a little while since I posted a South Africa photo.  And as you all know, I loved that trip.  Anyway, here’s a panorama photo looking over Hout Bay towards Harbour Heights on Cape Peninsula in the Western Cape region of the country…..  Just beautiful.  In case you didn’t know, this is in the Southwestern corner on the country on the Atlantic Ocean side of the continent.

To view a larger version, click HERE

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Sedona Sunset

I’m going to be busy over the next week or so.  I don’t know if I’ll have time to post any photos this week or not.  I’ll do my best to post via my normal schedule…but no promises.  For now, you can enjoy this panorama photo I took while we were in Sedona Arizona.  We (Kris, Scott, MJ and I) all went up to the Sedona airport to get up on the hill top for this view.  It’s not a secret spot…there were hundreds of people up there doing the same thing.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Don’t forget to check out my photo galleries.  I update and add to them often.

Machu Picchu Pano

Tonight’s photo post if from Machu Picchu again.  I’ve been working my way through our Peru trip.  I’ve been processing lots of photos from this trip.  And I have to say, the photos remind me of what a great trip it really was.  I know my dad enjoyed it as well.  Anyway, here is Machu Picchu again.

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Pittsburgh North Shore Panorama

Today I have a panoramic picture for you from the North Shore of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.  If you haven’t been to Pittsburgh, the downtown area is beautiful, safe, and very photogenic. 

I took this photo when Michael (from Sacramento CA) was here for a photo walk with me.  We covered a bunch of the city from mid afternoon to very late that night.  It was fun catching up with him and it resulted in some great photos as well.  This panorama is made up of 25 exposures.

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Seattle At Dawn

Here is a 25-exposure panorama of Seattle At Dawn.  I went to this spot the night before and took some pictures after dark.  I liked it so much, I returned the very next morning before sunrise to get this picture. 

To see the nighttime version click here: http://brook-ward.com/blog/2014/11/24/seattle-panorama

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Barbados' Parliament Building

These buildings were originally known as The Public Buildings and have been the home of Barbados’ Parliament since they were finished in 1874.  They are created in the theneo-Gothic architectural style that is similar to the Victorian era of Great Britain, which makes sense based on their historical tie to England.  The site is in the downtown area of Bridgetown and is designated as UNESCO protected properties.

This was about a 15-minute drive from our hotel because of lights and traffic, but only a 25-minute walk.  MJ and I had lunch at a nice little restaurant downtown (Tim’s) with the locals, it wasn’t a tourist place, and then explored the downtown area.  It was during this time, that I captured the 10 exposures needed to create this panorama of The Parliament Building.

Seattle Panorama

I got so many great photos while I was in Seattle.  More importantly, I had some wonderful experiences.  The only negative was that my time was limited. 

At the end of my first day (after dark), I went to Harbor Avenue in West Seattle to get some photos of the city skyline across Puget Sound.  If I had all the time I wanted, I would have visited this site at sunset, but I couldn’t be everywhere at the same time.  So I had to prioritize my locations and make some choices.  That meant I got to West Seattle after sunset and the next day at sunrise.  Maybe next time, I’ll get there at sunset.  Anyway, this is a great spot to view the entire city skyline and just relax on a park bench or put your toes in the sand. 

This panorama is made from 25 different exposures blended together.  As you can probably guess, it took some time to process.  But I think the effort was worth it.  What do you think?

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Ohio Theater Panorama

Here is another photo from inside the Ohio Theater.  We got a special tour of this spot when we visited Columbus Ohio last month.  You care read more about that weekend and this building here:  http://brook-ward.com/blog/2014/8/4/ohio-theater

This special panorama photo is an HDR image made up of 20 exposures merged together to give you an entire view of the theater from side to side.

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Secrets Silver Sands Resort Pool Area Panorama

I know, I know….. This picture isn’t a perfectly put together panorama photograph.  It has some technical errors, but I just love it anyway.  This picture is made from 21 exposures blended together to create this HDR Pano. 

The sky was amazing, the facility is cool and I had the area to myself.   I hope you enjoy it.

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Morning Panorama of Djúpivogur Iceland

On our 3rd day in Iceland, we spend the night at Hótel Framtíð in the village of Djúpivogur.  It started as an old house that was built in 1904 and they have added onto it over time.  It sits on the harbor of this very small fishing village.  It wasn’t the most luxurious hotel in the world, but it was clean and had the basics.  When we got up the next morning, I took this photo of the village, fjord and mountains in the background.  It was beautiful and my picture doesn’t do it justice.

To purchase a print or view the entire gallery, please click the photo above. 

Pittsburgh Panorama

As you know last weekend, we went to the National Aviary on the North Shore of Pittsburgh.  It is well worth a visit.  Anyway, between going to the Aviary and hitting a Speakeasy that night, I took a few photos. 

Here is a panorama from the north shore looking back at downtown Pittsburgh.  I’ve taken pictures from this spot many times.  It is a great location. 

Photo Technique:

Multiple HDR images are merged together to create this panorama.  I used a tripod, with my camera in vertical orientation.  I shot 5 sets of brackets (each bracket set included 7 exposures for a total of 35 images).  After shooting each set of brackets, I moved the camera to the right making sure part of my photo over lapped the previous spots.  By over lapping them, I can effectively merge them together later. 

After I download the images, I created the 5 HDR images (each one using 7 exposures) using Photomatix Pro.  The key here is to not change any of the settings so all five HDR images are processed the same.  Once I got that done, I used the Photoshop Automate Photomerge feature to put them all together for one panorama picture.  I finished by cropping and some minor editing.  

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