Wildflower field panoramic
I spent the morning at this location yesterday where there is an abundance of wildflowers growing along a roadside. I have photographed here before for the past several years. It is always a question that comes up I open my pack – “what lens am I going to use?” In this spot I think there is no optimal choice or wrong choice. There are so many options here it can actually facilitate indecision. I think back on images I have already made, and what new ideas I could explore.
In past years, I was working against the light time clock. On a clear summer day, this area becomes quite harsh and contrasty quite early in the morning. That seems to limit the options. Clouds ruled the sky yesterday, so the next limiting factor became wind. Fortunately, it was dead still before sunrise and remained pretty calm for a few hours.
This allowed me to play with a lot of different options here. I did macro, intimate landscapes, wide landscapes, some HDR, multiple exposures, and also tried my hand at this stitched panoramic. The entire area is so beautiful, it can be hard to portray it in a single frame. I am still relatively new to stitching, but Photoshop CS5 certainly made it quite easy. I selected the series of shots from Lightroom, one right click to say Edit in>Merge to Panorama in Photoshop, and away it goes to work. This resulted in a 11151 x 4079 pixel file with no detectable seams. Thank you technology.
It seems like such a sin to reduce it to a large thumbnail, or even a 1400 px wide JPEG for viewing here, but I think it communicates what the sprawling meadow was like. One option finished. On to edit the others…
Amber, Ove, thank you for stopping by and leaving comments. Sorry for the late acknowledgement, I have been a bit unplugged for the past 2 weeks.
Yes, also ours have petals that stand out more. Of course, there are so many kinds I can’t answer for each and every one of those we grow in Sweden. But I have to tell I like those wild ones a lot more, the sloping petals gives them a sensitive appearance I’m a bit weak for.
I just love panoramas, makes them a lot myself. It’s something with those cinematic formats.
About the motif per se, I have never seen those Echinacea in wild. They are among my personal favorites in my own garden, but I have to say, they look so much better in wild. My god what a beautiful view you have captured here.
Ove, we also have them in our garden. The domestic ones are a bit different than the wild ones around here. The domestics seem to have thicker petals and stand out horizontally more. Is that the same with yours?
Ahhhh wildflowers!! The pano is absolutely gorgeous.
This photograph is pleasingly beautiful as well as inviting. I imagine people would want it on their wall to feel a sense of beauty and connection to nature.
Thank you David. I imagine it would have to be printed quite large to get an appreciation for the scene here. Maybe someday I will make a panoramic canvas out of it.
Wonderful image. Wouldn’t have thought of a pano for flowers, but it’s perfect!
Thank you very much Joolz
The scale (pano) in this case certainly adds to the appeal — conveying the space of the wide open field of flowers. I like how the flowers themselves pop from the bright green background. You made wonderful choices for this image preserving the feel as well as the look. Have a good weekend, Mark!
Thanks Earl, you too!
Wonderful place, Mark, and I’m sure that whatever photos you have done all are great. This pano was good option also. I certainly know that feeling when you visit such a place and suddenly the race with time starts. You don’t know which lens use first, where to start, what everything include in the photo and what leave aso. Sometimes it’s really hard to decide.
Hi Tomas, thank you. Say, what is wrong with your blog? I have tried visiting and only get the general wordpress site?
This is a gorgeous shot, Mark, well suited for a panoramic. It’s a great feeling when everything comes together for a brief instant with a pay off as nice as this.
My first panos were from film slides that I had scanned (no digital camera at the time) and trying to manually align the scans. It was very frustrating.
I remember trying them back then also Ken. Yes, very difficult. Something always didn’t look quite right. Thanks for the comments.
This is wonderful Mark! Images like this from prairies with the wild flora that thrive there have always been among my most favorite and you’ve done them great justice here.
It is always such a treat to have mother nature cooperate in such places and allow more time to be spent in persuite of ones passion.
Panos are also a newer endeavor for myself as well which I hope to expand upon. As with all your work this is very well seen, captured and processed.
Thank you Brad. Panos are definitely fun to work with, especially now that the tools make them a bit easier to do. I do wonder if I will ever fully utilize such a large file in print.
I always appreciate a cloudy morning!
The panorama certainly was an excellent choice yielding a beautiful image. (I will have to see this on my big screen). I am confident you made many more excellent ones. I am often confounded by too many choices. Usually, I only realize later that that is what sent me around in circles. I hope to get better at interrupting the confusion.
Interrupting the confusion is a good way to put it Anita. We all need those interruptions!
These are my weakness, fields of color. NIcely done, Mark, and now waiting for the others…. 🙂
They are like kryptonite eh? 🙂