I don't know about weird, but I found it frustrating! I don't think I have the patience to do one involving a more complex subject. I'm reasonably sure I didn't take the right amount or orientation of images - of course, I read about this AFTER we'd been away. These shots were just an off-the-cuff idea at the time.
Hey, thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to try it. Out of interest, these shots were taken at 1:10pm, (virtually) in the middle of Australia. I thought maybe I needed the filter or the lighting may have been harsh?
Hey, thanks for the tip, I'll be sure to try it. Out of interest, these shots were taken at 1:10pm, (virtually) in the middle of Australia. I thought maybe I needed the filter or the lighting may have been harsh?
This would have been a good time to use a graduated neutral-density filter rather than the polarizer. It will darken the skies while leaving the landscape unchanged. The only problem is that you have to keep the boundary on the horizon line, and with some filters (screw-on type) this restricts your composition in the vertical dimension.
With some stitching software you can make more than one horizontal pass, allowing you to make the image taller and avoid the centered horizon issue; this also lets you use a longer focal length to capture more detail and reduce distortion. I use the free demo version of AutoStitch. You can see some examples I've done with it in this gallery.
Other than the polarizer issue, you've done a really good job, especially for a 360°+ view!
This would have been a good time to use a graduated neutral-density filter rather than the polarizer. It will darken the skies while leaving the landscape unchanged. The only problem is that you have to keep the boundary on the horizon line, and with some filters (screw-on type) this restricts your composition in the vertical dimension.
I think Paul's advise regarding grad ND vs. polarizer is spot on. I'd add that if you shoot RAW and are careful with exposure, you can do two conversion per file and get the results you are after. You re-combine them in post with a soft gradient blend, and you can put the line anywhere you need it; it need not even be straight. Much more flexible than a "hardware" grad ND filter.
Originally posted by GeneralE:
Other than the polarizer issue, you've done a really good job, especially for a 360°+ view!
