Lenses used, in order of presentation in the above post:

1. Tamron 150-600mm (Canon mount) - Composite consists of 8 vertical images stitched together.
2. TSE-24mm Tilt Shift Lens (Canon mount), using the shift feature - 3 photos across/blending 15 exposures. Tilt/Shift lenses are wonderful creative tools and work beautifully for stitching wide angle images together.
3. Sigma Art 35mm f1.4 (Nikon mount) - Composite consists of 14 blended exposures.

I shoot sunrise/sunset images using a gimbal on my tripod. This allows for very precise horizontal and vertical movement of the camera while maintaining a level base. This greatly aids accurate stitching in post. To keep exposures consistent, I use manual exposure mode and manual white balance (otherwise exposures will vary greatly, making blending/stitching inaccurate). Also, take vertical shots whenever possible—this provides much more "room" for cropping later and avoids excessively long, skinny panos. Aim for at least 30% overlap between images to aid in stitching. I have better results with 35mm shots and above. Shooting with wider focal lengths adds a lot of distortion to images and can complicate stitching and/or just make strange-looking composites. The exception is with the Tilt/Shift lenses, which make wider focal length panoramas possible.

I always shoot in RAW format (far more dynamic range and editing ability) and use ACR/Photoshop to process in post. Stitching software is MUCH better than it used to be and I've had excellent results taking handheld panos in non-low light situations. For sunrises/sunsets your really need to be on a tripod for optimal results.

I've been doing this for a few years and tend to be a "learn by failing" photographer. Believe me, I have failed in epic fashion many times—but I've become better because of those experiences. I have a similar approach with acoustic guitar. :)

Hope this helps!

My trusty Martin case with nickname in Tippex going over the Forth Bridge, and said Martin and me at the Edinburgh folk club songwriting contest.

https://i.imgur.com/lgVfD66.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/DNfYb1k.jpg

[QUOTE=valleyguy;6284127]Speaking of pano, this is a shot I did with my iPhone. I took my LUMIX GX8 to Monument Valley and on the second day my normal lens froze, would not focus. Luckily, I had taken what I thought was enough pictures. But, right before we left there was a great set of clouds that came through, the iPhone was all I had to take this shot from our balcony on the View hotel.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5b13e5586f.jpg]

Thanks. Yes, I've taken a few panos myself similar to your procedure.

Ever do HDR panos? Those can come out pretty cool. There's a trick for those with RAW files. Just adjust all the photos to the same settings and change the stops by adjusting the exposure on each RAW by a couple EV and then save the JPGs separately. Then make a few separate panos at different exposures and then HDR blend them and adjust. Take a load of time, but I think they come out cool and different.

I mostly just take photos of my kids these days. Well, I did till just recently. I actually sold my camera to fund my Hummingbird a couple of months back. I may get another at some point, but I'm kinda 'off' photography at the moment

https://i.ibb.co/wyVxMc5/L1020515.jpg

Nice shot, Ralph!

Thanks! I used to run a photography studio so most of my portrait work was in studio, not natural light. But I've had enough photography to last me a good while. Taught me never to turn a hobby into a full-time job lol

These were character / concept shots for a science fiction film that was at the funding stage:

https://live.staticflickr.com/4577/2...5f37b297_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/4548/2...d68457fa_b.jpg

I almost always bracket my shots during sunrise/sunset shoots. The more recent versions of Adobe Camera Raw (or Lightroom) makes combining exposures far easier and more efficient than just a couple of years ago. The beauty of the newer versions is being able to combine the RAW files to create a RAW composite—thus preserving the maximum amount of non-destructive information for editing. My goal when blending exposures is to try my best to recreate what my eyes could see at the scene, but the camera (far inferior dynamic range than the human eye) is unable capture in a single exposure. Others use HDR to create surreal images, which can be very cool when done tastefully.

Very cool - thanks for sharing!

[QUOTE=valleyguy;6284133]What floor of the View were you on? I'm heading to Monument Valley at the end of September (along with other places in the area). Hope my Panasonic camera doesn't let me down! Back in the old film days I would always have 2 camera bodies and a selection of lenses with me. Now I get by with the Pan, my old Sony pocket digital and a phone.

Speaking of Utah, I cannot believe that people walk along the ridge over to "Angel's Landing." For me, not in a million years!

http://user.xmission.com/~dcc/zion1.jpg

Yeah, I personally would rather eat wasps.

Nice photo though :)

[QUOTE=MikeBmusic;6284486]We were on the second floor, but I really don't think it matters. All the views are amazing. Make sure you take a Navajo tour of the area, well worth it. The hotel itself is ok, food, not so good. Worth the drive to Goulding's for a better meal.

Our trip last September (perfect weather, by the way, warm) included, Zion, Moab, Arches, Monument Valley and Kanab/Page. There is much more I would have wanted to see, though. It's a photographers dream.

If you can swing it, stay at Red Cliff Lodge on the Colorado river, just east of Moab on 128, I highly recommend it. Even worth it just for the drive out there. Close drive to Arches and Moab.

That is 300 posts for this version of Share Your Photos. IV has begun and I look forward to more great photos.