I’d become convinced using a digital SLR would take a huge time commitment that I wasn’t willing to make. I no longer used my film SLR in favor of point and shoots and couldn’t see making the leap from those to a new fangled “real” camera. In truth, I was able to get over my phobia of dSLRs with a few simple steps.
Our first ever kayaking adventure, in the Kenai Fjords of Alaska, was a fantastic success despite abandoning our normally cautious approach to new sports. Instead of working our way in gradually from lessons, training and short trips up to a real adventure, we dove straight into a four-day wilderness adventure and didn’t regret it. Taking the risk paid off by giving us unique access to remote wilderness and close encounters with bears, seals, whales and calving glaciers.
By keeping in mind a few simple techniques, you can capture scenes for later stitching into striking panoramas. I have generated a list of tips, and then tested them to show which factors are most important.
If you are impressed by the idea of taking an occasional panorama, say from the top of a mountain, but don’t want to buy anything new, or even put much effort into learning new software, there is hope. What you are looking for is an automated stitching program. Combined with handheld techniques, you can expand your horizons, generating beautiful images.
A friend turned me on to an easy technique to simulate the extreme low depth of field generated in close up photography. Coupled with some sharpening and color tweaks, I made my home town look like a cute model version of itself.
Methods, practices and secrets: Passing on our expertise.
