Picture of the week

Parkway Planet

A 360 degree spherical panorama of the American River Parkway as captured during a 24 hour cycle of the day.  This particular image required a considerable effort to produce, involving multiple shooting efforts and different times of the day and night.  To get the continuum correct, all exposures were captured from the same exact spot, marking it on the ground with a non-descript nail, and then using a plumb bob from my tripod to properly position the camera. In each case, the same camera body, lens, focal length, and focus settings were applied.  Blending of the multiple exposures was achieved in Photoshop CS5, starting with a panoramic stitch of some smaller segments.  Some of these captures such as the fishing boat required a fair amount persistence over multiple visits before getting the desired subjects.  After achieving the results I was looking for with the different sections, I then blended them manually to create an entire 360 degree view, being careful to match the gradient and color in the sky.  The polar mapping capability in CS5 was then applied to transform the more conventional rectangular panorama into a spherical form.

This image is currently on exhibit through the month of December at the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center in midtown Sacramento (2015 J street), as part of the annual "Twelve" show, with the theme this year being "Photoshopped!".  There are also many other images being displayed by other members of this gallery, each showing a unique style and approach, applying Photoshop to come up with something a bit different and unique.

All content and images are property of Stephen Fischer Photography, copyright 2010-2015.  Last updated: 12/13/2015   ()