Posts Tagged ‘panoramic photography’

Istanbul Sunrise

Photo of the Day

I woke early one morning in Istanbul to check out the view from one of the city’s many terraces and I couldn’t have been greeted by a better sunrise. This particular panorama frames the sun with the Hagia Sophia on the left and the Blue Mosque on the right.

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The sun rises over the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul, Turkey with Hagia Sophia on the left and the Blue Mosque on the right.


Blackrock Cottage Panorama

Photo of the Day

Scotland’s dramatic vistas attract landscape photographers in swarms. The dependability of certain spots is clear when you scout out locations on Google Maps: you can often find photographers with cameras set up on tripods pointed at prime locations on the street view.

The Blackrock Cottage, just east of the entrance to Glencoe, is another one of those iconic views that every photographer has to grab if they’re anywhere nearby. On a trip into the highlands, you pass within a mile or two of this picturesque home, so of course, on the way up I had to stop and try my luck.

I tried to put my own spin on the oft-photographed view by making it into a panorama and capturing a little more of the stark surrounding countryside and not just the cottage with the imposing peak of Buchaille Etive Mor in the background.

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A panoramic view of the Blackrock Cottage with Buchaille Etive Mor in the background, near Glencoe, Scotland.


Over Eilean Donan Castle

Photo of the Day

I’ve recently returned from another great week in Scotland. They all seem to be great, but this one even had the weather contributing to the quality of life. Sunny skies have browned my arms while hiking through gorgeous glens, trekking up and down hills overlooking lochs and castle, and spotting just about every bit of wildlife that the UK seems to have on offer.

One of those lochs and castles visited was the magical Eilean Donan on Loch Duich. It’s one of my favourite places in the world and I keep hoping I get to be in its neighbourhood every time I go up to Scotland.

For today’s photo of the day, I embarked on a little trek that quickly got a lot longer than anticipated when I was struggling to get the view I wanted. Driving up the tiny country road that provides views above the castle wasn’t quite good enough for me, but I couldn’t find an accessible path up to the hills. A couple miles of driving, a hefty climb, and then a couple of miles traversing steep slopes back to almost where I had started and I wound up in the spot I wanted just as the sun was descending.

The result is below showing the sun touching the mountains in the west while the colours sweep across the panorama of the lochs and castle below.

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Vinales, Cuba

Photo of the Day

The energy of the Cuba’s capital, Havana, is relentless. Overwhelming sound and life inhabit every street. If you want to escape and take a little rest from it all, there’s probably no better contrast to Havana’s high pace than the tranquil Vinales Valley in Pinar del Rio province where giant limestone mogotes tower over placid farms and a small town that serves as a base to explore the region’s natural wonders.

This photo is the classic view of the Mogotes of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico mountain range at sunset. This viewpoint at the Hotel Los Jazmines is a popular spot for good reason – it’s the perfect place to take in one of Cuba’s most iconic landscapes.

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The Vinales Valley at sunset looking across to the Mogotes of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico mountain range in Cuba.


Meteora Monastery above the Clouds

Photo of the Day

I’ve finally had a chance to go through some of my photos from my trip to Greece and I wanted to share one from incredible Meteora. This is the Holy Monastery of Varlaam. In the background, right in the middle of the shot, you can also see the Holy Monastery of Rousanou peeping through the clouds (make sure to click the image for a larger version).

Meteora is one of the most spectacular landscapes I’ve ever visited and I took this trip for the express purpose of getting shots like this. I had five days there and the weather really didn’t cooperate with me most of the time. This fleeting break in the clouds lasted for a half hour at the most, but it certainly was a perfect 30 minutes and I tried to make the most of it. After these clouds were swept away, the sun took over and made a nice change from the cloud and fog that had been hounding me for the previous few days.

This weekend, I’m lucky enough to be heading to Cuba for two weeks to escape the dreary Manchester winter for a little while. I expect my access to internet to be a little bit sporadic there, so please be understanding if I don’t reply to any questions or comments immediately. In the meantime, if I do get any access there, I might be able to post an update or two on my Instagram feed or on my Facebook page.

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Calgary Stampede Fireworks Panorama

Photo of the Day

The view of Calgary and its skyline from Scotsman’s Hill is classic, but when you throw in the fireworks of the Calgary Stampede grandstand show, the sight is even more stellar.

Watching the fireworks from Scotsman’s Hill was a mandatory part of growing up in Calgary, so I had been to this exact spot plenty of times before and I knew roughly what I wanted to try to capture. I got there early, since I know the prime spots fill up fast. After all, you can watch the chuckwagon races from up there for free – crowds start forming hours before the fireworks begin.

So, that leaves plenty of time to watch the chucks, dodge mosquitoes, check out the sunset, set up the tripod and chat with fellow fireworks aficionados.

On this particular night, the threat of rain hung in the air the whole evening. We were mostly spared the drizzle until the fireworks began and the rain made taking photos a bit awkward. Water on the lens wasn’t really the effect I was going for here, so my umbrella was open above my camera and I had a cloth handy to clean my lens when errant drops got through. The result is that I didn’t get quite as many shots to choose from since I spent half my time keeping my gear dry, but I managed to get enough to piece together the panorama below.

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Calgary Stampede Fireworks Panorama


Moraine Lake Panorama

Photo of the Day

Today’s image is from one of my favourite places in the world: Moraine Lake in Banff National Park , Alberta, Canada.

The colour of the water is unrealistically blue and in it are reflected some astonishingly beautiful mountains, the Ten Peaks. If this place doesn’t stir you even a little bit, I feel bad for you and your dead soul. Even if landscapes aren’t your thing, you have to draw a line somewhere and just succumb to that voice inside you that’s trying to get out and say, “Wow.”

Due to this natural beauty, Moraine Lake is a big draw for photographers and the scene has been captured in most imaginable ways. I haven’t however, seen a lot of panoramas that pull back a little bit and frame the grandest part of the scene with the surroundings. The morning I was there didn’t quite yield the sunrise I had hoped for, so I felt I needed to do a bit more than just the standard shot. This place deserves the effort.

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Moraine Lake panorama


Grand Canal Panorama

Photo of the Day

This classic view from the Rialto bridge is a favourite among visitors and locals alike. You can’t blame them – it’s one of the best places to witness Venice’s magic.

This has to be one of the most photographed spots in Venice, so it’s a challenge to come up with something different from every other photo that has been repeated in the same location. By making this a panorama, I know I haven’t exactly broken new ground, but it’s a least a little bit different from the norm.

The wider format allows for a greater sense of place. It includes more of the surrounding buildings and the paths teeming with pedestrians along both sides of the canal. Gondoliers moving across the waters add to the interest of the evening scene.

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My Photos in Countryfile Magazine

Check out the May issue of Countryfile Magazine and you’ll find one of my images of the Old Man of Storr. It’s a big, two-page spread image that’s part of their article on Scotland’s Isle of Skye.

I don’t have a copy of the issue yet, but here’s the image for your viewing pleasure (click for a larger view):

The Old Man of Storr Panorama

And I neglected to mention my last appearance in the magazine – in the March issue, another photo from Skye got a two-page treatment:

Countryfile Magazine March 2012, Sligachan Bridge

Here’s the photo of Skye’s Sligachan Bridge on its own (click for a larger view):

Sligachan Bridge Panorama

Lastly, check out my gallery to see a bunch more of my photos of Scotland.


Rannoch Moor Sunrise Panorama

Photo of the Day

The great views from Scotland’s Rannoch Moor keep coming. All of these spots are just off the road that leads into Glen Coe. I hope I get the chance to go back and explore more of the area to see if I can find any good walking trails.

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Rannoch Moor Sunrise Panorama


Rannoch Moor at Dusk Panorama

Photo of the Day

From near the same spot as the previous photo of the day, the sun has set and the dusk colour paints the sky over Rannoch Moor.

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Rannoch Moor Morning Panorama


Rannoch Mooor at Panorama at Sunset

Photo of the Day

A perfectly colourful sunset breaks over Rannoch Moor in the Scottish Highlands.

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Rannoch Moor at Dawn Panorama


Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera

Well here’s a clever little idea. It’s a ball with 36 cameras mounted inside it that take a photo when tossed into the air. The result can be stitched into a 360 degree panorama with a unique viewpoint.

It seems like a pretty fun way to capture a moment. I just hope their stitching software improves a little bit and some of those stitching seams go away.

I wonder how sturdy the thing is? I’d love to have a game of basketball with it – you’d get some great photos!


Singapore Esplanade Panorama

Photo of the Day

Here’s another of those rare instances where I took a panoramic shot on my travels in Southeast Asia and, yet again, it makes me wish I had done more.

This one is from Singapore, a city that has probably already changed quite a bit since I took this shot. This shot features the Esplanade (a.k.a. the Durian, the performing arts centre in Singapore) and the city’s financial centre.

If this shot wrapped any further to the left, I know it would be rather out of date by now since there has been a massive amount of construction on the other side of the bay.

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Singapore Esplanade


Manchester Exchange Square Panorama

Photo of the Day

Today’s image is from my current home city, Manchester and features Exchange Square and the Manchester Wheel in the evening.

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Exchange Square Panorama


Horseshoe Canyon Panorama

Photo of the Day

Today’s image is another from my home province of Alberta and also near Drumheller. This is Horseshoe Canyon. It’s stratified slopes make for interesting textures and the eroded canyon is a fun place for a walk in Dinosaur Country.

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Horseshoe Canyon Panorama


Atlas Coal Mine Panorama

Photo of the Day

Scattered near the site of the Atlas Coal Mine near Drumheller, Alberta are all kinds of fun bits and bobs including these giant wheels. The entrance to the coal mine is visible on the right of this photo.

I’ve been on the grounds of the coal mine before (see my previous images here), but never done an underground visit. Next time I’m going that way, I should plan time for a stop.

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Atlas Coal Mine Panorama


Ruin above Dovestones

Photo of the Day

This shot is another from a little walk I recently did on the edges above Dovestones reservoir in Lancashire. As I crested the rise, this tiny, ruined house and the accompanying lovely view greeted me at the top.

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Ruin above Dovestones


Lincoln Cathedral Panorama

Photo of the Day

In the past few months, I’ve been through Lincoln twice now and this is one of the many shots I’ve taken of its towering cathedral. I kept gravitating towards this particular view of the great building from a spot between the cathedral and the castle.

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Lincoln Cathedral Panorama


Bruges from Above

Photo of the Day

Today’s photo of the day is the last one from Bruges for now. This time we’re high above the canals and looking down on the medieval-style city from the belfry of the town hall. The Church of Our Lady is on the left and St. Salvator’s Cathedral is on the right.

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Bruges from Above


The Canals of Bruges #12

Photo of the Day

Number 12 in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.

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Bruges Canal


The Canals of Bruges #10

Photo of the Day

Number ten in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.

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Bruges Canal


The Canals of Bruges #8

Photo of the Day

Number eight in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.

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Bruges Canal


The Canals of Bruges #5

Photo of the Day

Number five in my series of images of the canals of Bruges, Belgium.

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Bruges Canal