Panoramas shots in Alaska?

[mountainhouse]

This is my first time to Alaska, and I'm hoping to get some panos. I'll be using a Nodal Ninja head. Was thinking that Glacier Bay would be a good opportunity. Unfortunately, I need a full sized tripod (something solid) for the head to work well. That means I won't be doing this on most excursions. Just wondering if others have played with panos in Alaska. Any tips? Any particularly good places to do it?

[NC-17]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=989846

[pierces]

This is my first time to Alaska, and I'm hoping to get some panos. I'll be using a Nodal Ninja head. Was thinking that Glacier Bay would be a good opportunity. Unfortunately, I need a full sized tripod (something solid) for the head to work well. That means I won't be doing this on most excursions. Just wondering if others have played with panos in Alaska. Any tips? Any particularly good places to do it?

 

In Glacier bay, unless you're on a small ship that will Zodiac you to shore, you will be on a ship that is constantly moving. Don't kill yourself hauling a ton of stuff. Good hand-held technique will suffice for all but the trickiest spherical panoramas. Panorama stitchers are awfully forgiving these days.

 

Here's a couple of Hubbard glacier pano. Hand held.

 

 

Take with a 6MP DSLR - original size is 14400x2715

 

While cruising the inside passage

 

Dave

[FathomOfTheOpera]

I just got back from Alaska last week. At the last minute, I decided to leave my standard size tripod at home (luggage weigh limit etc). I tried a few hand held panos while up in Fraser BC and the Yukon:

 

http://i.pbase.com/o2/58/820958/1/112974052.EZRY5oX9.FraserPanoramic.jpg

 

http://i.pbase.com/o2/58/820958/1/112974121.kHxEbHoo.CaribouCrossingYukonpano.jpg

 

 

-Wayne

[mountainhouse]

Good hand-held technique will suffice for all but the trickiest spherical panoramas. Panorama stitchers are awfully forgiving these days.

 

I obviously haven't done much of this. So the spherical error is only a factor when you're close to things. Most of my panos so far have been closeup. That makes sense, and saves me carrying a lot of stuff. I need lots more practice, and only have 2 weeks to go. Oh well, it's all fun. Thanks!

 

BTW, nice shots!

 

I tried a few hand held panos while up in Fraser BC and the Yukon:

 

Links don't work for me. Can you repost? Tnx!

[FathomOfTheOpera]

Here you go:

 

 

[mountainhouse]

Wow! You're just fresh off the boat. Nice galleries! Thanks.

 

- The shot of the eagles in the tree. Wow!

[judynorth]

Here is a link to panoramas taken on our 2005 Alaska cruise:

 

http://travel.webshots.com/album/376192505ayDzbI

 

All are handheld and most of them are taken from the ship. Since then I found Autostitch which does a much better (and easier) job of stitching together photos. I always use the panorama setting on my camera to take the series of pictures. In my more recent albums I have panoramas taken with my Canon G9 and stitched with Autostitch. The default size setting is 1600 pixels but I always change to to 4000 or higher so that I can crop the image and still have a decent picture.

 

Autostitch is a free program available for download here:

 

http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~mbrown/autostitch/autostitch.html