by successfulbob | landscape photography, Lumix GH4, Lumix Lounge, panorama, photography, photography education, photography gear
Sometimes you just want more pixels in an image.
Do you have to buy a new more expensive camera? Nope. You just have to learn how to sew… I mean stitch.
Basically even with the 16MP micro 4/3rds chip we are working with in the Lumix line of cameras we have multi-megapixel (like 100MP plus) cameras in our hands if we take multiple images and overlap them. Here is an example.
This is 13 images overlapped with the camera held in the vertical orientation. This file comes in at 385MB after processing in Photoshop.
I could easily print this image 26 inches by 158 inches. That’s about 2 feet by 13 feet!
Here’s another version with 2 rows of 10 images overlapped with camera held in vertical orientation. This file is almost 400MB after processing. Could easily be printed to 3 feet by 10 feet…
This technique can be used with large group portraits, architecture and any stationary subjects.
Images were captured with the Lumix GH4 and the Lumix Vario 35-100mm f2.8 lens at ISO 200 f10 1/320th sec. The built in level on the GH4 helps to keep the horizon straight during this hand held capture to make the panorama stitching easier in the software. My overlap of individual images is about 30%. Any less than that and you’ll tend to find stitching errors in the final image.
So you’ve heard the expression “Go big or go home!” Now you can with whatever gear you are working with….
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – using links on this site to make your gear purchases help to support this web site and the education being shared. Thanks in advance!
by successfulbob | landscape photography, lighting, Lumix FZ 1000, Lumix Lounge, photography education, photography gear
They say the camera you have with you is the best camera. I’m a big believer!
How many times have you been out and about and left your gear at home because it would be too bulky or a PIA to have with you? Since joining with Panasonic as a Lumix Luminary I have had access to a number of cameras, all of them smaller and lighter than my former DSLR kit. As a result I almost always have a camera on hand and less of those found moments are getting away from me.
I was giving a workshop and stepped out to go to the rest room and saw this scene unfolding in front of me. I dashed back and grabbed the Lumix FZ – 1000 because of it’s 400mm reach and was able to grab these two images of the red rocks of Sedona being lit in front of some storm clouds.
The camera allows for up to a 7 stop bracket. In this case I bracketed 5 stops at one stop intervals and processed in PhotoMatix Pro 5. This kept the rocks being lit by the sun from being blown out against the dark background of the sky.
Don’t forget to ‘Work the Scene’ when you come across different photo ops. Shoot as a horizontal, vertical, zoom in, try different crops. I didn’t have much time to do this but at least I captured 3 different renditions of the scene.
The Lumix FZ 1000 is often the camera I am grabbing to have with me all the time. 25-400mm f2.8-4 all in a body unit that weighs about 2 and a half pounds. Sweet!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – Please remember that if you use the links from this web site to make your purchases it helps support the education provided on Successful-Photographer.
by successfulbob | photography - art quote, photography education
It’s been a busy weekend of teaching, Gave a lighting class to Arizona Professional Photographers Association, and presenting a Keynote for the Sedona PhotoFest and I’m getting ready for a two day Workshop today and tomorrow so this Sunday Photo/Art quote is a day behind. My apologies… and have a happy Monday.
Today’s quote fits right in with a lot of the things I have been teaching this weekend. I suggest that practice and playing are two of the main ingredients for successful image creation. If we don’t play we won’t discover new things that I like to call ‘happy accidents’. Without ‘happy accidents’ we are basically repeating what we KNOW will be OK with our clients. And consistent and constant practice allows us to master our skills so that the technical side doesn’t get in the way of our creativity.
If you don’t do it, you don’t know what might happen.” Harry Callahan
To recap. Play! when you have your camera out or are messing about in Photoshop say to yourself, “What if i pushed this button instead of that one?” Then do it. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. If you are not making mistakes you are not stretching to your full creative capabilities.
I’m reminded of this side quote, “There’s a very fine line between a groove and a rut; a fine line between eccentrics and people who are just plain nuts.” Christine Lavin
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
PS – I like to think that I fall on the eccentric side vs just plain nuts but I’ll leave that for you to decide!
by successfulbob | photography education, success education
Got a burning business question?
Need help with Photoshop or an art project?
Just want to run some photo ideas by me?
It’s time to help support NILMDTS and yourself at the same time. There’s an online fundraising auction and there’s a bunch of photography stuff up for grabs including 2 different 2 hour coaching sessions with me. You can use the sessions to ask about business advice, get some one on one coaching in Photoshop or any other photography related session. These sessions are 1hour long but you get two of them. Normally $125 per hour but bidding starts at $100 for the package. If you wanted to try me out at a discount there’s a great chance for you. Click here to get to the photography items up for auction.
Here’s a screen grab from the auction. I’m donating my time. You’ll get a deal. NILMDTS gets the money. Win, Win, Win!
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | fine art photography, photography education, photography seminar
Lots happening photographically in education this week in Sedona. It’s the Sedona Arts Center PhotoFest.
Two free education days surrounded by workshops and seminars by some wonderful photographers. I’m presenting a Keynote along with a two day workshop on my Photo-Synthesis techniques to create painterly type images from your photographs. It’s not too late to sign up…
Sedona Arts Center Photofest – including yours truly
Program Sponsored in part by LUMIX
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
by successfulbob | photography education, photography gear
Since I am traveling so much and I got tired of switching out my Wacom tablet between my desktop and my laptop I needed to get a second tablet. So I ordered one from Amazon and it arrived today.
One word.
SWEET!
This tablet is small and portable for travel and staying hooked up to my laptop. But here’s a bonus. The model I bought is like having a giant touch pad to boot. It has the gestures available for scrolling, resizing, zoom ,swipe images and such. It’s the Intuos Pen and Touch Small Tablet and only having it hooked up only for a few minutes and I love it! It has the 1024 pressure sensitivity.
Wacom Intuos Touch Tablet
If you use Photoshop a tablet is very important. Making selections with a track pad or a mouse can take you a lot more time and is not near as accurate as using a pen tool. The difference is akin to drawing with a rock or a pen and makes a huge difference. For under a hundred bucks I think this one is a great value. You can spend a bit less or a bunch more with the Bamboo or any of the other Wacom Products. I would only recommend spending more money if you would like a larger size or you are a graphic artist that needs the higher pressure sensitivity because you actually draw or use the airbrush…
Yours in Creative Photography, Bob
