Flow Panorama
Sometimes you have to go back to get more of the picture in...
Sometimes you have to go back to get more of the picture in...
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Feb, 2014Views
2570
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Awards
Summer 2020
Featured
Superb Composition
Absolute Masterpiece
Top Choice
Peer Award
Outstanding Creativity
Superior Skill
Magnificent Capture
Jaw Dropping
Exceptional Contrast
All Star
Genius
Top Class Lighting
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akhtarkhan
February 21, 2014
#Wonderful night lighting, nice detail......great panoramic presentation......terrific capture. Congrats on the feature.
Platinum
Platinum
Platinum
PRO+
Premium
sarahmirkin
July 14, 2014
absolutely spectacular long exposure and city view! Love the light trails on the bridge!
PRO
Same photographer See allBehind The Lens
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Behind The Lens
Location
This image was taken on Yerba Buena Island (between San Francisco and Oakland), facing downtown San Francisco. There's a nice spot that anyone can get to if you drive to the top of the island, but there's a chain link fence between you and the view. If you're adventurous (like me), you can opt to take a walk, dodge traffic and climb the hill underneath to bypass the fence for a clear view.Time
I took this panorama at about 11pm on a Wednesday night. It was a good night because the constant wind that normally blows was calmer that day, and each shot was an eight second exposure.Lighting
It took some experimentation to find the right exposure setting for the series of shots. I wanted the bridge and the city to be bright, and I wanted decent trails in the taillights of the passing traffic. I had to time each shot to capture the blinking lights on top of the bridge, too.Equipment
I used my Nikon D3200 and a Sigma DC HSM 18-250mm Macro/Zoom lens at about 32mm, supported by my Manfrotto MK293A4 tripod. I triggered each frame with a Nikon IR remote on a 2 second delay.Inspiration
I was obsessed with taking nighttime photos of the Bay Bridge and downtown San Francisco for a while during the summer of 2013, and I had already done a single-frame shot of the bridge itself from the same spot a month or two before which turned out great. Check out that image here: http://www.viewbug.com/photo/4142628 Although I was happy with it, I wanted to do it in a panorama, and I didn't have the supporting shots I needed. So, back I went.Editing
The image was stitched together in Photoshop and adjusted for clarity, saturation and some curve adjustments were made. I had to straighten each individual image before stitching them together (because I was on a steep hill in the dark with a ballhead), and the final image was also cropped to try to make it as symmetrical as possible.In my camera bag
I carry all of my equipment in a LowePro Slingshot 200 backpack (with the exception of the tripod which hangs on the outside). If it doesn't fit in that backpack, it gets sold! My current set of gear is a Nikon D3200, a Sigma DC HSM 18-250mm Macro/Zoom, a Nikkor AF-S DX 35mm prime, a Nikon IR remote, Vello macro extension tubes (36mm, 20mm, 12mm), and a Nikon SB 700 Speedlite. I carry a Manfrotto MK293A4 tripod as well.Feedback
If you'd like to end up with an image like this, you have to think a little outside of the box. To find the spot to take this, I had to explore the area when it was light out. You have to be willing to hike a little, dodge traffic, and climb steep hills (and possibly fall down them as well), all in the dark. Bring a flashlight and extra batteries. Long exposures drain your battery fast! And when doing multiple shots to stitch together for panoramas, double-check each shot to make sure it's clear before moving on to the next one.
