Zwinger, Dreden, Germany
This is my first panorama attempt. I only own a kit lens so I stitched seven photos into one using Photoshop.
This is my first panorama attempt. I only own a kit lens so I stitched seven photos into one using Photoshop.
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Sep, 2015Views
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Behind The Lens
Location
This photo was taken in Dresden,Saxony,Germany. I very recently moved here and I was impressed by how well they were able to re-build all the historical buildings destroyed after being bombed during World War II.The Zwinger palace - currently a museum - was destroyed in the firebombings on 13-15 February, 1945.Time
This is my first panoramic photo and I was very proud when I achieved this result. I arrived at the location at 19:00 and got all excited when I saw that the cloud formation and the sunset colors were perfect for unique results. The sky had unusual shades of blue and green right behind the old historical tall buildings. On my way I was stopped by a street preacher, and I got a little frustrated because by the time he was done talking, it got pitch dark and monochrome. I ended up starting at 10:30 and shot the Zwinger photo last, at midnight.Lighting
It was on a full moon but that didn't end up making a difference in the end. The building was illuminated enough, so all I did was set my camera to expose for 30 seconds.Equipment
This photo was shot with a Nikon D7100 and a kit lens 18-105mm. I had my tripod, of course, and since I don't own a wide angle, I locked the ball-point head in place, with the camera being in a vertical (portrait) position.I kept twisting the center column slowly making sure each photo I shot had at least a 40% overlap. This was a result of seven photos stitched in Photoshop. The edit necessary was very minimal.Inspiration
I don't often have the energy and the time to go out for night photography.I tend to get a little scared being alone in the streets after hours. But even though it had been a long tiring day at work, I got extra motivated because it was a full moon, and probably one of the last warm days of the year. I unfortunately wasn't able to get any moonlight through my lens due to the bright city lights and the building being illuminated itself. The Zwinger is a 360-degrees building and the only way to show you it's glorious architecture, was to attempt a panorama.Editing
I opened my RAW files in Lightroom. Selected the ones needed and clicked on edit in> Merge to Panorama in Photoshop. In the photo-merge window I selected the Auto Layout option and when the photo-merge process finished it looked perfect. There was no distortion because I used a tripod and my photos were perfectly aligned. The basic editing was very little and possibly unnecessary.In my camera bag
I try to carry my tripod everywhere for extra stability and long exposures. The only lens I can actually take is the kit lens, because that's the only one I own. I am a beginner after all. I know that it's not all about the gear and professional equipment but having a versatile collection of lenses really helps you expand your horizons, and possibly reach a more professional level in other photography genres.Feedback
If I were to shoot this location again I would make sure to get there earlier. I'd set my tripod and start shooting various photos, making sure I get a shot of every stage of the sunset, from it being bright and colorful to blue hour. Every shot will be so different because the light and colors being reflected on the building and its windows will change the overall hue. The ideal sky conditions for my likes would be partially cloudy and with as little humidity as possible. If your tripod is not heavy enough, you might get some vibrations and blur on a windy night, so it's always better to check the forecast before the shoot, or carry some extra weights.
