Landscape photography techniques

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Art Wolfe created an amazing image that was comprised of many images of a forest scene shot using the 70-200mm lens at 200mm focal length. This was not something that could be done in any other manner.

Having a head designed for panoramas helps as goes using a quick leveling tripod (as with my Gitzo 2531LVL and Feisol 3472 with the quick level base) and the best head by far is the Arca-Swiss D4 GP (supports a load of up to 66 lbs). With the Z camera's level indicators I can adjust the D4 GP in seconds to have everything perfectly level.
 
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JoelKlein said:
The Sunwayfoto DMP-200R is $39.95. There is no bubble level.
The Neewer 200mm is only $23.99. Amazon link One bubble level.
B&H recommended the CAMVATE Slide Rail for $23.80 BH link. It has Two Bubble Levels.
For the other cheapest in-stock L bracket, B&H only had the "3-Legged-Thing" for $129.99 BH link
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Anyone of those rails should be fine. Leofoto has a new 1 piece L bracket for $50. You can order it on B&H special order or from the Leofoto website. Their old 2 piece design was identical to the smallrig L bracket which is also $50. Both work well, just depends on your preference for design.

https://leofotousa.com/products/leofoto-lpno-z8-l-bracket-for-nikon-z8-camera
https://www.smallrigreseller.com/smallrig-l-bracket-for-nikon-z-8-3942.html
 
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GregT943 said:
Anyone of those rails should be fine. Leofoto has a new 1 piece L bracket for $50. You can order it on B&H special order or from the Leofoto website. Their old 2 piece design was identical to the smallrig L bracket which is also $50. Both work well, just depends on your preference for design.

https://leofotousa.com/products/leofoto-lpno-z8-l-bracket-for-nikon-z8-camera
https://www.smallrigreseller.com/smallrig-l-bracket-for-nikon-z-8-3942.html
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Thanks.
I canceled the B&H L bracket and amazon’d the leofoto.
I then relized the small rig L is loger around the bettery doors. Does that longer design make the Z8 with L fit better in the hands?

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Regarding a tripod.
I currently have a bigger and heavier
Sirui SR-3004 SR Series Professional Aluminum Tripod
Would a monopod with legs be firm enough for a panorama shot?
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1699915-REG
 
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JoelKlein said:
Thanks.
I canceled the B&H L bracket and amazon’d the leofoto.
I then relized the small rig L is loger around the bettery doors. Does that longer design make the Z8 with L fit better in the hands?

-
Regarding a tripod.
I currently have a bigger and heavier
Sirui SR-3004 SR Series Professional Aluminum Tripod
Would a monopod with legs be firm enough for a panorama shot?
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1699915-REG
Click to expand...
Some people like the longer design better, some don't like the battery door is a little harder to access. It's just personal preference. What ever you think would fits your hands better.

A monopod would be fine for some Panos. I do a lot of panos hand held, so a monopod would work with those shots. I would stick to a tripod for panos that require you to use a nodal rail or have longer shutter speeds.
 
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GregT943 said:
Some people like the longer design better, some don't like the battery door is a little harder to access. It's just personal preference. What ever you think would fits your hands better.

A monopod would be fine for some Panos. I do a lot of panos hand held, so a monopod would work with those shots. I would stick to a tripod for panos that require you to use a nodal rail or have longer shutter speeds.
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nodal rail wouldn’t play nice with a leged monopod?
 
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JoelKlein said:
nodal rail wouldn’t play nice with a leged monopod?
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If you are using a nodal rail it's because you have foreground objects within your pano image. Any shift or wobble in the position of your camera between shots will create images that were captured from different perspectives and prevent them from being stitched together in post. A monopod just isn't stable enough. When doing panos with foreground objects and a nodal rail you need a stable and level base (tripod). If you are shooting a pano of distant objects, you won't need a nodal rail at all, and then you can use a monopod or even just shoot it hand held.
 
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IMG_9102.jpeg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

This with a Nodel rail, would be unstable?
I’m trying to think of a way to make it lighter.
 
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I doubt a monopod will work. I also do not think you need a nodal rail. Software is so good these days at stitching panos together that you just need a level camera and ~30% overlap between frames. You should definitely go out and try more panos before spending money on a rail and/or a monopod.
 
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I just need to ask, you talking about doing all of this 'stuff' to have the trees across the lake be in sharper focus. Those trees are reflecting light, what about a CPF? There's also atmospheric distortion and not only that, you'd be shooting over water. How would you control motion blur? If you aren't shooting first light, those leaves will be moving do to a breeze. What is the beauty in those trees? If you focus stack you'll be introducing more motion blur in the final image.
 
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I think a big part of the problem is you want your foreground in focus and you want to see details in trees a half mile or more away.

Focus isn’t your problem. It’s perspective.

You’re going to need to accept the fact that for there to be detail in distant trees you will need a very large image with a lot of pixels.

That means trade offs you may be unwilling or unable to make.
 
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Dave Dube said:
I just need to ask, you talking about doing all of this 'stuff' to have the trees across the lake be in sharper focus. Those trees are reflecting light, what about a CPF? There's also atmospheric distortion and not only that, you'd be shooting over water. How would you control motion blur? If you aren't shooting first light, those leaves will be moving do to a breeze. What is the beauty in those trees? If you focus stack you'll be introducing more motion blur in the final image.
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You are right. I learned it by trying, being frustrated, writing here, doing R&D to go back to the basics, shooting over water, atmospheric, long distance, blur in focus stack.

Still, there is a lot of very good information in the thread.

I already own a quality tripod with a ball head. The only gear I added, was an L bracket to get the Z8 in portrait, and a $25 Nodal rail. And a bucket full of knowledge from all amazing people in this forum.

Regarding a Polarize filter, I own quality CP filters, i understand what they do, but I don’t have the understanding how to use them properly. I cannot decide when to stop turning it… etc. turning it another 25 degrees did not change anything… maybe I don’t understand what to look for. I stopped using it. Another challenge is turning it without touching the lens.
 
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Captain Spaulding said:
I think a big part of the problem is you want your foreground in focus and you want to see details in trees a half mile or more away.

Focus isn’t your problem. It’s perspective.

You’re going to need to accept the fact that for there to be detail in distant trees you will need a very large image with a lot of pixels.

That means trade offs you may be unwilling or unable to make.
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Correct. Seeing with my eyes and thinking to my self: I love this scene! I want to capture it and print it big.
It’s like Steve says: Sometimes you can’t have the perfect picture.
 
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JoelKlein said:
Regarding a Polarize filter, I own quality CP filters, i understand what they do, but I don’t have the understanding how to use them properly. I cannot decide when to stop turning it… etc. turning it another 25 degrees did not change anything… maybe I don’t understand what to look for. I stopped using it. Another challenge is turning it without touching the lens.
Click to expand...

First it is important to know that a poloriser does not work all of the time. It is dependent on the angle of the Sun/light compared to the angle of your lens in relation to each other.

This is the reason why polorisers give poor results with aide angle lenses - it is because the angle of view of the lens means that the polorising effect varies across the frame due the the angle of the light changing in relation to the lens.

This is why the polorising affect can sometimes be dramatic but other times be minimal as you get closer to the limiting angle. I set mine by eye to get the result that I want and if you move it has to be reset every time.
 
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dabhand16 said:
First it is important to know that a poloriser does not work all of the time. It is dependent on the angle of the Sun/light compared to the angle of your lens in relation to each other.

This is the reason why polorisers give poor results with aide angle lenses - it is because the angle of view of the lens means that the polorising effect varies across the frame due the the angle of the light changing in relation to the lens.

This is why the polorising affect can sometimes be dramatic but other times be minimal as you get closer to the limiting angle. I set mine by eye to get the result that I want and if you move it has to be reset every time.
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And in your comment is the bigger problem when wanting to do a Pano. Again, those leaves will be moving and they will also produce shadows. What I'm getting at is that leaves will be blurry due to a breeze and their shadows will create a different type of blur. Shooting over water enhances the atmospheric distortion especially with a large gradient in water temp vs air temp. Have you thought of a painterly looking landscape?

Sorry, I replied to the wrong person but his reply is key.
 
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JoelKlein said:
View attachment 100336
This with a Nodel rail, would be unstable?
I’m trying to think of a way to make it lighter.
Click to expand...

I have a similar monopod except by Sirui - they're not as stable as you might think. I'm hesitant to mount a camera w. lens on mine and leave it standing to step away more than arms length even when inside.

It's only about 6-8 oz lighter than my old Manfrotto carbon-fiber tripod.
 
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Dave Dube said:
And in your comment is the bigger problem when wanting to do a Pano. Again, those leaves will be moving and they will also produce shadows. What I'm getting at is that leaves will be blurry due to a breeze and their shadows will create a different type of blur. Shooting over water enhances the atmospheric distortion especially with a large gradient in water temp vs air temp. Have you thought of a painterly looking landscape?

Sorry, I replied to the wrong person but his reply is key.
Click to expand...

I was not talking about panos. He wanted info on using polorisers. Moving tress and leaves always cause issues with panos and focus stacking.

Having said that, I used to run a photographic community for 12 years and there was a member from Michigan who used to do great HDR panos!
 
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dabhand16 said:
I was not talking about panos. He wanted info on using polorisers. Moving tress and leaves always cause issues with panos and focus stacking.

Having said that, I used to run a photographic community for 12 years and there was a member from Michigan who used to do great HDR panos!
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HDR panos, Sound interesting.
 
Lightroom has an option for HDR Panos. One just selects the images to be included and it sorts out which ones are exposure and which ones camera rotation.
 
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bleirer said:
Lightroom has an option for HDR Panos. One just selects the images to be included and it sorts out which ones are exposure and which ones camera rotation.
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That has taken the edge off it! Back when I ran Pixalo the software was a lot more basic so I think he had to do them with a lot more input than now. Pixalo was closed about 5 years ago and he was doing HDR panos for years before that.
 
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Thank you guys.
Here is my first try. (Downsized)

11-3-2024-DSC9385-Pano.jpg

No wind, about 3 PM
f/8 1/50 sec. ISO64
I took more pano shots, all the same, just tried different exposure settings.


Process:
  • R&D on BCG forum
  • Quality tripod with bubble-level
  • Quality ball head bubble-level
  • Nodal rail with bubble-level
  • Z8 vertical with an L bracket
  • 50mm f/1.8 calibrated on the nodal
  • Adjusted the levels for all camera rotations
  • Post, ACR adoptive profile.

 
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I bought all those fancy pano heads, tripods, leveling bowls, sliders, etc, but it's all still sitting in the closet unused. I found out you can pano, handheld, with your feet.
 
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