When living our every-day lives, how do we literally observe what we’re doing? Human vision is kind of tricky! When you visit an Optometrist or Ophthalmologist, it may be the only time of the year you wonder about your vision. Typical concerns are whether things are in focus, spots, or when vision is somehow diminished. I bring this up to ask, have you ever thought about how wide your peripheral vision is?
Here’s a quick test! Look at either one of the people at the center of this photo (best done viewing the larger sized photo online). Don’t move your eyes away from them. While doing so, try hard to pay attention to the left and right sides of your vision, to observe what you can or cannot clearly make out. This lack of clarity is what makes widescreen movies so much fun. We don’t “see” objects at the outer periphery clearly though we visually know they’re there.
Okay, let get to the point of this story. Over the years, I’ve loved panoramic photography. Although it’s been around since the early days of photography, it’s not as widely practiced as standard formats. Many photographers like myself love this perspective—particularly with landscapes.
The photograph above was created putting two separate panoramic photos together. The process is called “stitching.” Done digitally showing about 200° angle of view.
The photo may look weird. They’re bicyclist in a road race on the Prospect Park Drive. The blurriness is due to them being in motion. I’m guessing you’ve seen this type of practice in photography before. A true panorama taken with a true panoramic camera—Hasselblad XPan II. Our creativity is only limited by our imagination.
We all have our hopes and dreams in life. My dreams of photography began at the age of twelve. I believed, hoped, and was mentored by people who supported me. I hope you have a similar support system in your lives! Really look at the photo! Envision yourself there taking the shot—perhaps visit a similar location near you.
I loved driving these roads! The weather was hot, but worth it when I got home and saw exactly what I depicted when I was there. The setting Sun guiding me on a journey of creativity and discovery in a place I dreamt of being. The expansive nature of the landscape offering a better understanding of the scene through the wide view. If you were to cover half of the photo with your hand, it wouldn’t be the same.
Lastly this photograph, showing a different possibility when capturing everyday life. Three different cameras were used.
Photographs 1 and 6 were taken with the same camera. A swing lens.
Photographs 2, 3, 4 and 7 were taken with the same camera.
Photograph 5 was taken with a different camera than the others.
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As always, I appreciate you reading the newsletter through.
Til next time…
Kenneth