I have been part of the team building a new boardwalk and hide in the nature reserve in Gosforth Park. The boardwalk was finished in January and the hide is due to open next month. Before we put the felt on the roof I took the opportunity of going up there with a camera. This is my first attempt at a panorama. Eight photos were taken at 45 degree intervals using a Canon 6D with a 24-70mm lens at 24mm on a tripod. I spent some time getting the horizontal sorted out.
The photos were stitched in Photoshop Elements 10. When I tried stitching 8 photos the programme insisted on splitting the lake, whichever order I used for the pictures. So this one is done with 5, covering around 225 degrees. The missing section is just more reedbeds so I think it is better like this. You can see the boardwalk on the left, curving into the distance. It ends just before the trees.
I am encourage to try more panoramas but probably not from a rooftop in the middle of a lake. Click on the photo to enlarge.
It was completely cloudy here at the peak but I did get a brief glimpse a few minutes later. Canon 7D with Canon 300mm and 1.4 converter. Lee big stopper plus circular polariser.
This is the lighthouse at Herd Groyne. It stands on the south side of the entrance to the River Tyne on a low seawall built to stop sand from washing into the river and silting it up. The lighthouse was built in 1882 and as well as marking the position of the groyne it shows navigation lights to guide ships in from the sea. On course and you see a white light. Too far to port and you see red. Too far to starboard and the light is green. The window which shows the lights can be seen in the third photo but is in shadow. All photos with iPhone 5.
This was originally a beech hedge, planted in an earth bank faced with dry stone walls, known as a sod cast. Now the beeches are the field boundary and many of the stones have been pushed out of the bank by the roots. It is north of Tut Hill in Northumberland. The afternoon was cold and clear with beautiful light. Canon 6D with in-camera B&W conversion.
I could stand all day watching these. The waves were breaking into a stiff offshore breeze with the sun behind. Magic.
