Clearing through the fog – The Bean (Cloud Gate)

I don’t know why I’m so drawn towards this enormous sculpture.  Each time I go there I try to take a shot that is better than the last.  Unfortunately, this visit did not cooperate like I hoped.  I still think most would approve?

Leica S ISO 100 f11 1/4 30-90mm vario-elmar-s @44mm pano

The Bean - Cloud Gate - Millennium Park, Chicago, IL
The Bean – Cloud Gate – Millennium Park, Chicago, IL

Majestic Reflections – Taggart Lake – Happy 4th of July

On our 2nd to last day in Grand Teton National Park my nephew and woke up early to hike to Taggart Lake (2 mile hike).  It was a beautiful morning and we got there at sunrise.  I quickly set up my camera and decided a panoramic would work best.  I’m sure others will say that I had much better shots taken at other locations but this location for some reason really sticks with me.  Maybe it’s the fact that I knew nobody else but me and my nephew were around and we could enjoy the peaceful and majestic sunrise together.  Last, in a few days I will post one more picture from this location.  That picture, maybe my favorite overall is a great example of why you need to be patient!

Leica S ISO 200 f11 1/30 30-90mm vario-elmar-s @ 30mm

Taggart Lake, Grand Teton National Park
Taggart Lake, Grand Teton National Park

Clearing over the ridge part 2

Once I took my initial shot using my 30-90mm lens I decided to attempt a panoramic series.  My shot from yesterday was taken only inches off the ground.  This shot was just the opposite.  I brought along a tripod that allows me to shoot seven to seven and half feet off the ground (I’m not that tall, I brought a step-ladder).  Probably the most important thing when shooting a panoramic is to make sure the tripod is level with the ground.  Next, I try to make sure each image overlaps by 30%.  By doing this, you can easily stitch the images together in Photoshop without having to crop much of the edges.  This shot was a total of 10 pictures, 28,932 x 6714 in size.  I liked using the 120mm (equivalent to 90mm full frame lens) because there is very little distortion and has extraordinary sharpness.  I hope you enjoy.

Leica S ISO 200 f11 1/25 120mm apo-macro-summarit-s (10 picture panoramic)

Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park - Panoramic
Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park – Panoramic

Clearing over the ridge

This is probably one of the most popular places to take pictures at Grand Teton National Park (Mormon Row).  We set and ready for sunrise around 0530.  I knew it was going to be a wonderful shoot because there were no clouds to the east but many to the west (over the mountains).  This cloud formation probably only occurs a few times a month, we were just fortunate to be there for one.

Leica S ISO 200 f11 1/6 30-90mm vario-elmar-s @ 55mm

Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park
Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park
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