The Panorama I’ve Been Chasing for Weeks!

Well, it’s official. I was finally able to capture a panoramic photograph with my Mavic Air 2S that I have been chasing for about 2 weeks.

Similar to my hiking adventures, it takes persistence and a lot of effort to get the final outcome you would hope to achieve.

For me to be satisfied with a sunrise photograph the lighting must be utterly perfect. When flying a drone, the weather MUST cooperate.

On top of that, I need an interesting subject matter on the ground.

To further compound matters, I prefer and almost need the clouds to be high and when I am facing westward, above the horizon and the subject.

Sun rises in the east, right? Yes, it does.

The problem, often, with shooting into the east is the sun will almost always, even though it’s below the horizon, wash out the sky, while still causing the ground to be radically underexposed.

A graduated Neutral Density isn’t an option on the drone (at least for me) AND on top of it, shooting in panorama mode on the drone will take 9 to 21 shots of the horizon. No ND filter will help this when mashing these photos together later in Lightroom.

The gimble will angle the camera in varying degrees with each shot…so there is not going to be static line horizon from which to set the ND Filter anyway.

Can a pretty shot be attained shooting into the sun. Sure. Just like this shot here over Lake Eola in Orlando. Here, I am shooting to the east. This shot was taken on one of the many days I travelled the 45 minutes to downtown on my sunrise chase adventures.

Still, though NOT GOOD ENOUGH.

This past week, on Tuesday, I woke up at 4am and peeked out doors. Yes, there were indeed clouds up high. The special, high clouds needed to catch the sun as it begins to round the earth.

I knew there may be a good chance of some great color so I dressed, brushed the teeth, and began driving.

I arrived downtown plenty early to sit and watch the developing color across the sky over Lake Eola in Orlando.

Waaaaaay to the east, I eventually observed that coveted maroon color lighting the farthest away, lowest clouds telling me the sun was on it’s way and it would be a beautiful display across the sky. Particularly in this instance to the west'; for there were a moderate level of high clouds across the western horizon over the city skyline of Orlando.

Waiting, I prepared the drone and anticipated great things.

I was not disappointed.

Now, mind you this is not perfect. I would love more clouds. But hey, after 2 weeks of 4 am, driving, hoping and getting nothing, this payoff is one that I think is outstanding.

As I’ve been telling folks lately…while I can’t travel west…for the time being…I will make the best of it.

I am surprised, honestly, at the beauty of this city in the early morning hours before the sun comes up, and even shortly after.

The Lake Eola park is a wonderful place to spend the morning. Most certainly.

In it’s own way, it even rivals the “edge of the Canyon” sunrises I have found so many times out west.

I hope you enjoy those panoramic photographs. I love sharing them with you and hope they cause you to reflect just a little on the wonder and beauty God regularly creates on the revolving axis of time.

Til next time,

rob out