Dead Stump Panorama

[iceman (Mike)]

This dead tree stump is one of my highlights of the landscape on the way to the IceInSpace AstroCamp at Lostock. It can be seen on the final hill approaching the camp, and I've always wanted to feature it in some nightscapes.

I took a timelapse from the stump in IISAC2010 with much more primitive nightscape gear than I have now, so I was pleased to feature it again in this ultrawide nightscape panorama with the Milky Way arching over the tree stump.

The panorama is made up of 22 images, 2 rows of 11 photos sweeping from left to right with the camera in portrait orientation. Each photo is a 30s exposure, f/2.8, ISO6400 with the Canon 6D and Samyang 14mm lens. The panorama was stitched using Microsoft ICE and then processed in Photoshop.

The stump is getting more and more fragile every year – I fear that it may not even be there for IISAC2014!

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Thanks for looking

[batema (Mark)]

Amazing photo and it must have been a great time.

Mark

[Ross G]

A beautiful looking panorama Mike.

I love the contrast of rich sky colours and dark landscape.

Preserve the stump, it looks good!

Ross.

[CapturingTheNight (Greg)]

Nice one Mike. When I saw your preview on FB I initially thought it was you standing in the frame.

[gregbradley]

Great work Mike. I am fond of panoramas (or is that really mosaic?)
and this is an excellent one.

How do you find ICE? You also use PTGui don't you? Is it as good or better?

Greg.

[DavidU (Dave)]

I like that one Mike.

[Larryp (Laurie)]

Very nice!

[lacad01 (Adam)]

Super pano, great composition how the Milky Way spans the horizon

[iceman (Mike)]

Originally Posted by batema

Amazing photo and it must have been a great time.

Mark

Thanks Mark, it was a great night. Even better with company - Andrew and I drove up and down the road, to Lostock Dam, and then ended up at this stump before heading back to camp.

Originally Posted by Ross G

A beautiful looking panorama Mike.

I love the contrast of rich sky colours and dark landscape.

Preserve the stump, it looks good!

Ross.

Thanks Ross - it's a great stump. It's only going to take a drunken cow to stumble into it and I think it'll be gone.

Originally Posted by obsidianphotos

Nice one Mike. When I saw your preview on FB I initially thought it was you standing in the frame.

Thanks Greg. Not pointing or waving in this one

Originally Posted by gregbradley

Great work Mike. I am fond of panoramas (or is that really mosaic?)
and this is an excellent one.

How do you find ICE? You also use PTGui don't you? Is it as good or better?

Greg.

Thanks for the feedback. I didn't mind ICE at all - quick and easy to use. I usually use AutoPano Pro, but for two of the nightscape panoramas from IISAC it had problems stitching them, so I had to find an alternative.

I downloaded ICE and it was pretty good with both of them. Only a few minor spots I had to work on (apart from the usual warping).

I'll definitely give it another go.

Originally Posted by DavidU

I like that one Mike.

Thanks David!

Originally Posted by Larryp

Very nice!

Thanks Larry!

Originally Posted by lacad01

Super pano, great composition how the Milky Way spans the horizon

Thanks Adam - I captured more than I needed and cropped a bit from the left, but only just got enough at the top. A little stretched at top but not noticeable enough.

Cheers

[ourkind (Carlos)]

Great work Mike! Beautiful, at least you've given that stump the justice it deserved

[iceman (Mike)]

Thanks Carlos - appreciate the feedback.

[rogerg (Roger)]

I love the pano and colours Mike, but the stump doesn't do much for me Bit too solid and block like, featureless

[iceman (Mike)]

Originally Posted by rogerg

I love the pano and colours Mike, but the stump doesn't do much for me Bit too solid and block like, featureless

Thanks Roger - probably just needs a bit of light-painting on it to make it less of a silhouette

[astronobob (Bob)]

So many frames Mike, dig the Ryo Ophicious & pipe neb area, the whole MilkWay looks fantastic, a couple more months and tha MilkWay heart/center will be higher, so looking forward to further Nightscapes compositions from you & your gear/technique

[bradley]

OMG .. that's beautiful..i'm breathless...

[StephenM (Stephen)]

Beautiful indeed. Great pano Mike!

Cheers,
Stephen

[iceman (Mike)]

Originally Posted by astronobob

So many frames Mike, dig the Ryo Ophicious & pipe neb area, the whole MilkWay looks fantastic, a couple more months and tha MilkWay heart/center will be higher, so looking forward to further Nightscapes compositions from you & your gear/technique

Thanks Bob! I haven't been out since IISAC2013 We had a great run of clear skies over new moon and I haven't been out amongst it.
But i'm still getting through IISAC shots so at least I've got something to keep me busy.

Originally Posted by bradley

OMG .. that's beautiful..i'm breathless...

Thanks so much Bradley!

Originally Posted by StephenM

Beautiful indeed. Great pano Mike!

Cheers,
Stephen

Thanks Stephen! I love a good milkyway pano

[schmikko (Michael)]

beautiful image Mike. Sometimes foreground detail enhances an image but I think the silhouette emphasizes and compliments the main theme, the milkyway.