Cascade Head [+edit]

Sometime back I remember seeing a panorama from Ecola with a great sky. I can’t remember who took it or where I saw it, but for a while now I’ve wanted to catch a coastal panorama of my own with color from east to west. I’ve tried several times from Ecola, several times from Cape Lookout, and four times from Cascade Head. The fifth time from Cascade Head was the charm.

Large panoramas get murdered at this resolution, so here’s a link to a larger version.

I’d love your thoughts, especially on the crop. (This is from a 1x8 stitch; I’ll post the full panorama below.)

Beautiful work, John. I kind of like the second version with the dark trees providing sort of a border or end point where my eyes stop and then go back to the central part of the image. Ideally, I would like to see a little bit more at the bottom of the frame (and maybe even the top), but there's probably a good reason for the tight crop on the bottom.

Must have been awesome just being there to experience that sunrise.

Absolutely beautiful, John. I agree with Greg on the trees....they not only provide a kind of frame, but they also help orient me to the nature of the hills (not dunes, not rock, but dry grass) and also provide scale.

Awesome sight, John! Was this taken last Sunday (1-10-10) by any chance? I ask because I caught a very similar sunrise down in Bandon that morning. It only happens a few times a year when you get one that completely fills the sky like this on the coast, and it always seems to happen in the winter months. I'd give anything for something like this to happen during peak wildflower bloom on the coast.

I'm with Greg. The second version works a little better because of the darker trees included on the right edge. They help to stop, and then re-direct my eyes back into the frame. A little tight on the bottom, but I ain't complaining. This is still very nice, and a rare sight for sure.

I do like the second pano better, and I wish there was a little more at the bottom, but it is a good image and I love the sky. You don't see that kind of sky very often. Awesome!

Thanks so much for the comments! I want to eventually post this in ESS, but find this forum a great place to "first run" a photo I have some doubts about. I'm at work now, but I'll make some adjustments and re-post, hopefully this evening.

I ended up with so little room at the bottom because my darn pano head is getting old, and it sags. When leveled, using the bubble level it includes, it drops as it moves from right to left. This means that I have crop different than my original composition . The slope really falls away from you at this location, so that didn't help either. With this subject matter though, I think I can probably use Photoshop's Transform to pull the corner down a little to get some of that back; I'll play with that. I'll also go with the wider crop.

Aaron, exactly. I hope you've got some photos to share! I tried Saturday night, but the marine layer killed any sunset color. Fortunately, in winter it's only an easy mile hike in (the upper section is closed other times of the year), so I hiked back in before dawn. Sunday morning was the best I've ever experienced at the coast.

John, this is beautiful, I like the second image as well. Nicely done!

John, I also prefer the second shot, for the same reasons the others have mentioned. What a killer sky. Excellent capture.

Here's the edit and a link to a 1600 pixel wide version. Thanks so much for the suggestions!

I like your edit better with the extra ground at the bottom. Love the shot.

The repost is lookin' good, except the link isn't working for me.

Its amazing how that tiny bit of extra space along the bottom makes the whole image feel so much more comfortable to my eye.

Everything about this is beautiful, especially what this turned into. The real gold about this website is how a good photo becomes great. I would love to witness this place someday. Thanks for sharing!

Kevin

The link's fixed. I keep forgetting that NPN can't handle a link with "img" in the address (dang it).

Thanks for all the comments! I always find them educational and helpful.

Kevin, if you haven't been it is a wonderful place to visit. Year round it is a nice (vigorous) 2 1/2 climb up from the river, and in the winter you can also access it from the top with an easy mile hike. (They close the top in warmer months to protect endangered species.)

Very nice image John. The repost looks great with the extra space on the sides and bottom. The sky is amazing here. Is that a crescent moon in the sky just right of center?

Good eye Scott! It is.

That final repost puts it over the top, John. Well done and a worthy entry over on ESS.

#3 is THE one! what an amazing pano! Wow!

What an amazing sky John, I agree with the others, #3 is THE ONE!

Beautiful pano, John...