On our visit to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge I was traveling light thinking only of Birds & Wildlife images. I only was using a Canon R with a Tamron 150-600mm lens. But when we got there the clouds with the landscapes were amazing. So I tried shooting quite a few multi-image panoramas with a variety of the iPhone lenses. The featured image is 10 vertical images (4:3 format iPhone format) assembled and blended in Photoshop.
BWR landscape, iPhone 11 Pro, 4img, 1.5mm lens (Full Frame Camera field of view ~ 13mm)BWR Landscape, iPhone 11 Pro, 4.3mm lens, Panorama mode (“bowing” Horizon Distortion from iPhone pano mode corrected in Photoshop)View from Visitor Center – 9 image, iPhone 11 Pro, 6mm lens (Full Frame Camera Field of View ~52mm)BWR Visitor Center, 1.5mm lens, iPhone 11 Pro, (Full Frame Camera field of view ~ 13mm)BWR Wildlife Drive, 10 vertical images, 1.5mm lens, iPhone 11 ProBWR Observation Platform, 1.5mm lens, 6 Horizontal images panorama
Yes Eliza! You tend to be paying attention to the landscape below the clouds. So when the cloud formations are really amazing you can not help to accent them! Usually I tend to have more of the ground in the image, but with clouds like these I went for the clouds!
Thanks Steve! The “odd effect” is probably from the very small lenses on the iPhone 11 Pro. Especially using the 1.5mm lens with multiple images on multiple rows! Thanks again!
Thanks William! I do not know of any good iPhone tutorials. But then I have not looked for one. I do not like the distortion you get with the panorama mode on the phone. You get a distorted bulging middle area because of the very small focal lengths of the iP 11 Pro. So I shoot a series of individual images with overlapping edges for my panoramas which helps eliminate some of the distortion. I then open them in Adobe Camera Raw for adjusting the series and pulling out more detail from the files. In Adobe Camera Raw I can also instruct Photoshop to open the Raw files much larger than normal and still hold detail and control the “noise” if I want to make large prints with detail. So it comes in handy for when you want a big print or even an interesting large panorama. I have used Adobe Photoshop since 1990 for my Commercial work so it is 2nd nature for me to do that for my personal work now that I am retired. If you have any specific questions just ask & I will try to answer them. Or do a post showing the steps. Thanks again!
Fantastic photos, Reed! I know what you means …..I’ve found recently that my husband sometimes gets far better shots, panos, and videos with his iPhone 12 than I can with my 150-600mm lens!
Yes! I tend to use my iPhone 11 Pro as my backup camera for wider shots when using my main camera with either a 400mm or 150-600mm. A lot lighter to lug around! I used to use another Canon or m43 body with a wide to short zoom. I also open my iPhone images in Adobe Camera Raw to get even more detail out of the iPhone images. Plus I can enlarge the images in Adobe Camera raw when opening them so I can make larger prints with better detail. Thanks again!!
photoartflight
photoartflight 
What an amazing effect on the clouds!
Thanks! The iPhone multi-image panoramas are fun to do. Sometimes challenging because of such small focal length lenses on the iPhone!
Wow, great cloud captures, Reed. I’m always amazed at how much sky one sees at this refuge.
Yes Eliza! You tend to be paying attention to the landscape below the clouds. So when the cloud formations are really amazing you can not help to accent them! Usually I tend to have more of the ground in the image, but with clouds like these I went for the clouds!
Glad you did!
The panos have such an odd effect on the clouds’ appearance. Almost like a reflected image. Love the clouds over the Observation PLatform.
Thanks Steve! The “odd effect” is probably from the very small lenses on the iPhone 11 Pro. Especially using the 1.5mm lens with multiple images on multiple rows! Thanks again!
Those look great! I just recently bought an 11 Pro Max but haven’t begun to tap it yet. Any recommended tutorials?
Thanks William! I do not know of any good iPhone tutorials. But then I have not looked for one. I do not like the distortion you get with the panorama mode on the phone. You get a distorted bulging middle area because of the very small focal lengths of the iP 11 Pro. So I shoot a series of individual images with overlapping edges for my panoramas which helps eliminate some of the distortion. I then open them in Adobe Camera Raw for adjusting the series and pulling out more detail from the files. In Adobe Camera Raw I can also instruct Photoshop to open the Raw files much larger than normal and still hold detail and control the “noise” if I want to make large prints with detail. So it comes in handy for when you want a big print or even an interesting large panorama. I have used Adobe Photoshop since 1990 for my Commercial work so it is 2nd nature for me to do that for my personal work now that I am retired. If you have any specific questions just ask & I will try to answer them. Or do a post showing the steps. Thanks again!
Thanks for the explanation!
Amazing captures, Reed! What gorgeous clouds and scenes, well done!!
Thanks Donna! It was definitely a fun day to get out and photograph at Blackwater NWR!
Fantastic photos, Reed! I know what you means …..I’ve found recently that my husband sometimes gets far better shots, panos, and videos with his iPhone 12 than I can with my 150-600mm lens!
Yes! I tend to use my iPhone 11 Pro as my backup camera for wider shots when using my main camera with either a 400mm or 150-600mm. A lot lighter to lug around! I used to use another Canon or m43 body with a wide to short zoom. I also open my iPhone images in Adobe Camera Raw to get even more detail out of the iPhone images. Plus I can enlarge the images in Adobe Camera raw when opening them so I can make larger prints with better detail. Thanks again!!
Wow! Soooo beautiful! (Insert heart-eyed emoji)
Thanks Laura! I enjoy making panoramas! They are fun to do!