Atlanta Skyline Night Photography
2003 photos are with a Fujifilm S602 mid-sized camera and 2011 photos with a Canon S95 pocket camera.

A comparison of the increase in digital photography detail over eight years (if any).  Both cameras have the same size sensor (1/1.7").  The Fuji sensor has 3MP which are interpolated to 6MP.  The Canon sensor has 10MP.

Aug. 2012 ° Pictures and text by jack yeazel

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Photos taken SE-ward from vantage points

Photos From Brookwood Amtrak Station
2003                                                                      2011                                                                         2011
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A little irony here.  Looks like Verison has taken over AT&T's 'high spot'.  °  The sign continually cycles between ads.

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Thumbnails (Notice that two building no longer light their roofs)

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Full Resolution Crops (Increase in detail is barely discernible plus some decrease in noise)

2003                                                                                                       2012
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This 'classic' photo was used in a few publications.               In nine years, a few buildings have been added.

NOTES:
'Perspective' problems (buildings tend to lean toward each other) arise when doing panoramic merges.  However, in Photoshop Elements 9, the best solution is: New, Photomerge, Panorama; check the "Cylindrical" and "Geometric Distortion Correction" boxes.   Another consideration is that the initial exposure should be set to -1 or -2 f stops, because cameras generally over-compensate for the 'darkness'.

'High Dynamic Ratio' photography is available in some cameras, but a better solution is to use Elements' Photomerge, Exposure with exposure-bracketed shots.  In the case of night skylines where the signs and lights on the buildings are severely overexposed (as compared to the buildings themselves), 'extreme' bracketing is required.  In the photos below a bracketing of 0, -1 1/3, +1 1/3 f stops was used.  In Elements you can use either all three or just the last two.  There is no way to predict which will be better, so for the best work use both and compare the results.  Notice below, each method has been used to produce the better results.

Panorama from the 17th St. Bridge (Aug. 2012)

Two-photo panorama merge of 2 exposures each  (50mm equivalent, 400 ISO, 1/15-1/2 Sec.)


(Un-compensated original shot to show the effect of Exposure Merge)

Panorama from (the lower) Fowler Street (30 minutes earlier the same day)

Three-photo panorama merge of 3 exposures each (50mm equivalent, 80-400 ISO, 1/60-1/50 Sec.)


(Un-compensated original shot to show the effect of Exposure Merge and the 'prospective' problem)

Panorama from Hwy 13S (Buford Hwy. to Spring St. Connector)

Ad for WSB Radio/TV in the AJC


Two-photo panorama merge of 2 exposures each  (50mm equivalent, 400 ISO, 1/3-1 Sec.)


This panorame is also visible from 13S

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Man barely escapes car fire after hitting retaining wall just in front of camera taking the above panorama.
 

2003                                    Extra Shots                                        2011
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Evening view of the King and Queen buildings in Dunwoody  °  A lucky shot which I didn't notice until downloading

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The "Mutt and Jeff" (Fuji S602Z and Canon S95)