Here's a brief synopsis of the difficulties of this shot: (1) multi-row panorama, (2) multi-exposure blend of sky and foreground at sunrise when the light is quickly changing, (3) hike at sunrise, (4) entry-level gear incapable of focus- or exposure-bracketing.
Here's how I turned 24 MP into 143 MP to capture my own Horseshoe Bend, worthy of a large print. After four attempts hiking to this location, the final sunrise paid off. The hills were draped in the last of the season's fall colours. Although direct light never appeared on the hills, the clouds erupted in this wonderful pink explosion for a moment or two. While normally I may opt for a tighter composition here, capturing the full breadth of the sky, hills, and river bend was a must. To do so, I used an entry-level 24 MP DSLR and a pano-rail to generate a MULTI-ROW 143 MP pano from 22 stitched photos. I opted for a 2:1 aspect ratio to remove some of the sky at the top of the frame and move the horizon out of the center.
POTD 11/19/2023