Andrew Varlamov: Bolsheokhtinsky Bridge on the Neva River Behind the scene : how this panorama was made I had got only 2 days for shooting, because weekend was busy to spend it with my family. In the morning of September 20 I picked up tripod and equipped camera leaving home. I didnt take umbrella relying on absence of rain. Weather was suitable but not excelent, sky was closed by clouds, and I reached my workplace with dry shoes. On lunchtime rain started. In the evening rain became shower. When I came to Bolsheokhtinsky bridge after workday, shower was so hard that I was obliged to hide under bridge crossing the Okhta river (it shown on panorama as hill covered by lighting cars). 19:28 (local time) - I mounted and adjusted tripod and shooted two series of shots. Parameters of camera were the next: Exposure mode Manual, sensitivity ISO 400, shutter speed 1/30 sec, aperture f/3.5, White Balance Cloudy. Suddenly small ship occured under bridge going to enter the Neva. View was non-interesting, Bolsheokhtinsky bridge was not shown completely. Wind was from the west and I suspected that clouds could go away. 19:40 - shower stopped and I was free to choose new position for shooting. I went along Petrozavod plant rising to bridge. Light rain continued and I waited some time hiding under roof near walls of plant. To save time I opened tripod legs and screw spirit level. Suddenly over the left bank of the Neva sky began to clean. Rain stopped completely and sky on the west became scarlet. Traffic along embankment was so dense that there was no time to choose position near the Neva. I waited while pair of cars turn to the bridge, crossed the corner and ran to bridge. 20:05 - I chose position which was the most suitable to shoot both the bridge and the road along embankment. I shooted two series of 8 shots (6 horizontal, 2 zenith, bottom shot is still my weak place). The second one was more successfull because sun lightened old plants by pink colors and dark figure of girl occured on the opposite side of the bridge. Parameters of camera were the next: Exposure mode Manual, sensitivity ISO 800, shutter speed 1/20 sec, aperture f/3.5, White Balance Cloudy. Focal length was 11 mm, I occasionally touched lens wheel. But next day PTGui Optimizer said me that quality of stitching was very good. Return