5D Mk IV – EF 16-35mm F/2.8L II – Various Shutter, f/8, ISO 100, Eval Meter

OK, I’m being kind of lazy this week and am pulling a picture from earlier this year (February 28 to be exact). Actually, this was a pretty hard shot to take. It is a High Dynamic Range Panorama of the Missile Gallery at the National Museum of the USAF in Dayton, Ohio. This particular photo is a merge of 18 separate pictures. I took the pics from the second story overlook right outside from a small cafe. The pic is two rows wide and three rows high. The missiles were actually much closer than they seem. They are also very tall, the highest one being the Martin Marietta Titan II missile at 108 ft. It is the third one from the right. The Missile Gallery itself is 140 ft tall, close to 12 stories.

So, to get this shot, the camera was set at a wide 16mm focal length. The bottom row was taken straight and level, while the next row was angled up, and the top row was significantly angled toward the ceiling. I wasn’t sure the panorama would turn out since the camera was pointed so high.

Visiting the NMUSAF is becoming something of an annual expedition for me. In this case, at least two events transpired to warrant another visit. In April, they put another rocket in the gallery, the Convair Atlas; and I purchased a dedicated panoramic tripod head – no more guessing and hoping I get the shots!