I am happy to receive the results from the Epson Pano Awards. This is a photo competition open only to panorama photos. Having said that, the definition of “pano” is too loose for my liking. This competition only requires that a photo be cropped to a 2×1 aspect ratio. This means that the photos do not actually need to be true panoramas. To me, a panorama photo is a multi image picture that has been stitched together into one final image.

But with that out of the way, here are my winning entries to the 2020 competition. (To see my full list of photography awards, click here.)

I shot this in the lavender fields of France. I went there hoping for a sunset but a lightning storm erupted. I set up my camera and began taking 5 second exposures with the hope of capturing some lightning. My patience was rewarded after taking around 150 shots.

I shot this in the Italian Dolomites. I don’t love the sky but this is what I got, and I only had one opportunity to shoot a sunrise at this location. Sometimes you have to take what you get.

I shot this photo from the roof of the tallest building in Paris. I love the perspective from up here. It is like no other. I also like how the leading lines created by the streets direct your eye to the Eiffel Tower.

The lavender fields of France are simply incredible. The best time to shoot the lavender is in the last week of June or first week of July. Anything later and the lavender will be harvested. What you cannot see in this photo are the millions of bees buzzing around and pollinating the lavender.

This is a ten image panorama that I shot in the Canadian Rockies. It is one of the rare mountain scenes located in British Columbia. Usually the great mountain shots are in Alberta. I like this composition because the shoreline creates a frame and a sense of balance and symmetry that frames in the mountain.

I used my simple four-step framework to find these locations and take these pictures. If you want to know how you can use the same framework to take your own pictures, then watch my free webclass here: https://www.learn.photographyacademy.com/freewebclass The link opens up on my other website, Photography Academy.

Explore, create, inspire!

Tim Shields