Panoramic views of the United States

After some very tiring months, I had to take a break. This is why I went on a little tour through the United States, starting off at the East Coast with New York and the Niagara Falls. I then flew to California at the West Coast to get some sunshine and to hike through the Yosemite National Park. Not wanting to take all my camera equipment with me, I totally relied on my new iPhone. As a former Android user, I was looking forward to trying out my new phone to see what it can do. Here are some of the results!

Panorama

“A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν “all” + ὅραμα “sight”), is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space…”, at least that is what Wikipedia says. It has certainly become my favourite kind of photo, as I love to take images that show the whole scene and not just a part of it! The human eye can see so much and a camera can only take in so little, so a panorama is ideal when it comes to overviews of bigger areas. But let’s look at some examples, taken with the iPhone 6.

Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls are one of North America’s most visited sights and they are especially spectacular from the Canadian site. Here is a view on the American Falls on the left side and the Horseshoe Falls covered in spray.

San Francisco

Pier 39 is one of San Francisco’s most touristy areas, with lots of shops and restaurants. But the highlight is definitely the sea lion colony on the west side of the Pier, where the sea lions have their own pontoons to live on.

California West Coast

Now let’s go ultra-wide! This view of the West Coast of California clearly tells you two things: the landscape is just amazing and there are hardly any people at those long empty beaches. If you like the sea-side and a bright warm sun, then this is the place to be!

Monterey Coast

The area near Monterey has long been home to the wealthy upper class, living in big fancy houses. But as most of the coast-line in this area is also extremely beautiful, I could not resist to take another panorama shot!

Yosemite National Park

You have probably heard of the Yosemite before and how breath-taking it is. I didn’t want to believe it, but was overwhelmed by the views I got! I can say that I have seen a lot at my young age already, but the Yosemite was definitely one of the highlights in my life! It is a must-see and you have to go at least once in your life! The image on top of this page was taken there as well…

Death Valley

Next stop: Death Valley – the lowest, hottest and driest place in North America! The Death Valley National Park is one of the biggest parks in the U.S., covering an area of around 3,000 sq mi (7,800 km²). I thought it is just a dead valley, but there are many different landscapes and you can easily spend two days or more exploring the whole park! The photo above shows the Artist’s Palette, famous for having various colors of rock. “These colors are caused by the oxidation of different metals (red, pink and yellow is from iron salts, green is from decomposing tuff-derived mica, and manganese produces the purple)…” – thanks Wikipedia! Anyway, pretty amazing!

Las Vegas

There is probably no need to introduce the water fountains of this casino – the Bellagio! On the left side are parts of the Las Vegas Boulevard (a.k.a the Strip) with the Paris Las Vegas and Planet Hollywood clearly visible. Viva Las Vegas…

Grand Canyon

It is not just a big canyon – the Grand Canyon is unbelievably huge! And even in low-light conditions the iPhone 6 still performs okay-ish. I am quite satisfied with the results, especially with the fact there is no additional software needed and that the panorama effect is nearly flawless. However, if you want to get a real Grand Canyon experience, you have to go on a helicopter ride! I recommend to book a seat in a Eurocopter – definitely most comfortable seats and biggest windows. Don’t go for less!

End of the trip

I had a fantastic time in the United States enjoying the beauty of nature and amazing landscapes. So here is one last photo taken one of Miami Beach’s iconic art-deco landmarks: