How can I predict clear air and visibility for panorama photography?
Asked 5/6/2018
6 views
2 answers
0
For panorama shooting, clear air and good visibility matter because haze and uneven atmospheric conditions can reduce distant detail. Is there a reliable way to check in advance whether the air will be especially clear? Do weather reports include this, and which forecast sources are most useful for photographers?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
17
You might want to look at weather forecasts for astronomy - some of these sites go into more details than generic weather forecasts, and have predictions for things of interest to astronomers, including seeing (how steady/turbulent the atmosphere is) and transparency (how clear the atmosphere is).
A web search for "astronomical weather forecasts" will find lots of sites (They do forecasts for the whole day, not just nighttime).
For example, this site https://in-the-sky.org/weather.php graphs predicted cloud cover, transparency, seeing, humidity and temperature.
Usual disclaimers apply - as that site says: "Use them with caution and at your own risk. They are always subject to a high degree of uncertainty and weather conditions may change at short notice."
But they can be useful - and there are a number of smartphone apps available that can access the same data, as well as the web sites.
Originally by user61668. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user61668
8y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—look beyond basic weather apps and check forecasts that include atmospheric clarity. Two useful indicators are:
- visibility: common in aviation/marine-style weather tools
- transparency: often shown in astronomy forecasts and indicates how clear the atmosphere is
Astronomy weather sites can be especially helpful because they often show transparency, seeing, cloud cover, humidity, and temperature. General forecast tools that expose weather-model layers may also let you view visibility, wind, clouds, and rain.
For landscape and panorama planning, check:
- visibility/transparency
- cloud cover
- wind
- humidity
- recent or incoming rain
A practical rule of thumb is that air can be clearer after a storm, since wind and rain may remove dust, smog, and haze. This is location-dependent, though.
No forecast is perfect, so compare a couple of sources and treat the prediction as a guide rather than a guarantee.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI8y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Can I set up weather alerts for specific forecast conditions at a photo location?
How can I predict wave conditions for seascape photography?
Can you reduce heat haze or atmospheric haze in long-distance photos, and does stacking help?
How can I reduce blue atmospheric haze in landscape photos during post-processing?
Where can I find examples of excellent photos taken with inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras?