VR Tour

Helsinki, Finland

These photographs come from a Baltic trip to Helsinki, Stockholm and St. Petersburg. After this trip, I purchased some new panorama software, called AutoPano Pro. "APP" as it is called is much more automatic than my other tools, and handles handheld-shot panoramas with a lot less work. However, as yet it can't fine tune panos as perfectly so I will still be using Panorama Factory for some of these.

Helsinki (pronounced HEL-sin-key), also known by its founding name of Helsingfors, is the world's most northern capital, but thanks to the gulfstream, it's really not that cold.

Alas, at this time of year there wasn't a lot of good weather, limiting what I could shoot. You can also visit other galleries of Europe.

silja-50-sunset_stitched_1.jpg (11514 x 1100 - 1124K) or VR/Zoom!	200° x 19° (Set) Full size is 40185 x 3839 (154 Megapix) (13' 6" x 16" at 247PPI)
NO CAPTION

The south harbour, at sunset, from the deck of the Silja Symphony, our cruise-ferry for the night. Sunlight reddens the clouds above the Lutheran and Orthodox churches and other landmarks of Helsinki. The German church is to the left, and Market Square in the middle.

ferry-in-4.jpg (6838 x 1100 - 1133K) or VR/Zoom!	135° x 21° (.pano) Full size is 20998 x 3378 (71 Megapix) (8' x 16" at 217PPI)
Harbour of Helsinki at sunset.

That same harbour, in lovely sunlight from an approaching ferry boat. This shot has some flaws, because on a moving ferry boat each shot is from a quite different location.

fromdox.jpg (3883 x 1100 - 616K) or VR/Zoom!	286° (FL) Full size is 13061 x 3700 (48 Megapix) (5' 5" x 19" at 200PPI)
Helsinki from Uspensky

rockchurch-back.jpg (4432 x 1100 - 876K) or VR/Zoom!	360° x 89° (Set) Full size is 13192 x 3274 (43 Megapix) (5' 6" x 16" at 200PPI)
Rock Church, buried in rock, Helsinki

One of Helsinki's unusual attractions is a modern church, known as Temppeliaukio, built right into a dome of solid rock. This 360 degree view is from the balcony at the back.

senate-square.jpg (4692 x 1100 - 715K) or VR/Zoom!	205° x 48° (.pano) Full size is 15658 x 3671 (57 Megapix) (5' 6" x 16" at 236PPI)
Lutheran church in Helsinki

Helsinki's Senate Sqare faces its main Lutheran church.

hels-twilight.jpg (6838 x 1100 - 511K) or VR/Zoom!	151° x 24° (.pano) Full size is 23509 x 3782 (89 Megapix) (8' x 16" at 244PPI)
Night falls early in Helsinki

Another view from the Silja ship as twilight (and rain) falls on Helsinki.

south-harb.jpg (9675 x 1100 - 1849K) or VR/Zoom!	164° x 18° (.pano) Full size is 30425 x 3459 (105 Megapix) (11' 4" x 16" at 223PPI)
Harbour of Helsinki

The harbour from the East side with Market Square

sveaborg-monument.jpg (4415 x 1100 - 897K) or VR/Zoom!	360° x 89° (Set) Full size is 13120 x 3269 (43 Megapix) (5' 6" x 16" at 200PPI)
Fortress near Helsinki

A monument inside Sveaborg (pronounced Svay-borry), the fortress that guarded Helsinki.

from-silja-10.jpg (4448 x 1100 - 391K) or VR/Zoom!	360° x 89° (Set) Full size is 13007 x 3217 (42 Megapix) (5' 5" x 16" at 200PPI)
On board Silja Ferry, Helsinki to Stockholm

A wide angle shot shows the cloud patterns of the sunset.

rainy-helsinki.jpg (7939 x 1100 - 431K) or VR/Zoom!	175° x 24° (.pano) Full size is 27245 x 3775 (103 Megapix) (9' 4" x 16" at 243PPI)
Rain falls on Helsinki

A rainstorm falls upon Helsinki as we leave.

There are a few extra variations on these views.