Taking Panoramic Landscapes - The Easy Solution
I love panoramas. There's something very appealing about their shape. It's probably because we see the world more in these dimensions than the near square format of standard film/sensor frames. It might also explain the upsurge in the popularity of widescreen TVs! Panoramas have a reputation of being hard to take. There are dedicated panorama cameras available but unless you've got at least a thousand dollars to spare, you probably can't afford one! But you can take panoramas with any kind of camera. All a panorama is, is a sequence of images where you turn slightly for each different frame. In the old days, before PCs and the likes of Photoshop were around, you'd take your prints (there wasn't much point in shooting panoramas on slide film, for obvious reasons), lay them out on a table and position them over each other where they overlapped. A bit of sticky tape held them together. [As a side note, this technique was used by NASA to build up mosaic pictures of the planets and satellites their spaceprobes visited, up till the late '70s/early 80s when computers were introduced to make the process less laborious]. Now that PCs and image manipulation packages are easy to come by, high-quality panoramas can now be created by anyone. If you're shooting slide or negative film, you will need to have your images scanned before you do anything else. DIY Panoramas Just to be clear, the Nodal Point is not the same as the film/sensor plane. Generally, for most SLR cameras and lenses, the Nodal Point is located somewhere towards the center of the lens barrel and lies in front of the image/sensor plane. The Problem With Parallax Now, if you consider a camera held up to your face - it will suffer even greater parallax errors as it's farther from your spine (the point of rotation of your head) than your eye. It's surprisingly common for people to take panoramas in this fashion and then find the individual pictures don't match up. So use a tripod and rotate the camera on the tripod. The parallax errors will be significantly smaller but there will still be some error involved. However, the images will match up better than with the head rotation method. Mechanical Contraptions A few months ago I bought such a bracket - the Kaidan Kiwi. This comes in two halves which produce an L-shaped bracket. Its instruction manual explains how to set it up and find the nodal point for your camera and lens. However, you have to get your tripod perfectly level before using it, otherwise you end up with a curved panorama rather than a straight one. I've had good success using this bracket, but it is large and heavy and certainly a bit too cumbersome to be carrying on long walks or while away on vacation. AutoStitch To The Rescue It really is that simple. Unless successive images are radically different in exposure (i.e. one image to too light or dark compared to another), it seamlessly blends them. It performs all the warping of the images necessary to get them to align (other software I've used can cause ghosting in the overlap areas where it hasn't quite aligned the images). It also aligns multiple rows of images rather than just a single strip. Even better, it doesn't require you to set up your camera to rotate about its nodal point. When I was in Crete last year, I tried shooting a few panoramas with my Canon EOS 300D held up to my eye (I didn't have a tripod with me). When I got home, I tried stitching the pictures together using various bits of software (including software dedicated to stitching images together) and didn't get satisfactory results. I knew, though, that it was because I'd swivelled the camera about my spine. But I tried these images with AutoStitch and they came out perfectly. See for yourself here. I went walking up the Wicklow mountains in Ireland no too long ago and up to a high point called Djouce which offers a view over the rolling hills south of Dublin. As an experiment, I shot 8 frames while rotating my head about the scene (camera to eye as per normal). I wanted to see if the Crete photos were a fluke as the panoramas from there were composed of, at most, 3 frames each (sometimes 2). Conclusion Give AutoStitch a try. It's free and, so far, it produces the best panoramic results of all the panorama/stitching software I've tried. One thing to remember when taking panoramas is that the exposures of each frame should be the same. So if you make your first exposure at f/8 and 1/125 of a second, take them all using those settings. Yes, you will have to put your camera into manual mode. Otherwise, you run the risk of having radically different exposures for your images. For example, if you're panning over a landscape that contains water, like a lake, any sunlight reflected off the water may make your camera take a shorter exposure than for the other frames in your sequence. Setting your camera to manual mode will prevent that. Gary Nugent is a software engineer by profession and has been in the business for over 20 years. Photography has been a hobby for an even longer period of time and he's now even more passionate about it since making the switch to using a digital SLR camera. He runs the Great Landscape Photography website: http://www.great-landscape-photography.com
MORE RESOURCES: ‘The model loved the departure from traditional portraiture’ – Kamzy Nuel’s best phone picture The Guardian A new chapter in the history of New York street-style photography The Washington Post Reuters photographer wins World Press Photo of the Year with poignant shot from Gaza - Yahoo! Voices Capturing Life with Photographer Stephen DiRado The Scarlet SAMA Altoona to present two railroad photography exhibitions Altoona Mirror Apollo’s Muse: The Moon in the Age of Photography The Metropolitan Museum of Art Lenzo Studio closing as photographer and owner retires Times Reporter Jenny Lynn Photography moves to new Martin Street Studio Martinsburg Journal It's Lisa's Turn column: Photography is a remarkable substitute for eyesight - Alexandria Echo Press It's Lisa's Turn column: Photography is a remarkable substitute for eyesight Alexandria Echo Press Still Photography is Focus of New May AC - The American Society of Cinematographers (en-US) The American Society of Cinematographers Library to host photography workshop; document shredding event - The Advocate-Messenger Danville Advocate Photography couple earns Miss Aggie award in Mandarin Jacksonville Today Senior Picture Session - Susan Schiller Photography | | gazette.com Colorado Springs Gazette Milwaukee Photographer Keeps Shooting for the Stars Shepherd Express Dafydd Jones on Photographing New York Society in the '80s and '90s The New York Times Flagpole Photographers Camera Club Offering Hands-On, In-Town Photography Workshop - The Newtown Bee Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado is known in particular for his work in the Amazon The Killeen Daily Herald Why We Don't See Exciting Sports Photography Like This Anymore The Phoblographer Photo project on Greenland's forced sterilization program wins Sony World Photography Awards 2024 DIY Photography “Necromancer” features photos of Greenland by Inuuteq Storch The Washington Post Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado is known in particular for his work in the Amazon Baker City Herald Photography and geology in the national parks - Sent-trib Sentinel-Tribune Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | News | djournal.com Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal A newt eating frogspawn wins the Close-up Photographer of the Year Water challenge - DIY Photography Photograph of aunt holding body of dead niece in Gaza wins World Press Photo award The Times of Israel Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National | caledonianrecord.com The Caledonian-Record Sony World Photography Awards 2024 winners Wallpaper* Sony Photographers: Want to Win Two Lenses? The Phoblographer Opinion | A Palestinian Photographer’s Lens on His People The New York Times Experiment with your long lens Photofocus Bennett Galleries to exhibit 'The Lost Weekend – The Photography of May Pang' April 26-28 thenewstn.com A 'Computer' Built from DNA Can Find Patterns in Photographs Scientific American Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National | averyjournal.com Avery Journal Times “Fear and Terror”: Gaza Photographer Ahmed Zakot on Documenting the Carnage of Israel's Assault Democracy Now! 10 Years Ago, Google Started a Smartphone Photography Revolution With an App You Can't Install Today Inverse This stunning photography book was shot with Sony compact cameras! Digital Camera World Documentary project wins Sony World Photography Awards 2024, and Sebastião Salgado is awarded Outstanding ... Digital Camera World Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National | ashepostandtimes.com ashepostandtimes.com Gene Herrick, AP photographer who covered the Korean War and civil rights, dies at 97 The Associated Press Forget iPhones, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is better for photography Amateur Photographer Zhengzhou Hosts Sinicized Christianity 'Central Plains Wheat Culture' Photography Contest China Christian Daily The Incredible Wartime Career of Lee Miller, Model-Turned-World War II Combat Photographer Military.com Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National | wyomingnews.com - Wyoming Tribune MSU student's anxiety-exploring photography on display through April 19 Mississippi State University Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National | wataugademocrat.com Watauga Democrat How to photograph a solar eclipse Space.com Kim Kardashian Shows Off North West's Photography Skills in New Pics Entertainment Tonight Sony World Photography Awards - see the amazing winners! Amateur Photographer 6 Google Pixel camera tips to photograph a solar eclipse The Keyword | Google Product and Technology News Winners of the 2024 World Nature Photography Awards The Atlantic Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National | ashleycountyledger.com Ashley COunty Ledger Can Indie Sleaze be Black? officemagazine.net Photography exhibition begins at Punjabi varsity The Tribune India Photography, B.S. MTSU.edu Photography is 'mirror on society': Sebastiao Salgado | National World News | bhpioneer.com Black Hills Pioneer |
RELATED ARTICLES
How to Take Great Photos of Your Child Children are naturally photogenic. Ive worked in studios and children are so easy to photograph. The Advantages of Underwater Camera Housing You will need an underwater camera housing to keep your valuable camera dry. This is a very important piece of equipment. Photography - Rules of Composition Composition is defined as the combining of distinct parts or elements to form a whole. In photography that definition is very important in taking quality pictures. Applications of Underwater Video Cameras There's so much you can do with an underwater video camera. If you enjoy snorkeling or diving, you can use the camera to show your friends and family the beautiful tropical fish, colorful coral reefs, and other underwater treasures you encountered on your vacation. CCTV Camera Tip: Apply Simple Common Sense when Picking CCTV Cameras and Lenses Get a good face shot: Use Higher quality cameras at entry areas.Doors, gates and other entry areas need a good quality, high resolution camera to record a good 'face shot. Tips for Purchasing a Digital Camera Lens Your lens is an essential element to good photographs. It's not just your camera. Photographing Kids Kids grow up so quickly and while we are often left with countless memories, most parents have only a drawer packed with school photos, blurry holiday snaps and the forced grin of the inevitable yearly birthday picture to account for the years gone by. It's time to stop bemoaning the latest photograph of your thumb obscuring your adorable baby and get on with improving your skills as a photographer. Understanding Digital Photography Most serious photographers and all professionals use a Single Lens Reflex camera (SLR), the definition of an SLR camera is that the image is captured exactly as you see it in the viewfinder. However there are now two types of SLR the single lend reflex film (SLRF) and the single lens digital (SLD). The Venice Rookery Love is in the air at the Venice Rookery. The birds (and the bees) are there doing the thing they are so famous for, and you can take pictures of it! Seriously, though, the Venice Rookery is an ideal spot to photograph birds mating, building their nests, fighting for territory and feeding their chicks. Imperfect Photos And How You Can Fix Them So your picture came out less then perfect. Blemishes or wrinkles, red eyes and wrong color balance - you can fix it all without having to learn or pay for Adobe Photoshop. Weddings, From a Photographers Point of View Your wedding day is without a doubt one of the happiest and stressful days of you life. The happy part comes naturally but how can you cut down on the stress? Well from a photographers standpoint, seeing that he is with you from the beginning of the day till the end, and sees you before and after the wedding, I would like to offer some tips and secrets to make it more happy than stressful. Elephants in the Sky and Four Poems Elephants in the Sky[1980s, Lee Evens in Mali, Timbuktu/Africa]Advance: Lee was discharged from the Army in 1980, whereupon, he traveled the world, one of those locations was in Mali, by the legendary city of Timbuktu; whereupon he found himself in the middle of a plague, a plague of locust.[Diary-review]There were swarms of locust over the top of my car, in front of me, swarms, a dark shadow covering the sky, descending, descending onto the road-in front of me, behind me, it was locusts, locusts, locusts-locusts everywhere: so thick, thick as layers that my car was slipping and sliding as if on ice. Exposure Compensation The digital camera is in reality a great possession with many facets of its utilities and not only that knowing these utilities makes the understanding the digital camera complete. The utilities are also so very diverse that they too offer further introspection of details in their varying applications. Removing Spot Scratches in Your Treasured Photos - 5 Minute Digital Fix Probably one of the most common problems you will be faced with in doing any type of digital photo restoration work will be to do with spot scratches on your old photos.When we first look at those old black and white or early colour photos they often have small scratch marks and spots on them from being stored incorrectly. Buying the Best Digital Camera for Your Needs Choosing a digital camera can be a daunting task with the wide number of choices available in today's market place. There are lots and lots of things that you need to keep in mind while going to choose a camera for yourself. Digital Camera Auto Exposure and Auto Focus The digital camera being a fantastic and technologically advanced device contains many different applications of its own. Many users of this fabulous device are unaware of quite a few of these functions which can actually do wonders. Freelance Photography: How to Begin Your Career Photography is a vast world. There are many different types of photography and many different kinds of people that enjoy it. Photography 101 Part 3 ContentEven if you feel that you already know what kind of photography you like to do, it's always a good idea to try your talent at different aspects of photography.Pictorial, this is a general term but it applies to any photographer who's goal is simply to create beautiful photos. Making Money With Digital Photography And Live Events A few years ago I became interested in digital photography, mainly for web publishing and personal reasons. You know, how nice is it now to NOT have to deal with film, scanning pictures, and the costs of developing all of those "not great" photos that you didn't know were so bad until you paid to have them developed!So, at the time I got my first digital camera a friend of mine was playing in a rock band, and needed pictures for their web pages and promotional printings and ads. Camcorder Techniques: How To Make Home Movies Your Family And Friends Will Be Excited To Watch Pre-Production:It's all got to start somewhere, so before you even charge your batteries, rewind those tapes or pack the car, take a seat and have a good think about what you are planning to shoot with your camcorder. 'Planning is the key' to a good production even if you're just shooting a small home movie. |
home | site map |
© 2006 KeralaClick.com |