The onset of digital changed all that...
With powerful computing and advanced software packages, suddenly the everyday photographer had the option of stringing multiple images together to create a single, panoramic image. This process was coined "stitching".
But is it as simple as blazing away across a scene and hitting "GO"?
Well no, it isn't. There are quite a number of factors that you must keep in mind right from the planning stage through to execution.
The Lens Can Make It, or Break It...
Normally, when you're planning an image that is to have a wide angle of view, you immediately go for your widest lens. These wide angle lenses allow you to fit a whole lot more of your scene onto the sensor and hence, into your image. But there are trade offs with cramming a whole lot into a single scene and for panoramas, the important one is distortion.
Due to some pretty complex physics, a wide-angle lens will tend to distort horizontal and vertical lines, shapes and figures; the degree of the distortion depends on the distance of the object from the camera and the object's location in the frame: the closer it is to the edges the greater the distortion.
As you would well imagine, for a landscape, cityscape or interior, you have objects at all sorts of distances from the camera and plenty of straight lines! The issue then becomes one of misaligned elements at the boundaries of each individual image.
To combat this, use as long a focal length as is practicable as the longer the focal length, the less the distortion. If you must use a wider lens, then shoot in portrait orientation as this will minimise distortion of the horizon; arguably the most important element in a landscape. Actually, use a portrait orientation all the time!
Lock Your Settings
Even if you shoot in the more advanced shutter or aperture priority modes, there is still every chance that your exposure will change as you move through the scene. This will result in an obvious darkening or lightening of sections of your panorama. Locking the aperture will also maintain a uniform depth of field through the image.
As you setup your panorama, take a few test images throughout the scene to determine the best overall exposure. Remember to always shoot with a bias toward the highlights as these are what you want to protect. Shadows are much more readily recovered and are no where near as ugly in a photo as blown highlights.
As well as locking the exposure, use either a custom white balance or one of the presets. It doesn't really matter either way; the main thing is that auto white balance is turned off for the same reason as you lock your exposure.
Don't forget your autofocus! Nothing will ruin a good panorama faster for the viewer than for the focal plane to vary through the image. Before you begin shooting your panorama, choose your point of focus and, with autofocus turned on, half-depress your shutter button to engage the autofocus. Once you are satisfied your focus is correct switch it to manual and begin shooting.
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| The presence of a polarising filter darkens the sky in the center of the shot considerably, when compared to the same image below, shot without a polarising filter. |
Mount Your Camera, Take Off Your Filters and Go!!!
Unfortunately it isn't enough to align one frame, you have to make sure your camera is level in both directions (imagine left to right and front to back). If you don't trust your eye, you can pick up a hotshoe bubble level pretty cheap and this will allow you to get the camera pretty close to dead level.
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| These two panoramas were shot at quite a short focal length (20mm - 32mm in 35mm format) and this is particularly evident in the distorted appearance of the fence on the left. |
If you haven't already discovered how wonderfully deep blue a polarising filter can make a sky go out and buy one now! But make sure you take it off before you take your panorama as this effect varies with the angle from the sun. At 90 degrees (make a 'gun' with your thumb and index finger, point your index finger at the sun and your thumb will point roughly at 90 degrees) the effect of a polarising filter is at its greatest and this effect reduces as you move closer toward the sun. The result of this is a glaringly obvious graduation in the colour of the sky as you move through your panorama.
I'd love to hear any feedback you may have and it would be great if you shared your pano's with us. As always, you can follow me on Twitter or Facebook.
- Will
