Moonrise & Aurora

Moonrise & Aurora

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Possible Duplicate:
Recommendations for panorama creation/stitching tools

I always wondered what is the best trick and what software is the most easy to preform a great panoramic shoot

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Moderator should merge this question with the question Rowland mentioned. – gabr Jul 16 '10 at 8:42
@gabr it will happen automatically when enough people vote to close as a duplicate... – Rowland Shaw♦ Jul 16 '10 at 8:46
I don't think this is a duplicate. The duplicate cited is asking for stitching tools. This question is asking additionaly for tips on taking the actual photos. Both of the answers demonstrate new information that none of the answers to the other question don't provide, and would not be appropriate if merged. Voting to re-open. (I accept maybe this question could do with some editing to word it more appropriately though) @Rowland @adrianbanks @gabr @Marc @lpfavreau. – Simon P Stevens Jul 19 '10 at 18:46

marked as duplicate by Rowland Shaw♦, adrianbanks, gabr, Marc, lpfavreau Jul 18 '10 at 15:20

This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.

2 Answers

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  • Do what you can to get equal-ish exposure of all the images. The software can't fix very obvious differences between two neighboring images, but on the other hand, there can (and will) be a lot of difference in the light around 360 deg.
  • Hold your camera steady around the focal point in the lens. Some swear by special panorama heads to tripods, some do it by hand. (I'm mostly in the latter category, but I don't carry a tripod with me everywhere.)
  • When in doubt, shoot it twice (if still in doubt, thrice). Vary your technique (i.e. practice).
  • Practice with your software (See Recommendations for panorama ... tools)
  • Practice the "whole stack"; taking proper care in taking the pictures can save you hours of work when stitching them - and vice versa.

I've experimented quite a bit (probably shot 100+ panoramas) by now, mostly by hand, and I still feel there's a large element of luck in my good ones.

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up vote 1 down vote
  • Step 1 is to take the photos.

You need to keep the camera in the same location rotate it around what is known as the "no-parallax point". This will be different for different lens, and can also move when you zoom.

It is possible to purchase special tripod heads that allow you to rotate around this point rather than rotating from the base like a normal tripod would.

For large scale panoramas (outside, landscapes, etc.) the problems with parallax are reduced, but for indoors small scale shots the effects can become very pronounced.

Try to allow for plenty of overlap between the photos. If you aim for around 40%-50% overlap that leaves plenty of space for identifying common points.

  • Step 2 is to compose the separate images.

For this I refer you to one of my questions - Recommendations for panorama creation/stitching tools

Further information: panoguide has some great in depth tutorials for all of the details of shooting and composing panoramic photos.

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40-50% overlap is, in my experience, a bit too much. better aim for a 25% – Agos Oct 1 '10 at 11:25

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