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How to shoot photos for great looking panoramas
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The guidelines and information contained in this section remove the mystery about
technical issues associated with taking photos for panoramas. |
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| Ideal Camera Settings |
Set Exposure Manually*
Select Aperture-priority or Shutter-priority mode, aim the camera and half-press the shutter button to get the exposure reading. You want to aim at the brightest section to avoid overexposure. Now switch to Manual mode and lock the Shutter Speed or Aperture you just memorized for the entire set of shots.
Why: When the camera automatically sets the exposure for each shot, there could be some drastic changes in light (especially from bright area to shadow area) that can make the corresponding areas of two overlapping photos look totally different. When this happens, the final panorama can have big bands of light and dark.
Turn Off the Flash
Do not use a flash. Turn off the camera's auto-flash feature if it has one.
Why: A camera's flash has a limited range and a limited field of coverage and can create shadows that change shape and position from shot to shot. These inconsistencies make it difficult for the software to recognize corresponding parts of adjacent photos.
Don’t Zoom In or Out When Shooting One Set
Use one Focal Length, don’t zoom in or out when shooting one set.
Why: Zooming in/out when shooting one set could cause disproportional scenes in different photos, which cannot be stitched.
Do Not Change Size or Quality Setting
Use the same photo size (resolution) and photo quality (e.g. fine) for all shots.
Why: Photos of different sizes cannot be stitched.
* Your camera model may not include this feature or option.
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| Using a Tripod |
Use a Tripod Whenever Possible
When shooting photos for a panorama, it's critical to keep the camera on the same plane throughout all of the shots. The easiest way to do this is to use a tripod.
When shooting for 360 degrees panoramas, a level tripod ensures that the first and the last shots line up with each other.
If your tripod does not have a built-in level, you can buy a spirit level at your local camera shop that fits in your camera's hot shoe.*
Go Without a Tripod, Only If You Must
If a tripod is not available, act as one yourself by locking your elbows into your body and pivoting on one foot to turn in place. Pay close attention to the framing of each shot (horizon line) - keeping the camera level as you turn.
If you cannot find a level spot for your tripod, collapse the legs to create a monopod so you can steady the camera to take pictures.
Use the camera's viewfinder (instead of the LCD) to frame and shoot your photos.
* Your camera model may not include this feature or option.
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| Photo Overlap |
Use 1/4 to 1/2 Overlap
Always leave some overlap (1/4 to 1/2) of the scene when you shoot the next photo. You do not need the same amount of overlap for each shot. Just estimating the amount of overlap is fine. This overlap is for the stitching program to automatically find the “seam” area to stitch the photos.
For wide angle lenses use more overlap (1/2).
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| Creating Photo Groups |
By using one or both of the following methods to create photo groups, building a panorama in the software is a little easier.
Shoot Sequential Photos in Less than 40 Seconds Time
Some stitching software intelligently selects all of the photos that belong to the same panorama sequence by using shot times (EXIF data) to create groups.
Insert Divider Shots Manually
A simple way to divide one sequence of panorama photos from another is to insert (shoot) a black photo between them. Before beginning a new sequence, use the lens cap or a piece of cardboard to cover the camera and take a shot. After you transfer the photos to your computer, it will be easy to see where one sequence ends and the next begins.
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| General Tips |
Use a polarizer filter. The polarizer filter can deepen the color and contrast in a sky  (the most intense effects are always 90° from the sun or light source), eliminate
glare from wet or reflective surfaces, and cut through atmospheric haze to increase clarity and contrast in a scene.
When stitching photos that have obvious color or brightness differences, noticeable
banding effects may appear in the stitched result. If you have this problem, use a
photo editing application such as ArcSoft PhotoStudio to adjust the brightness and
contrast of the photos before they're stitched.
Do not use extreme wide-angle or fisheye lenses when taking panoramic shots.
These lenses create distortion at the edges of each photo - making them difficult
to stitch.
When shooting horizontal-style panorama photos, make sure the tallest object in
the scene fits into the picture at the current zoom level. It's wise to leave extra
space for cropping the panorama after it has been stitched.
When shooting photos for horizontal panoramas, take an extra shot on each end
(far left and far right), so you'll have more room from which to crop to get the
complete/ideal scene.
To create taller horizontal-style panoramic images, shoot the entire sequence with
the camera turned 90-degrees (portrait).
Turn your camera's Grid Display feature on. Showing grid lines in the viewfinder
makes it easier for you to keep your camera level as you shoot a series of
panorama shots - especially if you are not using a tripod. Grid Display is also
useful for determining the correct amount of overlap.
50% overlap usually works best for stitching. If you need help determining the
proper amount of overlap, turn your camera's Grid Display feature on.
To avoid object duplication in the panorama, do not use more than 80% overlap.
Turn your camera's Grid Display feature on, if you need help determining the
proper amount of overlap.
Make people magically appear in the same panorama several times by shooting
them in different areas of the shot and a different distance.
Check to see if your printer supports banner paper. If so, try printing your
panoramic creations on long sheets of photo banner paper - great for framing.
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If you don’t already have stitching software on your PC, we recommend the free introductory version of ArcSoft Panorama Maker® 4 Pro:
http://www.arcsoft.com/support/downloads/download_introversion.asp
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