How to Shoot Photos for Great Looking Panoramas |
The guidelines
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Ideal Camera Settings Top Set Exposure Manually* Why: When the camera automatically adjusts the exposure for each shot, seemingly subtle changes in light 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 Auto Focus off* Why: Using different focal lengths can present inconsistencies that cannot be overcome during the stitching process. Turn Auto White Balance Off* Why: When the auto white balance setting is on, slight changes in lighting conditions can cause the colors in one photo to differ greatly from the colors in the next. Use One Exposure Setting*
Why: In general, panorama images stitch better in more even light. Changes in exposure setting can make the same exact (overlapping) areas of two photos look totally different. When this happens, the final panorama can show banding. Turn Off the Flash 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.
Do Not Change Size or Quality Setting Why: Photos of different sizes cannot be stitched. * Your camera model may not include this feature or option. Using a Tripod Top Use a Tripod Whenever Possible
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 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. Photo Overlap Top Use 25% to 50% overlap
For wide angle lenses use more overlap (50%). Creating Photo Groups Top By using one or both of the following methods to create photo groups, building a panorama in the software will be a little easier. Shoot Sequential Photos in Less than 40
Seconds Time
*This feature can be disabled by un-checking the Auto-Select by Group option. Insert Divider Shots Manually
General Tips Top When stitching photos that have obvious value 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 lenses (i.e. fisheye) when taking panoramic shots. Extreme wide-angle 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 create taller horizontal-style panoramic images, shoot the entire sequence with the camera turned 90-degrees (portrait). Panorama Maker turns your ordinary camera lens into a super-resolution, wide-angle lens. Simply capture 2 to 4 photos and stitch. 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. |