LENSES

Learn How To Shoot Panoramas

Sometimes a scene is just too big for a single frame. If you swap to a Wide Angle lens, suddenly the particular subject looks a zillion miles away. This is the time for a panorama.

At this time there are just about all kinds of specialized digital cameras for taking ultra-wide angle photos. If you have a spare $35,000 laying around, you can get Seitz 6×17 160 mega-pixel panoramic camera. That takes some awesome panoramic images. Awe-inspiring in scope and fine detail.

If you don’t have $35K laying around, then you’ll be looking at other choices.

There are usually a host of motorized mounts and gizmos that fit on your tripod in order to help with panorama images. Forget all those, they’re a waste of funds in most cases.

You will need a good tripod, and a digital camera that enables you control exposure. Attempting to shoot a panorama with a point-and-shoot or your camera set on auto-exposure will probably produce unsatisfying final results. The problem with auto-exposure is it will read every single frame as a new shot. Even negligible differences in exposure will be obvious when you stitch the pictures together.

Preferably your digital camera will have an option to lock the exposure. When I’m shooting panoramas, I set my camera selector switch on “M” for Manual. I’ll use the camera’s internal meter to read the scene and select a good, average exposure for the coverage area. That means some of your highlights will end up being blown, and some of the dark areas may be really dark. Don’t worry about it. You’ll be able to deal with those little details in post-processing.

This will be one moment you’ll need to pay attention to the bubble levels on your tripod. You’ll want a good, strong set and as near to perfectly level as you can get. If you pan your camera with your tripod even a little off, it’s going to shift your frame as you pan. That’s hard to correct in post. You have to crop the entire picture to get rid of it.

In addition to shooting in Manual setting, if you own a Canon DSLR, you’ll also want to turn off auto-ISO. You’ll be taking pictures old skool. Manual everything.

Another digital camera function you’ll want to turn off is auto-focus. You don’t want the AF hunting around on your panorama, that will mess things up.

As soon as you have your exposure set to manual and tried out a couple test pictures, then it’s time to start choosing your overlap points.

The toughest panoramas tend to be those with a lot of moving people. That’s when it’s nice to have one of these expensive Seitz cameras. Otherwise, you’re going to need to do the job quickly. I rehearse my panoramas before shooting them.

You’ll need to choose your overlap points based on easy to identify characteristics. Trees work really well. Buildings, provided there aren’t a set of flags or anything that the wind can move in the frame. You’re looking for strong vertical lines that you can line up in post processing. Don’t worry about making them precise. If you wind up discarding half the next frame, no big deal. The plan is to get coverage and line it up later.

Once you have your overlap points, shoot quickly. I’ve had panoramas blown by birds, people, cars, trucks, almost anything that moves. Even a sunrise can move fast enough to modify the exposure in subtle ways, so work as fast as you can.

It takes some training, so don’t feel terrible if they don’t always work. Don’t sweat it. As soon as you get that first one that’s perfect, you’ll forget about all the failures.

About the Author

An expert photographer and also regional photography magazine editor. He frequently writes instructional pieces for those wanting to improve their picture taking skills. Marriage ceremony Photography – Tips For Taking Outside Wedding ceremony Pics

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