JMG-Galleries - Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography


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Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography by Jim M. Goldstein	Sections: > Article > Resources > Panoramic Photo gallery

Before the advent of digital photography panoramic photography was left to a select few with very specialized and relatively pricey camera gear. The film option is still available, but as many now know digital photography provides a great avenue to explore panoramic photography in risk free and far more economical way. Even though the medium of digital photography makes panoramic work a little more accessible to photographers to explore, to master it requires a shift in mindset and technique.

To better understand what it takes to master panoramic photography six (6) key areas will be reviewed in this article including: Optics, Camera Setup, Technique, Software, Equipment and Resources.

When I first began researching digital panoramic techniques many people had only a few software solutions available to them at the time. Workflows might have been a little different and computers might have been slower, but the under lying principles being leveraged were the same. The physics of panoramic photography has remained constant.

Bryce Canyon Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park
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"Bryce Canyon Sunset, Bryce Canyon National Park" Made from (5) five vertical Images

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Optics
As we all know photography relies heavily on the physics of optics. I think its fair to say that most of us take that for granted on a day-to-day basis. When we want to capture an image we leverage and accept the properties of the lens we choose to use... the field of view, the focal length, etc. In the realm of panoramic photography you're essentially striving to expand the field of view and provide a broader view than your lens can provide. To master panoramic photography you also have to factor in one other attribute of your lens, the Nodal Point (AKA No-Parallax Point). The Nodal Point is the point at which light intersects in the barrel of your lens on its way to project on your sensor or film. Placing this exact point over the rotational axis of your tripod will remove parallax distortion from each image and allow a seamless stitch of your images into one large panoramic image.

Finding the nodal point of your lens is relatively easy. Once mounting your camera to your tripod line up two items, one close and one far, in your viewfinder. Rotate your camera from side-to-side so that there is no movement between these two objects. If you see a shift or movement in their alignment then you have not placed your lens' nodal point exactly over the axis of rotation. Move your lens forward or backward over your axis of rotation until the two objects remain aligned. Once they remain aligned you've found the nodal point for your lens.

Note: To move your lens/camera forward or backwards requires a specialized tripod head (See Equipment) or slide bar attachment. Fixed focal length lenses will always retain the same nodal point location, but not all zoom lenses will retain the same nodal point location as you change focal lengths.

Additional information on parallax distortion, nodal points and finding nodal points.

Camera Setup
One of the challenging things about digital panoramic photography is the additional thought that goes into setting up your shot. Getting the shot requires factoring in:

Focal Length: Panoramic photos taken at a longer focal length will require more images and yield greater detail to the scene than one taken at a shorter focal length. In evaluating what focal length to use for your panoramic you'll want to factor in how many images you want to stitch together, how much detail you want to capture and the degree your image may need to be cropped in post-production.
Exposure: As with traditional photography you'll want to make sure that your subject is properly exposed. Focus on making sure that the shadows or highlights, depending on what is most important to you, is properly exposed. Once you've done this you'll want to lock the exposure if your camera has this function or to set your exposure properly in your cameras Manual mode.
Filters: As with standard photography you can use filters, but you need to be aware of the negative impact they can have with vignetting. Vignetting, darkening of an images corners, will provide an obstacle to stitching images seamlessly. Similarly circular polarizers also will cause problems if set too strongly and should be used minimally if at all.

Tripod / Tripod-head

Leveling: When setting up make sure that your camera is level, not just your tripod. Depending on the weight of your camera/lens combination and the height of your tripod their may be a difference between the two. Cameras that are not leveled will create a tilted perspective resulting in a need to level and crop your image when post-processing. The result can be an altered composition, cut off subject and/or loss of detail.
Position and Run Through: After leveling your camera I find it best to do a dry run. Rotate your camera through the scene thinking about all of the previously mentioned items. As you rotate through the scene check to see if your camera remains level and your chosen focal length is adequate. If not make the needed adjustments.

Technique

Overlap: A best practice is to have 20% overlap between each image. Ensuring a minimum of 20% overlap will simplify the post-production stitching of your images into your completed panoramic photo. This will be true for any software solution you use to complete the stitching.
Conditions & Lighting: Be aware of weather conditions and rapidly changing lighting. Cloudy conditions may require a faster sequence of shots to preserve the continuity of lighting versus a sunny day. Similarly if people or animals are framed you'll want to work to keep them from appearing multiple times through out your image.
Subject Types: Based on the type of subject being photographed you may need to approach the shot differently. Whether you're shooting a landscape, wildlife, macro or something else you'll need to refine your approach. This may require multiple attempts or a bit of experimentation so be prepared to commit the time and be patient.
Orientation: Panoramic photos can be stitched together with images in either a horizontal or vertical orientation. Often your choice of orientation will be tied to your compositional preference and chosen focal length. The shorter the focal length the wider your field of view becomes, resulting in more area being covered by a single shot and thus fewer images needed to cover a broader scene. In this case you may find a horizontal orientation works well. Vertical images on the other hand provide you the ability to capture taller subjects or scenes with greater detail at longer focal lengths. Either orientation can work in multiple row panoramic photos, but vertically oriented images often are the easiest to work with given how current panoramic tripod heads are engineered.

Software
Software for panoramic photography can be a double-edged sword. I found this out the hard way when I first delved into panoramic photography. Panoramic software clearly can provide you an avenue to save time, with the caveat that you are working with well-captured images. Software companies have great marketing and tout a variety functions and features leading many to believe they can cut corners on how they take their photos. I recommend avoiding dependency on many of the bells and whistles instead focusing on the core principles that lead to well captured images enabling seamless stitching. This will enable you to work with almost any solution.

As to what solutions are out there, there are a many. Some dSLR manufacturers like Canon make and include applications with their products. Numerous independent software companies have products and well-known products like Photoshop include panoramic oriented features.

Ultimately one should evaluate software to see how it will best meet your individual needs. Panoramic software has developed rapidly over the past few years and new advances are being made all the time to ease the pain of stitching images. With the increasing popularity of panoramic photography I think its fair to assume that more features will be added to established software packages in the near future making post-production work easier and quicker.

Equipment
Tripod Heads
Similarly to panoramic software there are numerous panoramic tripod heads and makes available. I don't advocate one versus another, but I do recommend choosing one that will work best with your equipment and one that fits your budget. Will it support the weight of your camera and lens? Is it lightweight enough for you to carry into the field?

Tripod heads run the spectrum of high-end to homemade. Some worth researching include the Panosaurus, Bogen panoramic heads, Kaidan heads and even do-it-yourself homemade versions (see Resources below). I personally use a Bogen tripod head as it was the only one at the time of my purchase that could support my camera / lens combination.

Computers
Lastly another factor to consider is how large your panoramic will end up being and how many images are being stitched together; the larger the panoramic the greater the need for computing power. Some panoramic photography enthusiasts are very bold stitching enough images together to create a gigapixel image. The concept is great but the stitching work on such endeavors can be quite taxing both computer wise and mentally. For the majority of us such an endeavor is not likely to be pursued, but it�s a good idea to learn what limitations you may have with your current computer system. This will enable you to shoot appropriately in the field and/or identify what upgrades your systems needs to support the type of panoramic work you'd like to pursue.

Concluding Thoughts
Panoramic photography is a great medium, but also a very challenging one to master. Successfully capturing one image requires factoring in numerous variables and a mastery of post-production technique. For those researching, experimenting and eventually mastering it the experience is extremely rewarding. As complex as this may initially seem, with practice the creation of great panoramic photos is with in reach of most everyone.

Resources


Panoramic Photo Gallery more
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"4 Corners - Welcome to Colorado" made From (16) Sixteen Vertical Images (1x16)

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"Waimea Canyon - Kauai, Hawaii" made From (50) fifty Vertical Images (2x25) The Full Size Image Is Equivalent to a 425 Megapixel Image Note: See If You Can Find The Helicopter

Last Light On Delicate Arch, Arches National Park click to enlarge
"Last Light On Delicate Arch, Arches National Park" Made From (6) Six Vertical Images