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I've tried almost every type of photography now except for this. I'm wondering how to do it. The stitching I think I'd be ok with because of my graphic design background. I think setting up the shots would be tricky part.

Any advice?

Sure . . . first . . . try to do most of the work in the camera. I like to use a tripod and set a uniform focus and exposure (the camera I use can Lock these) since varying exposures and DOFs will make a lot more work later and may even make it imposible to do the work seamlessly. Be certain to overlap the shots (I overlap about 1/3) so that you have an "Ooooops factor" when stitching. Watch out for moving items like cars and pedestrians on the edges of the shots . . . that'll get you every time. And have fun . . .
:)

Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~

You could:

Buy a disposable 35mm pano camera. Not great quality but will let you experiment with the format.

Crop an image to a 1:2 ratio.

Use PS to stitch multiple images into one single panoramic. Remember that a pano is at least 1:2, and a regular 35mm print is 2:3, so by taking 3 vertical shots, you will end up with an image that is 3:6 or 1:2

Have a search at a company in Canada (can't rmemeber the name) that would create digital panos of high action scenes - really amazing work. They would set up their tripod/camera, take the necessary background shots for the stitching, then take the action shot while still keeping the camera in position w/ the background shots (such as a bicycle race, etc.)

To get into a Pro. Panorama skill get one of these camera in hand and make a good use of it.

Noblex Pro 150-EII Medium Format (6 x 12cm) Rotating Lens Panorama Camera

To get into a Pro. Panorama skill get one of these camera in hand and make a good use of it.

Noblex Pro 150-EII Medium Format (6 x 12cm) Rotating Lens Panorama Camera

We say in Qatar "Pay For The Best And Get The Best"

Simply by a stitching software less than $30.

Simply bUy a stitching software less than $30.

Use a tripod ensure its level if you can
When you use a tripod overlap still.
Frame a little more of top and base then needed as you will need to trim top to get piccy levelish.
Moving stuff = headaches but gr8 piccys try n be fast panning whilst keeping it still as possible..
finally just cutting extra off top n base can and does help some photos become notably acceptable prints.
Note some others just look wrong due to the distortion of the lens if it wasnt level. ESP wide angle lenses.

Last but by no means least Try going verticle now n then for something truly difficult.

Stitching

If you want to start trying some for yourself:

Google on "Autostitch", it is a free program and is small. It just needs some RAM to go and runs on a PC. You open the preferences, set to 100% scale, 100 JPEG quality, and then open the files. It uses pattern recognition to match the shots, stretch, and blend. I've tried some other programs as well.

Arcsoft Panorama Maker is the next best in my experience. You are constrained by choosing one shot side to side, vertical, or matrix (4x4). You have to manually adjust the matching points. Does a great job.

Canon's Photostitch is neat - you enter in the mm of the lens (for digital users you have to convert to 35mm equivalent) and it merges and blends. Moderate results because if you do not line up the image plane you are in trouble.

Adobe Elements has Photomerge. Close to the Canon technology, but I just can't get this sucker to work for me. Probably user error.

To take a great stitch:

- Shoot digital. It's about matching pixels, and digital will get you the most consistent results (sharpness, tones, etc.)

- Use a tripod if you can. You want to match up on the nodal point (where the light flip flops internally in the lens) to get a perfect perspective match as you rotate. However, I find it easier just to use a normal tripod head and move across the image plane (your sensor in your camera or film) along the same fulcrum. This means if you have a mounting point in line with that senor or film the tripod will force you to swivel right down the middle if you shoot in landscape mode. The "flatter" your photo from perspective the less this will matter.

- Remember that wider is not better. No tripod? It's OK. Perspective is a problem with shooting stitches, the more shifting of near ground elements due to a wide angle means you will have to overlap more. The "flatter" your images, the more two dimensional they are, the less "stretching" the software will have to do, or you will have to do using something like PT lens later on, to flatten the image for merging. When I shoot, I at most go to 28 mm at the widest, and in those cases I will do at least 50% overlap. At 70 mm and beyond, 1/4 overlap is the way to go.

- Use a grid system. My viewfinder projects a grid with lines on the quarter and one half as vertical lines and horizontal lines. I look at the cross-hatches where the lines intersect. For example, if I see that there is a tree at the intersection in the middle of my viewfinder, I remember that tree and then put it at the 1/4 intersection when I move the camera over. This makes sure that the perspective is forced to consistency as you turn the camera and everything will join smoothly. If you do not have grid lines you can use your autofoucs "dots" or eyeball it.

- Force everything manual. I look like an idiot by moving my camera around the whole scene, metering F-Stop and Exposure across the scene, and then choose the average and force the same: F-Stop, Exposure, White Balance, sharpening, etc across all the photos. This also means you have a lot less latitude to getting a really nice shot - in bright days the deep shadows and bright sky vary across the landscape. Sorry. Like most photos, the first and last hours of daylight are best. I do allow the autofocus to work, but with landscapes remember to use hyperfocal distance. Google "hyperfocal" if that just whizzed on by you. It just means using F-stop with where you focus to make sure everything winds up in focus. High depth of field (DOF).

- Lose the filters. Grad filters and polarizers will change the image as you move. IR, UV, ND, and other filters that are consistent are OK.

- Lastly, when you shoot leave room for cropping. Stitching programs love to stretch images, and you may find little blank spaces and gaps. The only way is to give a little buffer to your subjects and crop down later on. This is counter to the normal mode of cropping to the image you want in camera.

Have fun. You never know what will pop out until you are done stitching. I've noticed stitches of 20 images and discover that one of them was out of focus messing up the whole thing. Others that I thought would be boring wind up being absolutely great.

Another benefit is that if the image does not look a panorama, the end result is that you can get 18 - 24 megapixel images from a 6 megapixel camera. This means that you can get away with a wonderful 20" x 30" 150 dpi print for your wall.

Carlen:

Bombed the thread with an article I wrote. Autostitch is free. Panotools costs $.

Lol, you must be a very smart and very clever person saying this """ I've tried almost every type of photography now """.

People went into this very fascinating world of photography the whole of their life and remained saying we are still “Learning”.

Congratulations , your are super sonic lady.

To maintain the same perspective from one shot to the next the ideal way is to rotate the camera about the entrance pupil of the lens. Many people say that the camera should be rotated about the lens' (front) nodal point but that is incorrect. In many cases it doesn't matter much because the front nodal point and the entrance pupil are often quite close.

However, it is very easy to locate the entrance pupil: just look into the front of the lens, and the entrance pupil is where the lens aperture appears to be - not where it actually is.

Best,
Helen

"Noblex Pro 150-EII Medium Format (6 x 12cm) Rotating Lens Panorama Camera"

I think it's good advice, and to remind people that there have been such things as panorama cameras.

For those on a budget, a cheap point and shoot can get results. Just overlap a bit on a 3x4 set of photos of the lake or landscape, or whatever (maybe you can't zoom out far enough in an interior), and use free stitch software. It'll ask you to pick a reference photo. That's the color, tone, etc to which the others will be matched. And then comes the bending and other deformations. And there you are - a panorama. But you still have that slight blurriness in the blend areas. Not so with a pano-camera.

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