Digital Photographer - UK (2019-12)

Panoramic photography enables

us to create images that convey

the drama and beauty of a location

in a way no other image can. Whether a

landscape, stunning interior or even a close-up

composition, a wide frame shows exceptional

amounts of context, giving the viewer a strong

feeling of being in the scene.

There are some significant challenges

involved, however, namely perspective shift,

more commonly referred to as parallax error.

This is caused when the rotational movement

of the camera alters the relative distances

to elements in the scene and their positions,

which are seen to shift between image

segments. This often causes issues when

attempting to seamlessly merge a sequence

of frames in software when compiling the final

panoramic image. Applications like Photoshop

can then struggle to identify seams between

each segment and fail to correctly align and

assemble the photomerge.

Pro photographers often employ a tilt/shift

lens to shoot panoramas. By using the shift

function, the composition can be altered to

create the wide frame without moving the

camera position. This reduces distortion and

parallax error for an easier blending process.

Inset

Failed assembly

The arrangement of trees within this

scene meant parallax error significantly

impeded the software, hindering its

ability to correctly align and merge the

resulting panorama segments

Shoot a panoramic

image using a shift lens

Create a

2

Level the setup While a panoramic tripod

head is preferred in other cases, our use

of a shift lens makes using a more flexible ball

head possible. Use a hotshoe spirit level or an

LCD virtual horizon to level the shot.

3

Assess composition Calculate how much

of the scene you’d like to cover by panning

across in a practice run. Use an ultra-wide lens

to visualise how the panorama might appear

once assembled. Define start and end points.

1

Stabilise the camera For the most reliable

results place the camera on a tripod. Set

the camera at the desired height, taking note

of how this impacts arrangement of near and

far objects and placement of the horizon.

All

images

©^

Peter

Fenech

BEFORE

stitch

shift

SHOOTING SKILLS

Panoramicphotographyenables

ustocreateimagesthatconvey

thedramaandbeautyofalocation

inawaynootherimagecan.Whethera

landscape,stunninginteriororevenaclose-up

composition,awideframeshowsexceptional

amountsofcontext,givingtheviewerastrong

feelingofbeinginthescene.

Therearesomesignificantchallenges

involved,however,namelyperspectiveshift,

morecommonlyreferredtoasparallaxerror.

Thisiscausedwhentherotationalmovement

ofthecameraalterstherelativedistances

toelementsinthesceneandtheirpositions,

whichareseentoshiftbetweenimage

segments.Thisoftencausesissueswhen

attemptingtoseamlesslymergeasequence

offramesinsoftwarewhencompilingthefinal

panoramicimage.ApplicationslikePhotoshop

canthenstruggletoidentifyseamsbetween

eachsegmentandfailtocorrectlyalignand

assemblethephotomerge.

Prophotographersoftenemployatilt/shift

lenstoshootpanoramas.Byusingtheshift

function,thecompositioncanbealteredto

createthewideframewithoutmovingthe

cameraposition.Thisreducesdistortionand

parallaxerrorforaneasierblendingprocess.

Inset

Failedassembly

Thearrangementof trees within this

scenemeantparallax error significantly

impededthesoftware, hindering its

abilitytocorrectlyalign and merge the

resultingpanorama segments

Shootapanoramic

imageusingashiftlens

Create a

2

LevelthesetupWhileapanoramictripod

headispreferredinothercases,ouruse

ofashiftlensmakesusingamoreflexibleball

headpossible.Useahotshoespiritleveloran

LCDvirtualhorizontoleveltheshot.

3

AssesscompositionCalculate how much

of the scene you’d like to cover by panning

across in a practice run. Use an ultra-wide lens

to visualise how the panorama might appear

once assembled. Define start and end points.

1

StabilisethecameraForthemostreliable

resultsplacethecameraonatripod.Set

thecameraatthedesiredheight,takingnote

ofhowthisimpactsarrangementofnearand

farobjectsandplacementofthehorizon.

All

images

©

Peter

Fenech

BEFORE

stitch

shift

SHOOTING SKILLS