November 2010 Volume 01 Issue 03

e-MONITOR Punch holes here IAPP

STEP BY STEP DIGITAL How to create Panoramas with a digital

Most panoramic have been morrow. Digital sensors are getting larger shot with film. And those photographs have and the larger ones are getting cheaper but it usually been made with those wonderfully will still be awhile before digital panoramic technical instruments known as Panoramic are commonplace (even though Cameras. They have expanded upon digital panoramic scanning cameras are start- regular-sized photographic images and ing to come into vogue). stretched them into an art form that encom- In the meantime we must use whatʼs avail- passes something larger and more lifelike able in the digital realm to create our pano- than the standard images that are far more ramic photographs. That means that we commonplace. much stitch! Fortunately, software has made These panoramic cameras are amazing it reasonably easy for us to do just that. The machines and are still churning out magnifi- purpose of this article is to give the reader an cent photographs of breathtaking beauty. understanding of the process that he or she Technology, however, is never stagnant; it is needs to go through that will lead to a final relentlessly moving forward, and we find our- panoramic image. selves in a transitional period between the Now, a word of caution - there are many glory days of film and the onrush of the digital ways you can get from here to there, the image. We know that we canʼt stay forever in method I use is just one of them and, not the past and must move ahead as the tech- necessarily the best one for any other person nology pulls us along. Perhaps one day we except me. However, it should outline the will have a digital panoramic camera similar basic steps for anyone starting out in the to todayʼs Fuji GX617 but it wonʼt come to- world of digital panoramas and provide

[1] enough information to get you there. Once First, choose the lens that you feel is best there, you can experiment with other methods for capturing the panoramic image before you. that may be more comfortable for you. I very seldom use a wide angle lens for this. Creating a digital involves 4 basic You can capture more detail with a longer fo- steps: 1) Prepare, 2) Shoot, 3) Stitch, and 4) cal length lens by stitching several images to- Process. While all of the steps are important I gether to form your panorama. You can get view the initial step as being the most impor- the same panoramic feeling by using a 20 mm tant of the four. Without the proper prepara- lens and cropping out the top and/or bottom of tion the other three steps will yield mediocre the single shot but you will be limiting the size Punch holes here results at best. of print that you can make from it. For many of the panoramas I shoot I prefer to use a 45 PREPARE mm PC (perspective control), also known as a The first portion of preparing for a digital Tilt/Shift lens. You donʼt need a T/S lens but it panorama is to remember that a panorama is is what I have so I use it. There is no more just a wide (or tall) and, like any hard and fast rule for the lens you will use photograph, composition is the most important than having a hard and fast rule for the lens aspect. If it is not composed properly or if you use for any other type of photograph. The there is no photo there when you look at your composition of your panorama will dictate your target, skip it. It wonʼt work. However, if you lens choice. feel the photo calling to you and you can see a The panoramic adapter does one thing and wonderful composition then the rest falls into it does it very well — it overcomes any paral- place. Many film-based panoramic camera have a set aspect ratio, usually around 2:1, 3:1, and some will wrap around a full 360 de- grees. With a the aspect ratio (the ratio of the horizontal to the vertical) can be anything you want it to be. You can take several shots along a single row or, if your tar- get is tall AND wide, you can shoot several horizontal shots and then return to your initial location and pivot the camera up to where it overlaps the just completed row. You can then shoot a second row for an even more detailed panorama (or even a third or forth, etc). lax distortion that comes from trying to shoot multiple images when you have close fore- Once you have a target panoramic photo in ground objects AND distant background ob- mind you must now use the technology nec- jects in the same panoramic photo. If you essary to shoot the individual images to where donʼt use it and you are shooting an image they will stitch together properly. Some of the that has a large rock or boulder in the fore- stitching software is good enough to (some- ground and parts of it are in several of your times) combine images that are handheld but individual images it will be difficult (sometimes the best way to shoot images that will be impossible) to align them together in the final combined into a panorama is by using a pano- panoramic image. (To find the nodal point/ ramic adapter on your (I will be review- entrance pupil for each of your lenses that you ing some of the panoramic adapters that are will use is covered later in this issue). Also, for available in future issues of the e-Monitor). further details, especially for VR Most adapters operate on much the same you can go to: principles so I will give a general outline of http://www.vrphotography.com/data/pages/tec what is needed and how to use it to capture htutorials/technotes/nodalptalign-tn.html your individual images.

[2] OVERLAP OVERLAP

SHOOT Punch holes here Set up your panoramic adapter on your tri- handheld Incident Light Meter and that seems pod and attach your camera and lens. You to work well. The best method Iʼve found is to want to have an overlap from one image to its shoot three shots of each individual image in adjacent partner. Most people like a 25% the sequence - 1 stop underexposed; properly overlap but I have shot images with a 10% exposed; and 1 stop overexposed - and then overlap and, as long as there is plenty of de- combine them in HDR (High Dynamic Range) tail for the software to recognize, there should before I stitch the resulting HDR images to- be no problem. Start out with a generous gether to form the panorama. If you have not amount of overlap and you will soon learn worked with HDR before then go back and how much you can get away with. If you have shoot the average for each image in used the Fuji GX617 or a similar film camera the panoramic sequence and this should give and you like the 3:1 aspect ratio then you can you a good panorama. Whichever method shoot the panorama with the camera horizon- you use make sure to examine the histogram tally positioned (landscape) and shoot three on the cameraʼs monitor and make sure that images (with a generous overlap). Or, if you the light areas are not slammed against the want your panorama to have a little more right side of the histogram or the dark areas height to it then shoot with the camera verti- are not slammed against the left side or else cally positioned (portrait) and shoot 5 images. you will lose detail in those areas. Iʼve found that I prefer to shoot the individual It would also be good to use any ND filters images from left to right as this positions the you have on the sky if it is overly bright. The sequence correctly when I examine them on best image you can get in your camera will the computer and when I check the overlap make it much easier when you get to the on the cameraʼs monitor. processing section. Donʼt forget the polariz- ing filters. Treat the panoramic sequence as you would a regular photograph, utilizing all the filters and experience you have. Having said that, here is a caveat. If you are shooting with a polarizer keep in mind the problems you might have with a very wide angle lens. The polarizer is limited to a section of the sky 90 degrees away from the sunʼs position. With a normal lens and a normal photograph the polarizer can work quite well, but with an Ultrawide lens the polarizing effect will, quite possibly, work with only part of the photo. The I usually set my cameraʼs meter on same thing will happen with a panorama so (M)anual and take readings from each indi- you need to experiment with your polarizer vidual image and average the resulting expo- before you commit to using it with your se- sures. If the contrast is very high (if I am quenced images that will make up your final forced to shoot in mid-afternoon) I will use a panoramic photo.

[3] You now have your digital ready to shoot. One other camera attached properly to thing I do is to use a cable your panoramic adapter release and I usually set the and you have placed the cameraʼs custom function adapter on your tripod setting to allow me to use head. Make sure that the the Mirror Lockup. This is adapter is level or your probably not necessary but panorama will arc up or I am a retired astronomer

Punch holes here down if your camera setup and have spent decades is pointed slightly up or shooting objects through down from level. I use a high powered telescopes Manfroto 3047 three way and minimizing any shake Tilt/Pan Head. As I said in in equipment is ingrained in a previous article, I like to my photographic routine. know what type of equip- Shoot the left-most im- ment other photographers age. Rotate your camera/ use so I always include panoramic adapter to the what I use in case other right, overlapping your pre- people think as I do. You vious shot by about 25%. can just as easily use a Shoot your next image. Ro- small torpedo level (from tate your setup and, once Loweʼs or other Home Im- again overlap your previous provement Store), or a tiny shot by about 25% and level that attaches to the shoot your third image. You cameraʼs , or the could continue for as many bubble level that may be individual images as you built-in to your panoramic want but, to get started, adapter; it doesnʼt matter, three will work fine. Again, use what you have. this will depend upon your You have your composi- initial composition. You tion, your proper exposure now have the images for dialed into your camera, your digital panorama. your camera/adapter/tripod To be continued... Next level, and you are now Month! www.its upplies [4] expires x89dkal7 12/31/10 Punch holes here

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www.nodalninja.com sthttp://store.noore.nodalninja.com | http://www.nodalninjnodalninja.com/forum | ttp://faceboowww.facebook.com/pagk.com/nodalninja dalninja.com/ a.com/forum/ es/Nodal-Ninja/16251239928 [5] © 2010 Nodal Ninja® TIME IS RUNNING OUT! I NEED YOUR HELP! If you read the October issue of the e- (Reprinted from the Oct. Issue) Monitor you will remember the request I made For the December Issue of the e-Monitor I of the IAPP readers. If not, it is reprinted to the am putting together a Tips & Techniques arti- left of this article. cle on tips on photographing in the winter- I really want IAPP members to be involved in time. This will include a variety of ideas on what goes out to the IAPP membership by hav- how to stay warm, how to keep your equip- ing a say in what goes in this newsletter. If you

Punch holes here ment safe and working, things to take along canʼt write an article then at least send a tip or with you for comfort and safety, in short, sug- suggestion that you have found in the years gestions to the membership (and from the you have been into photography. Consider a membership) on what we do to continue our new member trying to shoot panoramas in the passion when the temperatures plummet and cold of winter. There are a number of prob- the cold wind and the snow and ice make lems that the member and their equipment staying at home, by the fire, far more enticing must face. If youʼve solved some of these than recording images in the great outdoors. problems please pass this knowledge along I donʼt need entire articles from everyone, and add to the December article. Keep in mind but rather a sentence or a paragraph or two the absolute deadline of November 15th. about your favorite winter tip; something that you wonʼt go out in the winter without doing, taking, or donning. We have a lot of winter How to Submit Articles to the experience packed within our members and I e-Monitor would like for as many as possible to share This is your organization. And your news- that with the rest of the organization. letter. If the subject matter isnʼt what you Email your ideas to me at: want to read about, then send in the perfect [email protected] on or before No- (to you) article. If the organization is making vember 15th and I will assemble them in the a turn that you do not agree with, step in. We December Tips & Techniques section of the welcome all volunteers. e-Monitor and credit everyone who sends in Email (to [email protected]) your their ideas. When you send your email to me article as a document, with notations within place the phrase “Winter Ideas” in the subject your article where you want your photo- line and it will make collecting them easier. graphs to appear. Please do not place your This should be an interesting experiment to photographs within your document as this see how the members will react on a shared will compress the images too much. Please article. send them as separate files: tiffs or jpegs; — Bryan Snow, Editor 300 dpi and not larger than 7 inches on the long side. www.pano

[6] THINGS TO DO . . .

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[7] TIPS & TECHNIQUES Adjusting your Panoramic Adapter to your Lens In order to stitch images together to form a dure. Using digital cameras are ideal be- digital panorama you should use a pano- cause you can instantly see the results with- ramic adapter that will allow you to pivot your out shooting film and waiting for it to be de- cameraʼs lens around itʼs entrance pupil or veloped. To find the entrance pupil location some refer to its nodal point. Without pivot- you will need the following: 1) a digital cam- ing on this position, parallax can cause your era (preferably a DSLR), 2) a panoramic stitching of the individual images to be inac- adapter, 3) a tripod, 4) something thin and curate. This is especially true if you have ar- vertical that can be set up close to you, and eas in your images that are both close to and 5) something immovable in the distance like far away from the camera, such as boulders a mountain range or a distant building or close up and a mountain range in the dis- tower. tance. For the “thin and vertical” thing I use a A lens does not usually indicate where its lightweight light stand. It has a built in tripod entrance pupil is located and the easiest way stand and I can raise or lower it to a conven- to find it is through a trial and error proce- ient height.

Setup: Punch holes here First, set up your camera in its horizontal has shifted the near markerʼs position in or landscape position atop your panoramic relation to the distant marker. What we adapter. This adapter is secured to your need to do is to position the cameraʼs lens tripod and leveled. Next, decide what you to where it pivots over its entrance pupil will use as a distant marker. This could be and when that happens, the near marker a cleft in a mountain range, a distant tower, will align with the far marker and the stitch- or even the edge of a distant building. You ing of the individual images will fit properly. just need to remember where it is every How do we do that? time you need to. This will be your “far Itʼs a trial and error thing! Your pano- marker”. Next you need to point your ramic adapter should be able to allow your camera/adapter/tripod unit towards your camera/lens combination to be positioned distant marker and position your “thin and forward and backward along the pivoting vertical thing” (henceforth denoted as the plate of the adapter. My adapter has a mil- “near marker”) about 2-3 feet in front of limeter scale along this plate so that as I your camera and lined up on the distant shift the camera/lens along I can read its marker. Adjust the camera position to position accurately on this plate. Moving place the near marker near the right side of the camera/lens along this plate will allow your frame and directly in line with your you to vary the position of the lens over the distant marker. Now, pivot your camera on pivoting part of the adapter. This is the key the panoramic adapter to the right (clock- to stitching panoramas: you must locate wise as seen from above) and, in doing so the lens in the exact position above the you will be moving your near and far mark- pivot point to coincide with the lensʼs en- ers to the left side of your camera view- trance pupil or nodal point (yes, there are finderʼs frame. You will notice that the near two nodal points for a lens but this exercise marker will NOT be aligned with the distant will locate the correct one). How do you marker anymore. Thatʼs because parallax know where that point is?

[8] Follow these steps: (You will probably need to re-align the near marker to line up with the far marker). 1. Looking through your cameraʼs viewfinder, place your far marker near the right portion of 8. Expose this frame. your cameraʼs viewfinder. Again pivot the adapter 2. Place your movable near marker about 2-3 feet to place the (about 1 meter) in front of your camera and, as near/far you look through the cameraʼs viewfinder, posi- markers on tion the near marker to align with the far the left side marker. of the frame. If the near 3. Focus on marker is to your far the left of the marker. Set far marker your camera/lens combination is still your cam- too far forward. Move it backward again. If the eraʼs meter near marker is to the right of the far marker it is to too far backward. Move the combination for- Priority and ward. stop down your cameraʼs aperture to its maxi- 9. Return to step 6 and continue until the near mum, meter the scene, and expose. and far markers are aligned on both sides of 4. Rotate your camera/lens by pivoting your cam- the frame. When this occurs you have located era adapter to the right (clockwise when seen the entrance from above) and, in doing so, the entire scene pupil/nodal will shift your markers to the left side of your point. cameraʼs viewfinder. 10.Mark this 5. Expose location on this frame. the movable Notice that adapter the near plate and marker is no this is the longer per- position you fectly will place aligned with your camera your far and this par- marker . If ticular lens the near marker ends up to the left of the far for perfect marker, your camera/lens combination is too far panorama forward of the pivot point. If it is to the right of photogra- the far marker, it is too far back of the pivot phy. You will point. need to perform this exercise for each lens you 6. Adjust the camera/lens combination in the ap- wish to use with your panoramic adapter. Once propriate direction along the adapterʼs movable you do this a couple of times it will become plate. second nature. Record all the positions of each lens you will be using. 7. Lock the combination down and pivot the adapter back to place the Note: We will be reviewing far marker Panoramic Adapters in a once again on the right future issue of the e- side of the frame. Monitor!

[9] Punch holes here TIPS AND TECHNIQUES (2) Simple Digital Panoramas While most photographers will opt for the reading when the movement is centered. use of Panoramic Adapters to shoot the im- Keep that meter setting throughout your indi- ages necessary to create digital panoramas vidual image shots. Next, shift the PC lens there is a much simpler way provided you until it is fully shifted to the left and take the have the right lens. If you shoot architectural first image. Next, shift the lens back to the photography and you have access to a PC center and take the second image. Next, shift (perspective control) lens, commonly referred the lens all the way to the right and take the to as a Tilt/Shift lens you can make instant third and final image. Your digital panorama panoramic images with only your camera, T/S shoot is now complete. The three images lens, and a tripod. automatically overlap. Take the images and Your panoramic image is basically set as far download them into your computer and pro- as its aspect ratio is concerned but it is still ceed to stitch them and then process the final better than a normal sized photograph. I use panoramic image as you would any other digi- two of Canonʼs PC lenses, a 24 mm and a 45 tal photographic image. mm. Hint: I usually take several different se- The secret to making these simple pano- quences of panoramic images of the same ramas is to set your camera/lens combination area. It is important to know where one se- to landscape (horizontal), place it on your tri- quence stops and the next one begins. The pod and level it before you shoot. Next, center easiest way to differentiate the individual se- all your tilt and shift settings to zero. Next, ro- quences is to place your hand over the lens tate the lens to where your Shift axis is hori- after you complete one sequence and shoot a zontal (in speak this horizontal “dark” frame in between the previous se- movement is “Shift”. When that movement is quence and the next one. Then as you review up/down it is referred to as “Rise/Fall”) - Set your images you can see each sequence with your camera meter on (M)anual and take a that dark frame in between.

for the IAPP, by the IAPP, and about the IAPP e-MONITOR IAPP. There are many talented members The monitor on the rear of a digital cam- that have images and information to Coming Next Month! era is a device we use to quickly exam- share and we welcome all articles. Feature: ine information about our photos. The Please send all articles and photos to: IAPP e-Monitor was designed to give our Digital Panoramas Part II membership a quick look at what is go- Review: ing on with the IAPP and with panoramic IAPP Star Island Retreat photography in general. It was origi- nated to give our membership quicker c/o Bryan A. Snow Tips & Techniques: information while they await the release 9207 Warriors Creek Cold Weather Photo Tips of the PANORAMA. We welcome any an all articles and pho- San Antonio, TX 78230 tos from IAPP members for inclusion into [email protected] the IAPP e-Monitor. This is a publication

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