Panoramic Photography

Panoramic photography refers to the area of photography dedicated to taking pictures with a wide field of view or a wide aspect ratio (i.e., a longer horizontal reach than vertical height). Landscapes and cityscapes are the most common subjects for panoramic pictures. Theoretically, panoramic photography seeks to capture images within a greater field of view than the human eye can take in. While a human eye can take in only 70 degrees to 160 degrees of a given scene, a panoramic shot generally includes 180 degrees of a field of view.

However, while this is a more traditional definition, simpler explanations define panoramic photography as pictures that present a panorama, or a comprehensive, unbroken view of a scene.

Panoramic Pictures History
As soon as the daguerreotype entered the history of photography, so too did the concept of panoramic photography. George Barnard was one of the earliest panoramic photographers, taking pictures of the Union Army during the American Civil War (1860s).

Panoramic Lens
Photographers taking panoramic shots use a special panoramic lens with short or full rotation of the camera’s lens to capture a scene. By using either rotation method, the photographer can capture the effect of the fisheye lens without the added distortion. While the fixed-focal lens can also produce panoramic shots, it generates lower quality pictures than either rotation lens.

A short rotation panoramic lens that requires a focus distance of at least 30 feet has poorer focusing ability than complete rotation lenses. Because short rotation panoramic lenses have smaller apertures than their full-rotation counterparts, they are ineffective at taking pictures in low-light conditions. Consequently, short rotation lenses are best used in outdoor photography to take landscape shots or pictures of the sky.

In contrast, the full rotation lens rotates 360 degrees while slowly pulling the film along through the camera. With slower exposure times, the camera can effectively capture an entire plane from edge to edge. As a result, the full rotation panoramic lens has long been used to photograph athletic teams and other large groups.

Keep in mind that flashes cannot be used with either lens when taking panoramic shots, as the lens is in motion. This means that lighting must be carefully considered when taking panoramic shots. Similarly, the motion of panoramic lenses means that panoramic pictures may turn out blurry. To avoid fuzziness, a photographer should consider using a tripod, unless the photographer has a very steady hand.

Another feature unique to both types of panoramic lenses is that the resulting pictures may have a “bowed” appearance to the horizon, unless the horizon is carefully centered. While most photographers prefer to avoid distorted curves when taking panoramic shots, this effect is sometimes intentionally sought in panoramic pictures for artistic effect.

Fixed Panoramic Lens
A fixed panoramic lens is another camera accessory available to photographers. Cameras containing a fixed panoramic lens are characteristically long and rectangular. The quality of panoramic pictures taken with a fixed lens varies widely, depending on the quality of the camera. While cheaper disposable panoramic cameras with fixed lenses produce mediocre pictures, the higher quality cameras render high quality photos.

A fixed panoramic lens has one advantage over the rotational lenses. Because the entire panorama is exposed at once, the photographer can use flash. This means that panoramic shots can be taken in darker conditions. Similarly, the immobility of the fixed panoramic lens means that the resulting pictures will not be prone to the distorted curve that can plague pictures taken with rotational lenses. As a result, fixed panoramic lenses are well-suited for talking panoramic shots of architecture.

Panoramic Pictures and Film
Panoramic pictures take up more space on a roll of film than normal-sized pictures. Panoramic picture size has to be taken into account or the photographer may run out of film. On average, 18 panoramic pictures can be taken on a roll of 24-exposure film.

Taking Panoramic Shots with Digital Cameras
Digital cameras have changed how many photographers take panoramic pictures. With a digital camera, a series of individual pictures are “stitched’ or “segmented” together using an image editor that produces a panorama.

Taking panoramic shots with a digital camera takes some practice. Professionals recommend using a tripod to prevent subtle changes in the height of the camera as the pictures are taken. Each picture in the series should overlap with or “connect to” the picture before it.

Digital panoramic pictures work best if the areas of overlap include obvious landmarks. This helps the imaging software stitch the photos together seamlessly. Try to avoid placing overlap in areas without obvious landmarks. With practice, digital panoramic pictures can turn out perfectly seamless!

360-Degree Panoramic Pictures
A skilled panoramic photographer can even take a 360 degree panoramic picture, often referred to as VR photography (virtual reality photography), that editing software stitches together to reproduce a scene from all directions. Special image viewing programs allow the user to rotate the image using the mouse, as if the viewer were turning in a circle to see the entire scene. For examples of panoramic pictures, check out realtors’ web sites. They often show panoramas of views from a house and many of the main interior rooms, as well as the front and back views of the house itself.

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