As a rule, panoramic photography refers to a frame with a large viewing angle. A 3D image, in turn, should be projected onto a cube or sphere, providing an opportunity to consider all its details with a shift in the viewpoint.

Even on conventional cameras there is a mode. But manufacturers of equipment for last years somewhat expanded this concept. It is not necessary to use special settings to create a spherical panorama. You can take several successful shots, and then "sew" them into a single composition. Also widely used is the method of scanning the pixels of the matrix when turning the camera.

Creating spherical panoramas various methods gives different results. In this article, we will look at how you can create 3D images and discuss which programs are best to use for this.

A spherical panorama is one of which is intended to be displayed on a computer using a special software.

It is based on an image in a cubic or spherical projection, created from huge amount individual pictures. Characteristic frames of this type - a huge angle of coverage, which makes it possible to capture the entire environment.

Virtual tours and 3D panoramas

It is very easy to get a 3D panorama, it is enough to impose a cubic or spherical projection on a cube or sphere, respectively.

Several assembled panoramas are turned into a virtual tour. Surely you have already seen something similar on the sites educational institutions or libraries. Virtual tour- this is an online tour, the movement in which occurs by clicking on the transition points. It is they who move the user to the next panorama.

Step by step creation of a spherical panorama

Creating a classic 3D panorama takes place in several stages:

  1. area from which you plan to create a spherical panorama.
  2. Frame stitching. This procedure involves merging all photos in PTGui for further processing.
  3. Convert panorama to Flash format. Converting the finished projection to the required format for viewing in 3D mode.

Getting ready to shoot

A spherical panorama is an image that requires some skill and preparation. Before proceeding with the process of its creation, we will consider the nuances that you should pay special attention to.

First you need to choose interesting place to shoot and set up a tripod at the center point of the composition. The photo of the earth is taken as the basis. Next, the lower, middle, upper rows are removed, the composition ends with shooting the sky. Remember that all subsequent frames should overlap the previous ones by a third - this will facilitate the stage of gluing the panorama.

Camera setup

First of all, you need to adjust on the lens. It should be minimal, and the viewing angle of the device - maximum.

It is best to set the focus of the camera lens to manual mode and concentrate on the middle ground of the panorama. This will keep you from changing focus on each subsequent frame.

For the desired image sharpness, the aperture value should be in the range f/7 - f/11. You should not take pictures at its maximum value, as it will decrease to a minimum and many elements will fall out of focus.

Light sensitivity parameters should be chosen based on the set aperture and the illumination of the place.

Exposure is also selected according to the illumination of the composition. Make sure that there are no overexposures and too dark areas in the photographs.

Select RAW mode for shooting. This will allow you to correct the exposure, balance the colors, remove noise and add sharpness at the end of the work.

Shooting a panorama

After installing the equipment and setting it up, you can proceed directly to shooting. A spherical 3d panorama is a composition that requires several successive frames that partially replace each other. When changing lighting in the process, you will have to adjust the shutter speed.

The most difficult moment in shooting a spherical panorama is the surfaces under the tripod. To do this, you will have to pick up the camera, holding it at the same point, stretch your hand up and take a picture below you. Be sure to watch your legs - they should not be in the picture.

To capture the sky, the camera must be turned up on a tripod, or you can take a picture using the same technology as when photographing the earth.

After successfully passing all these stages, you will only have to combine photos and convert them into the desired 3D product.

How to make a spherical panorama on Android

Let's deviate a little from the classical concept of a spherical panorama and move on to studying a technology that can be used by every owner of a device with operating system Android. And the Google Camera program will help to do this, and more specifically, the Photo Sphere mode in it.

A spherical panorama must be of high quality. To do this, you need to take a stable position, and keep the tablet or phone at face level. The lens should be centered on the blue dot that appears on the screen.

When shooting a spherical panorama, you must follow the point of blue color, gently turning with the device. An audible alert will tell you when to take the next turn. Clicking on the green check mark after passing the circle will automatically start processing the captured frames.

Creating 3D panoramas on iOS devices

You already know how to create a three-dimensional picture on Android, and now owners of iOS devices will learn how to make a spherical panorama.

In this case, you should use the Google Street View application, which is identical to the Google Camera program. At the end of the circle, you need to press the "Stop" button. The result can be viewed by opening the standard Apple Photos gallery.

Viewing and Sharing a Panoramic Image

A new photosphere can be captured immediately after processing the previous composition, but if you want to view the newly created panorama, swipe from right to left on the screen.

Helpful tips to help you take better photos

The photo will look much more advantageous if the surrounding picture is not too colorful and contrasting. Make sure that cars and people do not fall into the camera lens, because the trace left by them in the picture will spoil the whole composition.

But this does not mean at all that spherical panorama cannot contain third-party objects. For example, a person can become part of a composition. In order for him to fit well into it, you just need to ask him not to move for a while. But, on the other hand, if the person in the frame moves in the same direction as you, this will create some kind of magical effect.

Shooting spherical panoramas is creative process, to which you need to make a drop of effort and imagination. Unfinished photospheres, duplicated people, interesting compositions - this is all that you can create with your own hands using a camera.

This article told you how to make spherical panoramas different ways. Use this knowledge for good and develop!

In terms of the quality of the photo component, smartphones are catching up with cameras with might and main. The current level of development allows you to take decent quality pictures. Having a small photo studio in your pocket, many people think about creating panoramas. Because there are so many around beautiful places, which will not fit into one small picture. However, having no experience in creating panoramic photos, the result is a gluing of nondescript shots, which is embarrassing to show. But it's never too late to learn, so we'll give you a couple of tips.

Software component

Found beautiful view, but don't know how to make a panorama? Don't be foolish. Both Android and iOS have standard tools for creating panoramic shots. Don't know where they are? Just go to the camera app on your device and find the corresponding icon. Don't like the default app? Then there are alternatives.

Android

Pano

Panorama

Like the previous one, the program is easy to use, but the algorithm for creating a snapshot is slightly different. You do not shoot certain scenes in turn, but simply rotate the device in a circle, after pressing the shutter button. The advantage is the presence of some filters for processing photos and the ability to turn on the flash. sharing in social media is also present.

iOS

360 panorama

Cycloramic

An extremely interesting solution for creating panoramas. The program is designed for the lazy. You don't even have to take the picture yourself. Just place your iPhone on a flat, hard surface and launch Cycloramic. Due to the vibration motor, the phone will turn itself. You will only have to view the result.

If you have decided which program to use, then do not rush into battle right away. Having good technique doesn't make your shots a masterpiece. Having a driver's license does not make you a racer. A bat in the trunk doesn't make you an athlete. Same with photography. Having bought reflex camera for unrealistic money you do not become a photographer. Before starting your long haul See our tips for creating panoramas.

follow the light

The advantage of panoramas is also their disadvantage. When creating a panorama, you will have to shoot a wide area in front of you. The light in this area may fall unevenly. Then one part of your panorama will be very bright, and in the other you will not make out anything in the dark. Be sure to take this into account. Try to find a place with the same light balance. If you are indoors, then do not forget to follow the shadows. You should be at a point where you can see about an equal amount of shaded and light objects.

Follow the movement

Panoramas are usually made in busy places and this presents a certain difficulty. If people in the area you are shooting are moving, then when merging the final image, the picture may upset you. The presence of wind is also worth considering. You will not be satisfied with the fact that one half of the tree is tilted in one direction, and the second in the other? One way or another, this will be displayed on the finished image, which will ruin its quality. Try to wait for calm weather if possible.

Hold your phone more confidently.

It doesn't matter how good your phone's stabilization is if your hands are shaky. Shaking the phone at the time of shooting is sure to be reflected in the picture. You will either oil it or it will come out cut off at the top or bottom. In general, you did not expect such a result. Try to keep the phone steady and not shake it. If not, then find some flat and hard surface and place the phone on it.

Learn to move slowly

If you don't have a tripod or an area to mount your smartphone, you'll have to turn around yourself. This must be done slowly and patiently. Don't have to do sharp turns. Centimeter by centimeter turn around its axis. And most importantly - try to stay at the same point where you started shooting.

Now you are ready

Now, having some knowledge, you can safely start creating panoramas. Be bold. The more you try, the better you will get. Moreover, modern smartphones are small photo labs in your pocket. A little effort and you will not believe your success. Just do not forget about our tips and everything will work out for you.

A post for those who want to try to do it themselves.
Professionals often use Adobe Photoshop with a bunch of related plug-ins, but only specialized firms can afford the price of this software. Therefore, I will talk about how to do the same at no cost, using free software (freeware, freeware). For example, like this:

(pictured is Lake Tahir, Mari El)

This panorama was made with Imagic 4.0 Free Browser, which is free but took a lot of work failed attempts and subsequent self made. Several years have passed since then, and I am now forced to bring big thanks Microsoft" for a great gift that provides amazing quality panorama stitching, for example:

Or even so, just from three photos:

But is open source software enough functionality?
And it depends on what task.

For example, let's see special kind panoramas - mini-planets (spherical panorama in polar projection), as in demyanof :

In addition to the mentioned Photoshop, PTGui and some other (paid) programs can make such projections.
Upd: True, a free program for Android has already appeared, which will please smartphone owners!

For ordinary panoramas, the functionality of free software is enough. Only it’s impossible to do everything in one place - you have to use it nearby individual programs. Everything is quite simple in fact, and completely free of charge! So let's go.

1) We take a bunch of successive frames with an overlap of 20-30% on each side (if lazy, then vertical ones are better - to capture more in height; if not lazy, then in several rows); you don’t have to worry about accuracy, you can safely shoot it handheld.
But there is important features filming:

It is more than desirable to shoot with manual settings that are the same for all shots, otherwise the panoramic software will not be able to perfectly equalize the brightness. Unfortunately, the owners of phones and simple soap dishes are deprived of such an opportunity, so further on I will tell you in more detail what can be done in the process of photo processing;

The camera should not be rotated around itself, but around the so-called nodal point (which is located inside the lens), otherwise closely spaced objects in neighboring frames will not match due to parallax, and the software, even if it can glue such pictures, will give a lot of defects when gluing:

It's amazing that he did anything at all, because in the right photo there are uncorrectable overexposures, and in the left one - almost complete darkness.
But the result can be improved by simply alpha-correcting the left image. Then, when gluing the panorama, a fairly even background is obtained:

The sky, unfortunately, is very overexposed. But, if we have only two shots, nothing can be done - because the right shot is irreversibly damaged (color information is lost - it turned out to be pure white).
There are two ways to fix the situation:

For professionals: still try to "save" the original pictures. Unfortunately, nothing can be done for JPG with overexposure. But when shooting in RAW format, there is a margin of several steps behind those brightness values ​​​​that, when converting the format to JPG, are displayed as white and black;

For everyone else: use as many frames as possible with as much overlap as possible. Then the panoramic software will be able to understand and make it much better:

Both panoramas are made from the same source images, only the top one is from last year's version of Microsoft ICE, and the bottom one is from the latest version. It can be seen that the old one could not use all the photos, and the new one not only could, but also calculated the brightness correction of each used image much more correctly.

The final result (last year's version, after manually adjusting the brightness of several photos) turned out like this (I was too lazy to properly equalize the brightness on the left, so the sky still had the wrong color and brightness gradient):

Another problem of non-professional cameras (and especially phones) is clearly visible here - uneven brightness in the center of the frame and along the edges.
As a result, noticeable blackouts are obtained in the panorama in the area of ​​frame junctions.
This problem can probably be eliminated by processing the original frames with special filters in the same Photoshop, but I have not seen such an opportunity in free software ...

Finally, you can move the horizon line, which the program picked up automatically:

It is impossible to give ready-made recipes here, everyone works to the best of their knowledge of a graphic editor and artistic taste.

On the left image, you can see that after the correction (deformation of the selected area or copying from another image), inconsistencies in the density of the sky background remained at the border of the area. It seems to me that it is more convenient (and of high quality) to correct such defects by retouching in FastStone Image Viewer (see below). And in the simplest cases, it will be enough to correct all such defects.

Unfortunately, FastStone Image Viewer is not yet able to do arbitrary deformation of individual areas, so the dent on the horizon line (right image) has to be corrected in GIMP.

5) Open the resulting panorama in FastStone Image Viewer and retouch possible artifacts of the panoramic software, and fill in the empty fields in the same way (within reasonable limits, of course). The same can be done in the graphic editor, but this is where I really like the retouching tool!

First, we clone (select "stamp") to completely fill the empty areas, then switch to retouch mode and pass along the resulting border of the clone and the original. This method works great with clouds! You can repeat retouching as much as you like, from different starting points - and this way you can draw completely different clouds.
This method works just as well with grass, dirt or asphalt (for example, it is easy to remove a cigarette butt or continue the road in places cut off by gluing.
But with waves on the water - not so much, because the waves move and are difficult to match between adjacent frames (panoramic software sometimes even distorts the picture, detecting a similar wave in the wrong place).

6) Download free

Most often, shooting a panorama is most appropriate when the details in the foreground are not so important. Then you can safely shoot a panorama and even additional equipment is not needed. Of course, you will have to do some preparatory work.

steho/depositphotos.com

1. Choose the right shooting point

Successfully merging multiple images can be hindered by parallax - a change in the apparent position of an object relative to a distant background, depending on your position. To prevent this from happening, you should make sure that there are no objects in the foreground. For the same reason, you should not shoot at a large focal length. Changing the focal length during shooting, of course, is also not worth it.

2. Shoot panoramas in calm weather

First, the wind will move objects in the frame, making it impossible to stitch images together. Secondly, it can also shift the camera, which will lead to a blurry picture. Perhaps only one frame will be spoiled, but because of it you will not be able to make the entire panorama. So don't waste your time when the weather is windy.

3. Sunrise and sunset are not the best conditions for shooting a panorama

At this time, the light level changes too quickly. You can, of course, try to take all the frames of the panoramic shot at a fast pace. But it is very likely that this will not give a high-quality picture.

4. Panoramic shot - for special situations

You don't have to take panoramic shots. If the view is unremarkable, a non-standard shooting format will not save it. Considering that taking a good panoramic photo requires a thorough approach, it's best to first evaluate if it's worth it.

5. Take normal photos too

Just in case something goes wrong, don't forget to take not only a panoramic shot, but also a normal one. So you insure yourself against complete disappointment if you don’t like the panoramic photo. And don't forget that a panoramic shot doesn't have to be long. You can shoot vertically or glue pictures in several lines.


ES0lex/Depositphotos.com

Conclusion

It may seem that shooting panoramas is too troublesome. But with experience, when complexity is less important, you will be able to appreciate the advantages of this type of shooting: some advantages in building a frame composition, the ability to print in large format or create a series of regular format images from one panorama that can look very bright. Once again, briefly about what will become the key to a good panoramic shot:

  • lack of objects in the foreground;
  • the focal length is not too large and does not change;
  • windless weather, and the time of day is neither dawn nor sunset;
  • really worthwhile look.

It is up to you to decide whether to spend extra money on special equipment for shooting panoramas. In any case, these tips will help you get the basic skills of creating a panoramic shot - even with an inexpensive camera or smartphone.

Publication date: 22.03.2016

In the mind of most photographers, a panoramic shot is a horizontally elongated, “long” frame taken with a very wide (maybe even 360 °) viewing angle ...

Panorama in the view of an ordinary person

However, in contemporary photography panoramas are called not only and not so much a picture taken with a large viewing angle (some kind of landscape, for example), but an image sequentially assembled from several separately taken frames. In this case, each subsequent frame is taken "overlapping" to the previous picture for the convenience of subsequent gluing of the final image. The resulting picture does not have to have a wide viewing angle and may well maintain standard aspect ratios of the frame.

A classic example of a panorama stitched together from three separately taken frames

Panoramic photography is very often used in landscape photography, however, is not limited to it. Panoramas are made in both architectural and interior photography, and even when shooting portraits!

Technically, this frame is also a panorama. Like the previous shot, it is made from three vertical frames.

NIKON D810 / Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.4G SETTINGS: ISO 100, F1.4, 1/1250 S

What are the advantages of panoramic photography? for the photographer and why this technique is worth mastering?

  • Viewing angle control. With panoramic shooting, we can easily increase the angle of view of our lens. The lack of a viewing angle is a problem familiar to every photographer. Simple life situation: during the tour you found yourself in a beautiful, but cramped temple and want to capture all its decoration, the entire interior. move away to take overall plan, it won’t work, because the walls of the building will interfere, and from the lenses you only have a “fifty kopeck” ... What to do? Capture a panorama! So the viewing angle can be increased many times over!

Of course, it is not always possible to use panoramic shooting instead of a wide-angle lens. If you have a lot of movement in the frame or you yourself are moving (driving on a train, for example), you simply won’t be able to glue the panorama - the position of objects in the picture from frame to frame will be completely different.

  • Perspective and perspective distortion control. A simple property of perspective: the closer an object is to us, the larger it appears. In many types of shooting, this can play a trick on us, because the objects will lose their original proportions, lean to the side, and the like. This is especially noticeable when shooting architecture. For example, you want to rent a house not somehow crooked due to perspective distortions, but quite straight. When stitching a panorama on a computer, we can work effectively and without serious losses in the quality of the final frame with the perspective in the photo.

  • Increase the detail and resolution of the image. Experienced photographers know that resolution is never too much! Yes, modern SLR devices have a serious resolution: with the competent work of a photographer, even from the simplest SLR, you can print images in a format of 30x45 cm. However, there are situations when even greater resolution is required. For example, landscapes are often printed large formats. High-resolution pictures are more convenient to edit - you always have room for maneuver, framing. Do you want to increase the resolution of your frames several times? Shoot panoramas. Obviously, by adding several separate frames into one, we will increase the resolution of the final image. Than from more frames consists of a panorama, the greater the final resolution! And of course, the higher the resolution of your frames, the more powerful the computer will need to process them, and they themselves will take up a lot of space on your hard drive. If you don't need a high resolution, if you wish, you can always reduce it by reducing the pictures during processing. As you can see, I put this item in third place, and not in first place, because I think that in general, the control of the viewing angle and perspective is much more important in the work of the photographer. Especially today, when there are cameras with a resolution of 36 megapixels (Nikon D810) and more.

  • Depth of field control. Another not quite obvious possibility of panoramic shooting. We can take shots with a very shallow depth of field, blur the background a lot. How to take a picture with a fairly wide angle of view, but with a shallow depth of field, characteristic of a telephoto? To do this, you just need to shoot a panorama with a telephoto lens at an open aperture. If you don't have a portrait lens that blurs the background a lot, then one recipe for you is to shoot a panorama wide open and at maximum zoom with the lens you have. This method works great when shooting static objects - all sorts of details. For example, flowers. With proper skill, you can even shoot staged portraits in this way, the main thing is to ask your model not to move while you are taking a series of shots for a panorama.

What do you need for panoramic photography?

What equipment is needed for panoramic photography? Let's find out.

    Any camera having manual settings. Preferably mirrored. It is with him that you will feel confident when shooting: he will allow you to adjust all the parameters and give high quality Pictures. In addition, DSLRs do not have a delay when the shutter is released (the so-called shutter lag), which means that panorama shooting will be much faster and there will be less chance of making a mistake. For panoramic shooting, both “cropped” devices (for example, Nikon D5300 or Nikon D7200) and full frame cameras such as Nikon D750, Nikon D610, Nikon D810. Note that Nikon DSLRs do not have a built-in automatic panoramic shooting mode (serious photographers are not interested in it, because if you deal with a SLR camera, you can assemble the panorama yourself). But in compact devices from Nikon, this mode is available. If you are an amateur photographer and want to indulge in panoramas, you can pay attention to hyperzooms like the Nikon COOLPIX P900 or the Nikon COOLPIX AW130 waterproof compact.

    Any lens. There is a stereotype that panoramas can only be shot with lenses with a focal length of about 50 mm, since such images have the least perspective distortion and are easier to collect later. This is true only if you are going to stitch panoramas manually. However, today no one does this (this is as rare as leech treatment). For automated gluing of panoramas, many computer programs. The lens for shooting a panorama should be chosen based on the genre in which you will shoot. Everything is as usual here: wide-angle lenses are more suitable for landscapes, and special portrait lenses are better for portraits. And the requirements for optics when shooting panoramas are the same as when shooting ordinary single frames. It should not give vignetting, distortion, chromatic aberration. An important requirement for a lens that will be used when shooting panoramas is sharpness across the entire field of the frame (at least at closed apertures). Many lenses sin in that they give a sharp image only in the center of the frame, and begin to “soap” along the edges. Such lenses are not well suited for panoramic shooting, because what was the edge on one of the glued pictures may well be the center of your future panorama.

In view of the foregoing, I recommend using optics optimized for panoramas when shooting panoramas. modern standards quality. Leave monocles and "helios" for other types of shooting! I mainly shoot panoramas. Nikon lens AF-S 18-35mm f / 3.5-4.5G ED Nikkor, sometimes I use a Nikon 85mm f / 1.4D AF Nikkor portrait lens and a Nikon 70-200mm f / 4G ED AF-S VR Nikkor light telephoto lens. In addition, the recently released wide-angle prime lenses from Nikon AF-S 28mm F / 1.8G Nikkor, Nikon AF-S 24mm f / 1.8G ED Nikkor, Nikon AF-S 20mm f / 1.8G ED Nikkor will be an excellent choice for shooting panoramas. . Of course, it is very convenient to shoot panoramas with the Nikon AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED VR Nikkor universal zoom lens. The above lenses are for full-frame cameras, but they will also work for cropped cameras with an APS-C sensor. However, if you want to have a wide-angle lens for a "cropped" device, it is better to use a model specially designed for them - it will give a larger viewing angle and, all other things being equal, will be much more compact. Among the wide-angle lenses designed specifically for cropping is the Nikon AF-S 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED DX Nikkor.