A panoramic photo is a “super-wide” image. It can be done in two ways:

1. Have a camera with dedicated lens that has the ability to take super-wide shots (very expensive).
2. Composite (“stitch”) a shot together from different shots.

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Being that most people won’t want to spend the money for option 1, option 2 is more desirable.

The tools you will need to create a panorama is:

1. A digital camera
2. A good tripod
3. Image editing software

Note on software: You can “stitch” together photos for a panorama using any image editing software, however, if you want software specifically made for that task, you may want to purchase software called Panorama Maker by Arcsoft.

Additional note: Some digital cameras have a built-in “stitch” feature specifically designed for creating panoramas. Check your digital camera first for this feature. If you have it you may not need any image editing software at all.

Before continuing, be aware that making a panorama is not easy. It is highly unlikely you will get it perfect on your first try. Shooting panoramas is something that takes time and effort, but the end result is well worth it.

To shoot a panorama, this is what you need to do:

1. You must have a perfectly leveled tripod. Tripods that are decent have built-in levels on them (a small bubble in an enclosure following specific marked lines). Make sure your tripod has this else you run the risk of having “off” shots in your panorama.
2. Start with the tallest area of the panorama. Doing this will set a proper focal range (especially if you’re using any increment of zoom). Note: With a panorama you should leave “pad” around the photo. This means you should not zoom in tight but rather leave some space around the subject. This will make image editing later much easier as it will literally give you space to work with.
3. Once you have determined the tallest part of the shot and focused appropriately, physically pan the camera to the left and start taking your photos left-to-right for “stitching” later.
4. When taking your photos, give yourself plenty of overlap. At bare minimum, allow for at least 25% overlap from shot to shot.

Problems you May Run Into

If you have a “nannied” digital camera it will attempt to re-focus for every shot you take and possibly fire off a flash bulb on some of the shots (ruining them). If possible, turn auto-focus OFF and flash OFF.

If for whatever reason you absolutely cannot shut off the auto-focus, it may be possible to shoot the panorama “hot.” To do this, your tripod must be very sturdy and level and not allow for any vertical movement whatsoever. Take your panorama photos by focusing on the tallest portion of the panorama first, then hold the shutter button half-way but do not take the shot. Physically pan to the left while still holding the shutter. Take your first shot then only half-release the shutter so it does not re-focus again. Continue with the rest of your shots. If this doesn’t work, “hot” focus the camera on the tallest portion again, then continually pan and get all your shots that way. Yes, this is a pain to do but these are your only options if you have a digital camera that absolutely does not allow for the auto-focus to be turned off.

You may notice significant color “shifts” between shots – especially if your camera is on the lower end of the scale, cost-wise. The best way to combat this is the same way you avoid the auto-focus problem, i.e. focus on the tallest portion of the shot, hard pan, shoot, repeat. This should keep the color correct across all shots. However if you run into the situation that no matter what you do the color is “messed up”, you can always grayscale (black/white) the image to “save” it. This is okay because it looks “artsy” and you can tell your friends you wanted it that way (instead of admitting the color got all messed up.)

Avoiding potentially disastrous panorama shooting situations

The key to getting a good panorama is to shoot an environment where nothing is moving. This is why most panoramas you see are of mountain ranges, fields and so on. Those environments have little to no movement.

But even in those environments there can be potential problems that will ruin the shot.

Clouds
Some clouds don’t move much while others do. If you happen to be shooting on a day where the clouds are moving at a brisk pace, having so much as 10 seconds between shots may not match up later due to the fact the clouds have moved.

Sun
If the sun is on one side of the shot and not on the other, this can be a problem if your digital camera is “nannied” because the color will be completely different from one side to the other.

Clouds + Sun
The sun hits the clouds which create shadows. Or sometimes the sun is behind the clouds while other times it isn’t. You must ensure that the clouds and sun look the same in each shot even if they’re not in view for consistency’s sake.

Moving water
Water that perpetually moves (such as ocean) that is within focal range is literally impossible to have looking correct in a panorama as it is different each time you shoot it. In addition the reflections from the sun will also be different each time.

Note: If the water is out of focal range (such as a distant bridge), the water will “fuzz” enough where you can take the shots and “get away” with it. However if the water is within focal range there’s absolutely nothing you can do about the ever-changing nature of water concerning a panoramic photo.

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