Advanced Techniques; Panoramas - Canon Camera Hackers Manual

6 Advanced Techniques

In the following sections, we will discuss some advanced techniques such
as panoramas and applying High Dynamic Range ( HDR) photography to
panoramas and videos. These techniques require a large number of shots
to create just one end result. PC-based tools are required to create these
artifacts, along with lots of patience and dedication.
6.1

Panoramas

Panorama photography is quite popular and has developed its own follow-
ing within photography. The Web, in particular, has given panorama pho-
tography a new push by allowing the presentation of easily navigable 360°
panoramas. There are commercial applications, too: think of real estate or
tourism.
Panoramas can be created by using different techniques. They can be
cut and pasted from photographic prints, like the collages popularized by
the artist David Hockney. In analog photography, specialized panoramic
cameras were used like the famous Russian Horizon, which has become a
collector's item. In digital photography, panoramic cameras such as the
160-megapixel Seitz sell for the prize of a mid-sized sedan.
But special equipment is not really necessary to produce good panora-
mas. The stitching programs that exist today are so powerful that you can
easily create your own panoramas with your Canon. All you need is a freshly
loaded battery, sufficient free space on your memory card, patience, disci-
pline, and a few tips like these:
A tripod and a remote control (section 4.9) are recommended, but I have
f
shot acceptable panoramas hand-held. If you use a tripod, you should
also use a spirit level to align it perfectly with the horizon.
Zoom out as much as you can. A wide-angle lens position allows you to
f
do a panorama with only a few exposures. You may want to put your
camera intro portrait orientation, especially if you are doing hand-held
panoramas—you have to consider the later trimming.
To avoid later registration problems, you should pivot the camera
f
around the nodal point, which basically is the center of the lens. But if
there are no subjects at close range, this does not matter as much.
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6.1 Panoramas