How to Take Panoramic Photos

Have you tried creating a panoramic photograph? The results can often be beautiful, but they are difficult to create. With modern digital software, making panoramic images is now easier. In this free video, professional landscape photographer Ian Plant takes you through the process of how to take panoramic photos. Ian has created many panoramic images in his journeys to exotic locales.

One method is to hand-hold your camera and take a series of images as you pan across your scene, then stitch them together in your computer software program. However, combining those handheld images might result in a lack of precision, rendering the final panoramic photo unsatisfactory.

The best method for taking panoramic photos is to start with your camera on a tripod. Ian recommends using a bubble level, preferably built into the tripod. As you pan your camera, making multiple exposures, the level will keep the horizon line straight and the exposures in precise alignment.

Ian offers a few suggestions:

• Zoom out a little to give your images some breathing room to show more of the scene than you need. These wider images make it easier for later cropping and stitching in post-production.
• Shoot in manual mode so that the shutter speed, aperture, focus point, and ISO are consistent in each shot.
• Even though your final panoramic image will be horizontal, you might shoot the exposures in the vertical format, making sure there is overlap by 30-50%. This yields more image options to edit together for the finished photograph.

Learning the steps for your own work can be challenging. But rest easy. Ian Plant will show you the process of how to take panoramic photos to create a memorable finished image. “Remember,” says Ian, “the panoramic photograph allows you to display your subject in a unique way.”