Creative project
panorama masterclass 04 Work in manual mode
03 Maximum quality
Shooting in a vertical format will make the resulting panoramic less long and thin, and more like a standard panoramic ratio. It will also make for a higher resolution stitch, and help to counteract lens distortion around the edges, particularly if you’re shooting at a wide focal length (you’ll get less distortion with focal lengths of 50mm or longer). Of course, shooting vertically means you’ll need to take more shots, so shoot more than you need, and make sure to leave a good amount of overlap on each frame.
Shooting in manual mode is essential for panoramas because it ensures the exposure remains consistent across all the frames. If you shoot in aperture or shutter priority, the camera will adjust the exposure depending on how much sky is present in each frame. So focus one third into the scene and switch to manual focus, then take a test shot that includes both the sky and the landscape, and check the histogram. Once the exposure is correct, switch to manual exposure mode.
05 Specialist tools
If you need absolute precision in your panoramas, then it may be worth investing in a panoramic head. This ensures that the camera rotates around the axis of the lens, so that there’s no shift in position whatsoever. We didn’t use one on this shoot, because the scenery is far enough away to make miniscule shifts in camera position imperceptible. But for closer scenery such as interiors, a panoramic head will ensure your panoramas stitch together perfectly.
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