The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion

SPECIALTY SHOOTING

SHOOTING PANORAMAS

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Panning Tips

Personally, I find it easiest to work from left to right, sometimes you might want

or need to go the other direction. So, after you’ve assessed your exposure needs

and locked exposure (if necessary), choose the end you want to start on and

frame your shot. After taking the shot, rotate the camera and shoot the next

frame. Again, aim for about one third of the frame to overlap the previous shot.

To achieve this overlap, just pick something in the frame to use as a reference

point.

Try to hold the camera level—parallel to the ground—as you rotate. Most im-

portantly, though, be sure to rotate the camera! e camera needs to be rotated

around its focal plane, but if you simply rotate at the waist, then you’re rotating

the camera around the middle of your head. is can cause troubles later when

you try to stitch. So, instead of just pivoting your body, hold the camera where it

is and rotate it independently of your body. You may have to move your feet to

rotate yourself around the camera while you do this.

It can take practice to get good at shooting straight, usable panoramas, so you’ll

want to shoot multiple tries to improve your chances of getting something use-

ful. Also, before you start shooting, it’s a good idea to rotate through the whole

panorama to ensure that your focal length choice fits everything in the ...