6 Top Panorama Problems
and How to Solve Them
Number 1 in a series of 6 free articles on panorama troubleshooting.
By Denis Knight, author of The Absolute Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Panorama.
Top Panorama Problem #1: Vertical Banding
Welcome to the first article in this series that aims to teach you how to spot and solve 6 of the most common panorama problems.
The first problem we'll be exploring is one that is very commonly encountered by beginning panorama enthusiasts. It's the problem of light and dark vertical bands where the photos have been stitched or joined together.
For example, in this panorama you can clearly see the light and dark bands in the sky along the seams (the effect has been exaggerated here to make it easier to see).
Example panorama shot with automatic exposure.
The Cause
The cause of this problem is variations in exposure when the photos were taken. The pictures were shot with the camera on automatic exposure mode, so the camera readjusted its aperture and shutter speed for each frame. This means that the same patch of sky looks lighter in one frame and darker in the next. When the images are stitched together, the result is a nasty visible seam.
The Solution
To solve this problem, you need to use the same exposure for each frame. Some digital cameras have a panorama mode, which does this for you automatically. Otherwise, you can put your camera into manual exposure mode and choose an exposure that's in the middle of the range for the whole scene.
Here's how to do it if your camera has both 'Aperture Priority' and 'Manual' exposure modes (this is how I do it with my camera).
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1. |
Set the camera to 'Aperture Priority' mode and choose a suitable aperture. If there's plenty of light and / or you're using a tripod, you want to choose the smallest aperture available (highest f-stop number). In my case, this is f/8. Choosing the smallest aperture will make sure your pictures have the best possible depth of field — although you'll need to watch out for slow shutter speeds if you're not using a tripod. |
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2. |
Look through the viewfinder and pan slowly across the scene. The camera readout will show the shutter speed the camera has selected. This will change as you move the camera from left to right, and the field of view gets brighter or darker. |
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3. |
Once you've worked out the highest and lowest shutter speeds, choose one in the middle of the range and set your camera to Manual exposure mode, with the chosen shutter speed and the aperture you selected in step 1 (e.g. f/8). |
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4. |
Now you've got your aperture and shutter speed locked in, go ahead and shoot the series of photos. |
This procedure can be a bit tricky the first time, but once you've done it a few times it'll soon become second nature.
Here's how the same panorama looks when shot with the same exposure for each frame:
The same panorama, shot with a fixed exposure.
Well, that's it for today.
In tomorrow's article, I'll be describing another panorama problem called 'Vignetting'.
You'll learn how to spot this annoying problem at a glance, and I'll share with you four different ways of solving it.
All the best until then.
Kind Regards
Denis Knight
Learn More...
If you've found this article useful, I invite you to learn more in my brand new e-Book, The Absolute Step-by-Step Guide to the Perfect Panorama.
With my easy to follow, fully illustrated instructions, you'll quickly master the basics of creating stunning panoramic images like the ones featured in this article.
Get it now at www.ThePerfectPanorama.com
| Here are just some of the secrets you'll discover: | |
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How to create stunning panoramic photo murals up to eight feet wide, by turning your ordinary 4 megapixel camera into a 40 megapixel ultrawide monster. |
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Where to find an affordable, easy to use software package that can you download today for a free, fully functional trial with no watermarks, that will give you great results in minutes. |
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Ten things you can do do before you even leave home, to ensure you come back from your next vacation with the perfect panorama. |
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The top twelve photo shooting secrets for creating the perfect panorama. |
More Articles
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