6 Top Panorama Problems
and How to Solve Them
Number 4 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 #4: Stitching Errors
Stitching errors are a common problem in panoramic photography, where the photo stitching software made a mistake in lining up the images when it stitched them together. After stitching your panorama you might see some places where objects have been distorted, misaligned or cut in half during the panorama stitching process, like in this example:
Panorama stitching errors caused by distortion and lack of overlap.
The Cause
Here are the six most common causes of stitching errors.
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1. |
Not enough overlap between frames. If you don't allow enough overlap between frames when shooting, your software may not be able to stitch the frames together properly. |
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2. |
Distortion. If there's a lot of distortion in the original images, it can make the images much harder for the software to stitch together. Distortion can be caused by a poor quality lens, by using an extra wide angle lens, or by having very close objects in the overlap zone. |
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3. |
Parallax Error. This is a problem where close objects seem to change position between frames because the camera has changed position, due to not being rotated around the 'no parallax point' of the lens (also variously referred to as the entry pupil or nodal point of the lens). |
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4. |
Lack of visible features. To automatically stitch the frames together, the photo stitching software relies on being able to match up features in each pair of images. If your subject has large areas without many obvious features (like a blank wall or clear blue sky), this can make it hard to stitch. |
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5. |
Highly repetitive features. Sometimes, the panorama stitching software can become confused if your images contain a lot of almost identical features repeated throughout the image. An example of this might be an empty football stadium, with row after row of seats forming repetitive patterns across large portions of the image. |
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6. |
Bad software. Automatic stitching of images is another area where there are big differences between different software packages. Sadly, some of them just aren't very good at this job. |
The Solution
If you're constantly having trouble with panorama stitching errors, the first thing you must do is to make sure you are allowing plenty of overlap between fames (an overlap of one third is good).
Many cameras have a feature that allows you to overlay the viewfinder with a grid that divides the frame into three parts horizontally and vertically. This makes working out your overlaps easy.
By allowing plenty of overlap, you also reduce problems with distortion. This is because lenses distort the picture more around the very edges of the frame -- especially wide angle lenses.
If your stitching problems are caused by parallax error, you'll need to take more care when shooting to try and rotate your camera around its nodal point.
The best way to do this is using a tripod with a panoramic head attachment. But even an ordinary tripod may help, and if you have to shoot hand-held, make sure you follow the rules for hand-held shooting (stand with your feet apart, hold the camera firmly with two hands, keep the camera horizontal, etc).
Stitching problems caused by a lack of visible features, or by highly repetitive features, can usually be solved by manually adjusting the stitching points. Most panorama software has a feature that allows you to view and adjust the stitch points. If you can master this trick, you'll soon be able to tackle even the most difficult panoramas with ease.
Here's the same panorama with the stitching errors fixed through manual stitching:
Example panorama fixed by manual stitching.
Finally, if you've allowed plenty of overlap and your software is still giving you stitching problems, get rid of it! It's hard enough creating great panoramas without putting up with dud software.
In tomorrow's article we'll be exploring another problem that's related to Problem #1, but which shows up in a different way. This is the problem of Color Shifts.
When you read the next article, you'll find out why the stitching process sometimes introduces strange colors into your panoramas, and the two simple steps you can take when shooting, to eliminate this problem completely.
I look forward to joining you again tomorrow.
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
| Some more of the secrets you'll discover: | |
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How to select and arrange your photos, then automatically stitch them together into a panorama and check your results for common defects. |
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How to manually adjust the panorama stitching points and blending path for perfect results. |
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How to straighten and crop your panorama. |
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How to add a virtual frame and title, then print your panorama. |
More Articles
You can read the other articles in the series by following these links:
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