Panoramas - some lessons

So I've been shooting these stitched panoramas for a long time...about nine years in fact. There are a few things I've learned. One of them is that it really is important to have a definite beginning, middle and an end. If they just go on and on and on and on and on and on and on...it's hard to look at them. Kind of like it was hard to read that last sentence. Give the viewer a chance to pause within the pano, read the story that is being told, linger a little bit in the frame, move through the frame and then find the end of the story.

Keep in mind my whole analogy of the panorama equaling a written story. Give me a strong beginning, let the story develop and give me a strong ending. These parts of the story work well in writing, and they work equally well in the panorama photograph. If there is no definite end to the story then maybe it's not such a good photograph. Remember, a panorama that doesn't have a visual ending is just another boring photograph that happens to be long and skinny.

Here is my 'Creche-a-Day' blog. It is made up mostly of panoramas. The ones that are stitched with the black border will be easy to spot. A few I cropped square and clean and they might be hard to tell if they're a pano or not. A few are just one-shot images, but most of them are not.

Take a look at the panos and find the ones that work. Find the ones that don't...there are many. The neat thing about this project is that I was basically forced to show everything I was doing. I had to show an image every day, even if it wasn't the best. A few of the images I really REALLY like a lot. Most of them are just interesting and a few of them just plain suck. It's easy to see looking back at them.

Here is the shot I did on Sunday. I think it was five shots...maybe six or seven if we count that double-exposure that got blended.



Creche In Reflecting Pond With Temple, 2009

If you haven't looked at the site that I suggested earlier, look at it again. This is a good example of a lot of panoramas shot of different subjects in different ways.

Wide Views Panorama Exhibit

There is also this cool website from The International Association of Panoramic Photographers.

You will want to shoot a wide variety of scenes for this assignment. You may even consider shooting something new every night after school. This is where the practice really pays off. The repetition will pay off...TRUST ME! Oh and remember that four prints are due on December 11th.

Please, PLEASE do not procrastinate this assignment. It's already getting late on this one.