How to take panoramic photos | GiardiniBlog | Tips and Tricks

Panoramic photos offer the possibility of expanding our creative abilities for some years now, thanks to the introduction of the respective function on smartphones in native motion or with third-party apps. These types of images are ideal for capturing vast spectacular landscapes or simply to have an overview of everything around us in a single shot.

How a panoramic photo is made

A panoramic photo is essentially the union of several photographs taken in sequence, the aim of which is to obtain, in two dimensions, a three-dimensional point of view.

There are two types of panoramic photos namely cylindrical and spherical ones. The cylindrical panoramic photos are made through a rotation between 180 and 360 degrees on the vertical axis. Spherical panoramic photos, on the other hand, also require a 180 ° rotation on the horizontal axis.

To obtain a panoramic photo, combining several photographs, several corrections are required, which can be applied manually through specific software, or automatically thanks to the use of digital video cameras that support this feature.

To obtain a good panoramic photo, you need reference points that allow you to reconstruct the position of the individual shots: if the operation is performed manually, these are made up of parts of the image itself (a lighthouse, the horizon line, a palazzo, etc.), if instead an automatic software is used, they are generally generated thanks to the alignment made by the photographer himself during the shooting phase, for example by following a guide on the smartphone screen.

How to take panoramic photos

The latest iPhone models and many Android smartphones natively support the panoramic photo function in their camera: to take them, simply open the camera and select the relevant function, as shown in the example below.

Alternatively they exist third-party applications to take 360 ​​° photos in order to obtain panoramic images, as we will see shortly. Either way, to take a shot, hold the phone vertically for a horizontal panorama or horizontally for a vertical panorama. IPhone users can tap the arrow to change the direction of the panorama. Android users can move left or right without specifying the direction.

In all cases you will be asked to press the shutter button (which will start the sequence) and then to follow the direction of an imaginary arrow or line, which will allow the software to merge all the images into a single photo; once completed, just press the shutter button again to end the acquisition. On the iPhone the panoramic effect is obtained through a grid that allows you to frame the horizon line, as I show you in the screen below.

To get excellent results it is advisable to use a small tripod, with a cost of about 10/15 euros.

Another piece of advice that can help you is to evaluate well what we are going to shoot, activating your panoramic function, but without pressing the shutter button, in order to make a test movement to see what we are capturing while you move. This will help you understand the start and end points of your photo and if there will be any problematic elements (such as moving objects, a stranger standing next to you or your finger) in the shot, etc.

Perfect panoramas rarely happen on the first take, so don’t be disheartened if you have to take a few tries before you get a noteworthy end result. If you are in the middle of shooting a panorama and the arrow suddenly returns to the beginning of the guideline, your phone stopped shooting because you rotated too far off course. This happens quite often when you start taking panoramas. Go back to the starting point and try again.

App for taking panoramic photos

If you don’t want to use the native feature of Android and iOS smartphones to take panoramic photos, or if your smartphone doesn’t support it, you can still achieve the same result with third-party applications. The final quality varies greatly depending on the algorithm used, the quality of the acquisition and the type of technology that the individual applications use to maintain the alignment of the shots.

Google Street View

The first app that I propose to you is Google Street View available for both operating systems and downloadable here:

DOWNLOAD | Google Street View (iOS)

DOWNLOAD | Google Street View (Android)

To access the feature that allows you to take spherical panoramic photos, just press the camera symbol that appears at the bottom right of the screen for iOS and in the center for Android. The shot is not taken by following a line, as in the standard camera on iOs, but by centering circles on both the X and Y axes, with a viewfinder while moving the arm. Once the operation is complete, it is also possible to share the photo just taken online.

Panorama 360 Camera: Virtual Tours: 360 Photos

Another popular app for taking panoramic photos is Panorama 360 Camera (P360), which you can download from here:

DOWNLOAD | Panorama 360 Camera (iOS)

DOWNLOAD | Panorama 360 Camera (Android)

To start taking pictures, just authorize access to the camera and photo gallery and then press the camera icon located in the center of the toolbar at the bottom of the home. At the interface level, the version for iOs follows the operation of the panoramic mode of the iPhone camera, while on Android the alignment of the individual frames is obtained by centering dots during the shooting phase.

Photaf Panorama

The well-known application is also available on Android only Photaf Panorama. Here is the download link

DOWNLOAD | Photaf Panorama (Android)

The app is available in two versions, one of which is free. To take a photo just press the “Create Panorama”On the main screen. The application is characterized by a rather convoluted but extremely effective interface, with the simulation of two spirit levels to allow the user to remain aligned with the vertical and horizontal edges of the photograph during the shot. Another feature of the application is that it requires you to keep the smartphone horizontally during use.

How to make panoramic photos on Facebook

Onofficial Facebook application, the feature that used to allow you to create panoramic photos has been removed. No problem, as there are many valid alternative applications to rely on. To upload the panoramic photos on facebook, all you have to do is upload the image as a common photo, once uploaded, you will have confirmation that this has been published in the correct way, by the appearance of two symbols, one on the right indicating the orientation and one at the bottom to highlight that it is a spherical panoramic photo.

Common mistakes in making photos

The typical error detectable in a panoramic photo taken via smartphone is the alignment defect that occurs when the arm is moved during its realization, as I show you in the following photo.

The final effect is a sort of “then“Which disturbs the image, in some cases with”steps”Very evident in the points where you left the track. To solve this flaw a good trick is to take the panoramic photo trying to align whenever possible with the skyline, rotating with the body and not only with the wrist of the hand.

More insidious and unmanageable via smartphone, is the problem of the eventual different exposure of the shots and white balance, which usually occurs when you are shooting a cloudy landscape subject to rapid changes in light: in the latter case the image will appear out of phase, almost mosaic. Unfortunately, the only solution is to repeat the shot in optimal exposure conditions.