how to take panoramas of moving surf?

[msongs]

hello,

I can create nice panoramas of static scenery. Here in hawaii people want panoramas of famous surfing spots when there are moving waves as well as when there is no surf. Of course the waves will not stand still when I pan the camera. Any suggestions on how to create a panorama with moving waves. Internet search reveals little information, just links to people selling wave panoramas. I have a Canon rebel and decent tripod. So far I am shooting a scene and cropping to give a panorama-ish effect, but those cannot be printed at a larger size without loosing too much quality. Thanks!

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

The only way I can think of is to buy several more Canon Rebels with tripods for each, and set them up next to each other but angled so that hey cover the entire scene you want to get. Then merge the results in appropriate software.

[Jeremy Roussak]

The only way I can think of is to buy several more Canon Rebels with tripods for each, and set them up next to each other but angled so that hey cover the entire scene you want to get. Then merge the results in appropriate software.

Are you on commission, Eric? 

Jeremy

[Colorado David]

D-800Es.  Five or six of them. 

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

Or borrow a bunch of little Canon point-and-shoots (like the Powershot S100 or so) and have their owners come along to the shoot. Then you just position them and give the signal for everybody to press the shutter at the same instant.

This should cost significantly less than the five or six D-800Es, or even the bunch of Rebels.

No, I don't get a commission, but donations are cheerfully accepted. 

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

hello,

I can create nice panoramas of static scenery. Here in hawaii people want panoramas of famous surfing spots when there are moving waves as well as when there is no surf. Of course the waves will not stand still when I pan the camera. Any suggestions on how to create a panorama with moving waves.

Hi,

Other than using multiple cameras, which will create parallax issues if you also include features in the foreground, all you can do is time the shots. Try and shoot wave crests at the same position in the total (imaginary) frame. When you try often enough, there may be some images that blend well enough to be believable.  Large overlaps, like 50%, between tiles can also help. Using a Pano-stitcher that allows anti-ghosting masking to be edited will also help.

Cheers,
Bart

[FJJ]

I had this problem recently and spent a lot of time in photoshop fixing "out of sync" surf in a waterscape shot - I was lucky that it was an estuary and that the waves were very small.

One thing that I was thinking for next time is to use the option in my stitching software to provide a layered image in photoshop so that I can manually duplicate some of the stitches and manually move them to fine tune.  I use PTgui Pro and it supports that.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

One thing that I was thinking for next time is to use the option in my stitching software to provide a layered image in photoshop so that I can manually duplicate some of the stitches and manually move them to fine tune.  I use PTgui Pro and it supports that.

Yes, if all precautions still do not lead to the desired result, then a Photoshop Warp (or even Puppet Warp) on individual layered tiles is a valid final resort.

Cheers,
Bart

[msongs]

thanks for all your suggestions!

[robdickinson]

If you slow the shutter you can easily merge shots to stitch. Just take a few at each position with waves around where you want.

This is 4 shots on a 5d2, 17-40.


Apollo Bay Storm by robjdickinson, on Flickr