When do you panoramic?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Composition in panoramas is neither week, problematic or forgotten. It is different. Traditional rules of composition are based on traditional ratios, thus not really easily applicable to panoramas. Panoramas are often explored linearly, and in segments. They are stitched from multiple images, and they are often perceived as such.

[Paul Roark]

I shoot panoramas/stitched images whenever I can. ...

This is a stitched panorama shot at 420mm:

Shadowblade, very cool image.

The image currently on my home page (or see just the Jpeg at http://www.paulroark.com/Campfire-MilkyWay-GoldenTroutCamp.jpg) is stitched from 2 Sony a7r frames, where the optic was a Leica Tri-Elmar ("WATE") at 18mm.  The Sony had been modified with the Kolarivision astro cover glass, more for the superior B&W (Tech Pan like extended red sensitivity) than true asto photo purposes.  The image was taken at last week's Golden Trout Natural History Workshop, which is at 10,200 feet elevation in California's High Sierra (Sierra Nevada range).  Here the issue was simply to get a wide enough view. 

Paul
www.PaulRoark.com 

[donbga]

I shoot panoramas/stitched images whenever I can. I make huge prints, and, the more megapixels I can get, the better ... Panoramic does not mean wide-angle.

This is a stitched panorama shot at 420mm:

Great shot and excellent advice.

[MattBurt]

Also, tall compositions can be accommodated well with a panorama as well.
IMGP4957-Edit-Edit by Matt Burt, on Flickr

[dwswager]

Hiya,

Obviously, I have my own thoughts on this, but I'd love to hear yours: When do you make a panoramic image vs. grabbing a wider lens (assuming that you have one)? When do you panoramic?

Thanks!

Jeff

I don't do panoramics per se, I do multi image shots.  Usually no more than about 5-7 in either vertical or horizontal.
 
1. When the aspect ratio is totally out of proportion with that of the camera.  Say shooting something that is 10:2 while the camera is 3:2.
2. When I want more pixels for printing large.  This kind of goes to number 1 because the crop would chop so many pixels if done in one image.
3. For verticals where correcting the image will cause a lot of lost pixels.  Again, goes to needing more pixels.

BTW, always shoot horizontals in vertical orientation and verticals in horizontal because every time I get lazy, it bites me in the backside.

[dwswager]

The "problem" with panoramas is that most photographers try to include too much information in the scene that isn't relevant which means the image lacks interest. The eye is jumping form one part of the image to another looking for a focal point that isn't there. Too much information that is uninteresting.

It is not a problem with the technique, it a problem with the application of it.  Either the composition is interesting or engaging or it is not.  Some scenes just do not fit in regular aspect ratios, especially if you can't find a foreground interest.    This is a quick an dirty example, but I shot individual segments of this scene, but then also did the multi-shot image.  What should be cut out of this and does it change the message conveyed?  I'm actually trying to crop from 7:1 to a 4:1 for printing.

[Peter_DL]

Another use of panoramas is as a Zoom-in element in a slide show.

[stever]

when there's a large complex interesting scene and not enough time to decide on the composition.  with a bit of practice you can shoot a hand-held pano (or multi segment) fairly quickly.  the composition(s) can be considered at leisure.

[Bart_van_der_Wolf]

Stitching can sometimes also be used for focus stacking, if some tiles of the mosaic only have (very) close or distant detail.

Cheers,
Bart

[Ajoy Roy]

I stitch when I need more of the image than the lens can

[LesPalenik]

Exactly what I find with many panoramic images...their composition is very weak. Just seems many photogs shoot a panorama just to increase the pixel count...but forget the composition.

Very true. There is a difference between simply cropping an image to a flat elongated format and a carefully composed image in a panoramic viewpoint.