Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!ucla-cs!korfhage
From: korfhage@ucla-cs.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.rec.photo
Subject: Any tips on panorama shots?
Message-ID: <7928@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Date: Sat, 7-Dec-85 20:17:52 EST
Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.7928
Posted: Sat Dec  7 20:17:52 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 11-Dec-85 08:48:56 EST
Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department
Lines: 34


   Sometimes, particularly in mountains or desert, I come across scenes that
just scream for a 360 degree panorama or some other very wide angle shot.
In these cases, taking pictures with a wide angle lens on a 35 mm camera
just doesn't cut it - you get an enormous expanse of sky, and your landscape
is reduced to a thin strip occupying only a fraction of the negative.
Because I can't afford a Widelux or other specialty camera, I take a tip from
NASA and take a number of photos of the scene and mount them together to
form one large photograph.
   This works very well on some occasions and awful on others; obviously I
haven't figured out the proper technique.  Is there anyone out there who has
done this and can give the world some tips on taking panoramas?

Specific questions:

- Exposure: the proper exposure can vary immensely over 360 degrees. If all
  exposures are metered individually, without out regard for the others, the
  edges may be hard to match up nicely, with regard to color or darkness.  But
  if you leave the camera on one exposure setting, you may get horrible
  over/under exposure.  What is the proper balance between these extremes?

- Lenses and matching the size of objects: What is the best way to match the
  size of the objects in the protographs? You don't want an object big in
  one photograph and small in another - you'll never be able to line up the
  photos.  Is the standard 50 mm lens best?  Can I use a short telephoto and
  still make a good composite image? I know that wide angle lenses don't work
  at all for such matters.

Thanks very much.
-- 
   Willard Korfhage

   ARPA : korfhage@ucla-ats.arpa
   UUCP : {ucbvax,ihnp4,randvax,trwrb!trwspp,ism780}!ucla-cs!korfhage