Avoiding an exposure issue when shooting to merge into pano
Oct 24, 2017 10:29:44 #
(trying to come up with a meaningful title...)
After shooting a bunch of landscape stuff to be merged into pano's I finally realized that one should switch to manual exposure settings to get all the shots to match. I have several, from tall lighthouses to wide shorelines in which the frames from opposite ends of the pano are so differently exposed that I had to adjust them in PP and sometimes even blur the overlaps to get things to look satisfactory.
After shooting a bunch of landscape stuff to be merged into pano's I finally realized that one should switch to manual exposure settings to get all the shots to match. I have several, from tall lighthouses to wide shorelines in which the frames from opposite ends of the pano are so differently exposed that I had to adjust them in PP and sometimes even blur the overlaps to get things to look satisfactory.
Oct 24, 2017 10:36:35 #
Oct 24, 2017 13:40:08 #
You don't necessarily need to shoot with manual exposure; simply lock the exposure and shoot all the images set to that exposure. That's what I do when I use my point and shoot pocket camera, which lacks the manual exposure option.
Oct 24, 2017 18:33:51 #
rook2c4 wrote:
You don't necessarily need to shoot with manual exposure; simply lock the exposure and shoot all the images set to that exposure. That's what I do when I use my point and shoot pocket camera, which lacks the manual exposure option.
It is best to shoot in manual! That means no auto-settings whatsoever, no AWB, no nothing! It's pretty much a (duh), to shoot with the same exposure, if you plan to combine them into a single image!
Oct 25, 2017 10:51:32 #
What is a pano? As for the comment about a polarizing filter, the only time I used one was a trip to Oahu, where I found a kite show at the park at the foot of Diamondhead, and the results were some deep colors, especially the sky.
Oct 25, 2017 14:42:55 #
speters wrote:
It is best to shoot in manual! That means no auto-settings whatsoever, no AWB, no nothing! It's pretty much a (duh), to shoot with the same exposure, if you plan to combine them into a single image!
I absolutely agree with you on avoiding AWB for multi-image panoramics, as there is a possibility that the camera will select different balances for the various segments of the scene. But if locking exposure in semi-auto exposure produces the same results as setting exposure manually, then both approaches are equally good. Results are what really matters, not how one gets there. I'm no stranger to manual exposure; the camera I use most often nowadays doesn't even have a built-in meter. However, there are situations when automation can be very practical.
Oct 25, 2017 15:37:55 #
Every pano I have shot was using AWB. Now Olympus is known for nailing WB but still. Never an issue.
Oct 25, 2017 15:59:29 #
I use the same aperture for each shot in a pano, but allow the shutter speed to change. Since I am almost always on a tripod, and the subject matter is seldom moving, that seems to work out ok. About the only time my camera is not on the tripod is when I am shooting from the car and using the window and bean bag as support.
Oct 25, 2017 18:47:51 #
I used to have that problem with Photoshop Elements, but the last two upgrades have fixed that issue when making a panorama.
If you want to reply, then register here. Registration is free and your account is created instantly, so you can post right away.