LIGHT WORK
These pictorial features are designed to help you better appreciate how working photographers deal with subjects and situations, including some helpful tricks of the trade. In this issue regular Light Works contributor Trevern Dawes explains his techniques for creating a panoramic landscape image from multiple frames.
The Picture
The general area known as ‘Paradise’ lies about ten kilometres beyond Glenorchy on the South Island of New Zealand. Late in the afternoon, a house, trees and nicely positioned sheep in a paddock were highlighted by dark shadows on the hills behind. Altogether a classic landscape which invited a panoramic response. A quick sequence of six overlapping frames captured the situation.
The Photographer
As Camera celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, long-term contributor Trevern Dawes has been involved since our very first issue which was published in June 1979 (then titled Camera
Craft). An avid landscape photographer (and also our digital printing guru), Trevern still travels extensively through Australia and New Zealand, taking pictures for magazines, books and his many own imaging projects.
The Equipment
Canon EOS 5D Mark II D-SLR fitted with Canon’s general purpose EF-S 24-104 mm zoom lens fitted. In turn, it was fitted with a 77 mm ultraviolet protective filter. The exposures were captured using the aperture-priority auto mode at f11 and ISO 200 with manual focusing.
The Technique
Ideally panoramic scenes involving many overlapping shots should be undertaken with the camera mounted on a tripod that’s levelled up and fitted with a tilt/pan head. However, there may not always be time to organise such a set-up, so that everything must be done promptly with hand-held shooting. First of all, a manual exposure and focus are required to ensure each frame is the same in terms of brightness and sharpness. A preliminary sweep of the camera is required with the framing in portrait mode (i.e. held vertically). In this case, the base of the trees became the guideline to keep each overlapping frame in a horizontal line as the camera was moved across the scene.
How It Was Done
A moderate perspective was selected in order to eliminate the distortion that can present problems with digitally stitching multiple images together. What needed particular consideration here was the shaded hills – with a choice of keeping everything very dark to help accentuate the sunlit areas or using Photoshop post-camera to display just a hint of detail. The latter approach was adopted.
Tricks Of The Trade
Not every scene warrants a panoramic treatment, be it with a dedicated panoramic camera or via the combining of overlapped frames. In many ways it’s a matter of pre-visualising what the final picture will look like. Given there’s enough time, using a tripod is always recommended, but when things might change quickly then a hand-held technique is required. After the six single images were successfully combined in the computer, a thorough check of a highly magnified final image was made to see if any ‘blurred’ sheep (i.e. ones that had moved between frames) needed to be removed. Fortunately, during the brief interval between frames not one sheep moved… the pasture was obviously good.
Degree Of Difficulty (Out of 10)
Trevern says that he had visited this location on many occasions previously, but the conditions were always average. This time, however, everything was ‘on song’ and it all it required was prompt action. A perfect time of year with the autumn colours, splendid lighting and obliging sheep resulting in a perfect score.
Can You Try This At Home?
The scope for panorama on the home front may be limited, but that doesn’t necessarily suggest opportunities won’t arise. All it takes is recognition of the potential and some prompt camera work. Nearby locations such as public parks, beaches and even city skylines are potential places to start experimenting with panoramas.
during the brief interval between frames not one sheep moved… the pasture was obviously good...