Master your DSLR: 360° imaging & VR
GET THE BIG PICTURE ON IMMERSIVE PHOTOGRAPHY AND VIDEO. [ TECHLIFE TEAM ]
WHETHER IT HAS the legs to go the distance and be seen as another creative way to get your pictures and films out there, or it’s destined to be a short-lived phase in the history of photography, there’s no doubt that ‘immersive’ imaging is currently a hot topic. Everyone’s jumping on the 360° and virtual reality (VR) bandwagon, from Google and Facebook to Nikon and the BBC.
But you actually don’t need the backing of a corporation with deep pockets to give it a go. While immersive imaging might once have required expensive camera rigs and a pains taking development process, it can now be realised using nothing more than a smartphone and a viewer made from cardboard.
The terms ‘360’ and ‘VR’ are often used interchangeably, but there are some clear distinctions. For a start, ‘true’ VR has nothing to do with photography at all: rather, it involves a computer-generated virtual environment that you can traipse around in and interact with while wearing a VR headset. It’s all about the end-user experience and the hardware required to make it happen.
The reverse is true of 360° photography. While you can look all around an environment and move through it, you’re not free to wander off where you like. You’re essentially along for the ride, only able to view a scene from the camera’s perspective, whether it’s locked to the spot on a tripod or skimming through the air on a skydiver’s wrist. It’s all about the way that a scene has been shot rather than how you view it. There isn’t a requirement for specialist hardware to see a 360° photo or video — you can simply drag the image around on your smartphone, tablet or computer to be able to view the scene all around, above and below the camera’s position, just like you can with Google Street View.
That being said, you can use a VR headset to view 360° photos and videos, too — and it’s this crossover with VR that’s the main reason both technologies are talked about in the same breath. Not only does a VR headset help to block out the outside world, but a 360° photo or video that’s been optimised for VR creates a 3D effect that ensures the experience is more