For a while now I have kept seeing stunning panoramic photos on the web and wondered how on earth those photos were taken or created. Well after a little more extensive research today I have found out that they are really simple, thanks to Photoshop CS3.
The image above was created by merging together 8 photographs from the garden. We have been working in the garden for the last 6 months or so and wanted to find a way in which I could showcase the whole job in one photograph, which is what got me looking at panoramic photography.
The process is simple. You basically take all your photos, panning around your subject. It is best to take them in portrait format because your image will end up capturing a lot more of the subject. You then take your photographs panning around, making sure that you give them plenty of overlap. The more overlap the easy it is for the software to get a good match.
Upload the photos to your computer and then in Photoshop CS3 you simple select the Automate from the file menu and choose the Photomerge. Then select all of the photos that you have taken and simply press go. Photoshop goes to work importing your photos together and produces the finishing touches. Somethimes to tops and bottoms of the photo are not level as Photoshop has had to move them up and down to get things aligned up correctly so I usualy just crop the photograph down slightly so that the top and bottom edges are straight.
That is all there is to it. Export your file in a suitable format and size and you have a lovely professional looking Panoramic photograph of whatever you want.
