Gigapixel Panoramic Photography

Well, a gigapixel panorama is a panorama image that consists of hundreds of individual pictures and can bring over 1,000 megapixels to the scale after assembly. The clou with such scenes is not only that you can print them out wall-filling, but above all that you can interactively zoom in to the smallest details with the corresponding software.

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Important Basic Settings

Aperture

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The optimal aperture is about:

f8 – f16

I’m convinced that simply try it out.

ISO

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The ISO value describes the light sensitivity of the image sensor. Best is a value of :

ISO 100

ISO 100 ensures a low-noise image. Another advantage is that the dynamic range of your camera increases as the ISO value decreases.

Shutter Speed

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In the field of panorama photography, as in every case, the shutter speed must be selected so that the photo is correctly exposed.

Further Adjustments

Panoramas (Pano) are usually photographed in manual mode because here, all degrees of freedom is given to you. So you can influence all variables according to your wishes and correct them quickly.

I take the pictures in RAW format to get the best picture quality and to be able to adjust my white balance in post-processing.

To ensure a consistent depth of field across the entire panorama, the focus is set manually.

Due to the point orientation of the initial point, it is essential to have a stable stand, as even minimal shakes can have maximum influence on the final result. Therefore a safe and stable tripod is not to be renounced. Moreover, the camera does not know that it is firmly fixed, and the image stabilization could still try to compensate for something that does not exist. Therefore the image stabilization should also be switched off.

After all, settings have been made, it is not easy to give tips on image composition, because everyone has their own ideas about what should be in the image. In general, I would say: Less is more. Try to only include elements in the picture that should be part of it and perhaps have a relationship with your central motif.

Design Samples

pano_ocean© Jogy

Skills needed

  • Mastering the basic understanding of your own camera
  • Manual focusing your camera
  • Be well rested & have fun by your photography
Planning 22%
Shooting Time 28%
Selection & Editing 83%
Publication & Recognition 31%
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Tripod

In order to avoid camera shaking on the picture and to ensure centralized photography, a tripod is mandatory.

Remote Trigger

When you take pictures from a tripod, you do it, so the picture doesn’t jitter. However, the moment you press the shutter button on the camera, you may be shaking the image.

To avoid this error, I use a remote shutter release. To my knowledge, there are wireless, infrared, and cable remote triggers on the market. All three fulfill this function.

Batteries & Storage

Gigapixel panoramic photography consumes a lot of battery power due to the high number of photos that need to be taken. So you should not only have the battery fully charged but also a spare battery with you. Batteries have lower performance at low temperatures, which you should keep in mind.

You should have your memory cards properly formatted and choose the right size for your purpose.