dcpixelthis

We went over many things today.  Next week I am away but a Substitute will be teaching for me.  Remember to send me your portraits through email.  When we get back from Spring Break we will have a crit on them.  Please bring two prints to class on March 31st for crit.

The next assignment is your Panoramic 360 landscape.  See my blog post about the 360 from two semesters ago here http://dcpixelthis.com/1/post/2011/04/360-landscape-assignment-part-1.html.  I am re-posting the how to videos I made on assembling the panoramic in Photoshop.

Thank you for a great class on Saturday. Your portraits were great and I look forward to your last assignment.


Your last assignment is 360 degree landscape composite.  This assignment is inspired by the work of Tito Dupret. 


Here are some links to his work and Bio.


http://www.lightstalkers.org/titodupret



http://www.linkedin.com/in/titodupret



http://www.vrmag.org/vartist/spotlight/A_CONVERSATION_WITH_TITO_DUPRET_ABOUT_HIS_WORLD_HERITAGE_TOUR.html



http://www.world-heritage-tour.org/press/20080310_WHTour_EN.pdf



http://www.world-heritage-tour.org/





For this assignment you will take 12 images (or more) and combine them into one long 360 panoramic image.  Here is waht you will need and how to take the images.


You will need:
Camera
If you have a full frame sensor camera then a 50mm to 70mm lens will work for this assignment.  If you don't have full sensor camera then you have two options.  One, take more than 12 frames to produce a complete image ( It will probably take another 6 frames) or use a wider lens like a 35mm lens (or if you have a zoom lens that is 24-70mm or something like that set it to around 35mm).


Tripod:
Get a tripod that has degree increments on the camera mount.  If not, then make a basic compass for your tripod head mount using tracing paper and protractor.  You will need this to create even intervals of frame captures.


Bubble Level:
Buy an inexpensive bubble level from a hardware store.  The one I use is round.  The levels on the tripods are only for the legs to be on level ground, but the camera will need to be leveled every frame you take.


Taking the image:
Find your landscape (it can be anything, street, ocean, forest, your front lawn- whatever you want.  Just make sure it keeps your interest because this may take some time to make).   Find the height you would like to shoot and set up your tripod. 


To establish your exposure take a reading of the darkest part of the image and then the lightest part of the image.  Average those exposures to a median exposure.  You will take all 12 frames of the landscape with that exposure.  You should bracket your exposures by one stop over the average and under the average exposure.  For instance, if you establish that f11 at 125 or second is your average exposure, then bracket with your shutter speed (Bracketing with the f-stop will change your depth of field) and take 12 frames at 60th of second and at 250th of second for a total of 36 images (12x3).


Look through your view finder and determine that about 1/3 of frames overlap every 30 degrees.  If it does not, then add frames at even intervals or change the focal length of the lens.  Each time you move the camera and a take an image make sure you re-level the camera.  You do this by putting the bubble level on top of the hot shoe of the camera and leveling the top of the camera.


Part 2 and 3 will cover items discussed in class next week.  Have a great shoot.