Unit02 Creating a Spherical Image

Overview

After learning how to setup the equipment for panoramic photography, you will photograph a single node using the 6-shot method, stitch it together, and upload it to Canvas.

Tools

• View the Nodal Ninja Arm on B&H
• View our Sigma 8mm Fish eye Lens on Sigma
• View our Canon Camera body on Canon USA
• View a Bogen Tripod with a ball head on Manfrotto

Objectives

At the end of this module, you should be able to...

• Learn to correctly setup the equipment
• Photograph an panorama using the 6-shot method
• Practice organizing photos
• Process images from RAW to TIF
• Remove the tripod from the down shot
• Use PT Gui to stitch images into a spherical panorama

Tasks

• Download the setup checklist for your equipment
• Download a free trial version of PT Gui to practice at home (you will use licensed software at UVU for your final submission)
• Download a free trial version of Pano2VR to practice at home (you will use licensed software at UVU for your final submission)
• Download GoPro VR Player 3.0 for Macintosh
• Buy an educational version of Photomatix Pro for Photography Student Pricing. (Save 75% with student ID)
• Purchase a cardboard viewer to hold your phone.
• Purchase a large external USB drive and put your name on it.
• View a 16GB SDHC memory card that will work with these cameras

Watch

• Canvas Videos
• 3261_01a Course Introduction [4:16]
• 3261_02a Equipment and Software [7:17]
• 3261_03a Camera Settings and Metering [8:00]
• Your Specific Camera
• Rebel XSi setup
• Rebel XS setup
• Rebel T7 setup
• Shooting a Panorama
• 3261_04a Shooting a Panorama [3:56]
• 3261_04b Photographing a Panorama Demonstration [5:11]
• Organizing Files
• 3261_05a Image Processing Introduction [2:57]
• Image Processing
• 3261_06a Choosing an Output [2:21]
• 3261_06b 18shots [2:15] (Batch Bracketing with Photomatix Pro)
• 3261_06c 6shot [3:17] (RAW to TIF using Adobe Bridge)
• 3261_06d 5shot with Handheld Downshot [2:46] (RAW to TIF using Adobe Bridge)
• 3261_06e No Down Shot [3:05] (Color Correction)
• 3261_06f No Tripod [2:53] (Overlapping Images)
• 3261_06g Deghosting [5:49] (Removing Movement-Photomatix Pro)
• Patch the Down Shot
• 3261_07a Patching the Nadir Introduction [1:13]
• 3261_07b Patching Delicate Arch [6:19] (Combining two down shots in PS)
• 3261_07c Patching Pier39 [7:49] (Build a PS Action)
• 3261_07d Patching China Town [4:35] (Use PS Action)
• 3261_07e Patching the Golden Gate Bridge [1:45] (Use PS Action again)
• Here are my Lens Settings in case your images are missing the EXIF data.
• Creating a Spherical Image
• 3261_07a Introduction to Stitching [1:14]
• 3261_07b Stitching Delicate Arch [2:51] (4 around plus 1 fixed down shot)
• 3261_07c Stitching the Leonardo Hotel [3:54] (4 around with Affinity Photo for down shot)
• 3261_07d Stitching a Rock Path [2:15] (Handheld Down Shot-Viewpoint Optimization)
• 3261_07e Stitching Temple Mount [2:01] (No Tripod)
• 3261_07f Stitching Hines Mansion [2:19] (Masking Tool in PT Gui Pro)
• 3261_07g Stitching Caesarea [4:34] (Straighten Panorama)
• 3261_07h Stitching Ford Falls [1:33] (Blurry Water Feature)
• 3261_07i Battle of the Cameras with a Fisheye [1:21]

Assignment Example

View Prospector Square in Park City

Assignment Checklist

Unit02 Creating a Spherical Image (10 pts)

Let's get started by having you create a full 360 degree around and 180 degree top to bottom photograph. This photograph is referred to as a "Spherical" image.

Image Acquisition

• Using one of the UVA panorama kits and a fish eye lens, take 6 images (4 around, and two down) for a full spherical panorama.
• SHOOT in RAW

Image Processing

• Balance RAW images and then convert to 16 bit tif's
• Open the two down images in Photoshop and remove the tripod.
• Open these images and stitch them into a spherical panorama.

Quality Control

• Make sure to correct a crooked horizon line if present.
• DO NOT USE trial software for your final submission!

Rezize and Compress for canvas

• Resize your image to 600 pixels wide
• Save as a WebP with 50% quality to your computer desktop

Submit in Canvas

• Upload this small spherical image to Canvas for a grade

Grade

In order to receive a grade for this assignment you must earn 90% of the points listed above.

• Pass
• Fail