Overview of the process

1. Choose a scene you want to capture

2. Shoot overlapping images of the scene in a camera

3. Transfer or scan the images into a computer

4. Stitch the images together using specialized software

5. Build a virtual reality scene file from the stitched image

6. Publish the virtual reality scene file on the Web or CD

How I do it

1. I usually hike to interesting scenes and carry my gear in a daypack.

2. I use different cameras depending on the portability requirements. All my panoramas are composite images, stitched together from between 12 and 18 separate overlapping images. The camera is mounted sideways on the tripod or monopod using a panhead. I use different panheads depending on how much weight I want to carry.

3. I transfer digital camera images to the computer via USB, or scan the film-based scenes myself using a scanner.

4. I use a variety of stitchers to stitch the images together.

5. The same software usually creates the virtual reality scene file from the stitched image.

Equipment Discussion

I get asked frequently what someone needs in order to shoot panoramas.

Choosing a camera: The decision of what equipment to choose for VR depends on the purpose of the panoramas and your budget. If there is a chance you might want to print the panoramas you make (on wide-format IRIS or better), or a chance you will want to reproduce the panorama at a later date at a higher resolution, or you will be shooting in bright or uneven light situations, then you are probably better off with film-based cameras. If film/scanning costs are a concern, or if there is a need to create the pano very quickly, then digital cameras are preferable. Most of the panos I've shot have been film based, digital cameras are getting better every year. As for the camera features, make sure you can override the automatic exposure settings (using Manual mode). Oftentimes you want to keep the exact same exposure for the entire set of shots needed to make a full circle or sphere, and some digital cameras don't provide for that. Most good SLR's do. Overall, the ability to change lenses for different kinds of scenes is a worthwhile feature, as is manual exposure control.

Film and lenses: If there is motion in the scene, or low light conditions, a fast film such as Kodak's Supra 800 is desirable. Otherwise use a good color print film, whether that be Kodak, Fuji, or Agfa. I often shoot Kodak Gold 100/200/400. Indoors with multiple lighting sources, some of the multi-layer Fuji films (NPS/NPH) are better at capturing a scene. Wide angle lenses are preferable for capturing more of a scene. Interiors of rooms can benefit from 16-20mm lenses, as can very tall outside features like mountains/canyon walls. In other locations such as a city street or stream bottom, 20-24mm is good. In more wide open scenes, 24-35 mm can be used to good effect. Fixed size lenses are probably better than zoomables since there's fewer elements to interfere with the light and diffract light sources.

Gear for holding the camera while you shoot in a circle: For holding the camera in position while you shoot overlapping shots in a circle, most any tripod will do, or even a monopod. It is even possible to shoot completely handheld, although you pay for it later when trying to line up the shots in the computer. When I went to Utah, shooting Anasazi rock art, or backpacking on the John Muir Trail, I used a monopod. I have three different Bogens and I like the middleweight one (model 3221) the best for most of my panos. And if you go with a tripod, you need some kind of pan-head which mounts your camera sideways so you get the maximum vertical field of view. While it isn't strictly necessary, panos look much much better with more vertical field of view than less. You can spend anywhere from $75 to many hundreds for this one part. I started out with another, simpler one I got at that fancy photo store in San Francisco. It still works OK, but the fancier rigs have detents at the various angle-increments so that you don't have to manually think about how many degrees to sweep to the next shot. You'll need a double bubble level to make sure the camera is level when sweeping out a full circle.

Production of the panoramas from the source images is next.

Stitching Tools: There are quite a few stitching software applications available for PCs and Macs. Apple's QuickTime VR Authoring Studio (QTVRAS) is only available for the Mac, but RealViz Stitcher is multi-platform, as is VR Worx. Some packages such as Panorama Factory are available for Windows only. There's a breakout page available that summarizes key points about these tools.

As you can see, there's just a lot of options for capturing and building VR scenes. Don't get too overwhelmed -- once you pick a camera and computer, the number of choices drops dramatically. If you have any photo gear at all now, you ought to be able to get started shooting panos without making a big investment.

Aptos Creek -- The Forest of Nisene Marks