Panorama Seascapes

Limpopoboy

Hey Guys

Is it possible to have a stitched panorama seascape, waves etc..? Or any moving or action for that matter must be nigh impossible to stich together.

Any tips or thoughts would be appreciated.

Limpopoboy

Celtic Snapper

I'd say its possible, but what a faff!!

You've pretty much gotta time your shots so the waves are in the same place for each shot. I fear you'll have a long time infront of the PC afterwards seamlessly stitching it all together. If you can manage it, it should look great!

Sand

Even if you get the waves in the same positions, the shape will change. You might do better with a long exposure, blurring out the waves.

pathfinder

I'm inclined to agree with Sand -

I was wondering how they would stitch..... but if shot with very long exposures - minutes not seconds - I suspect the water heights will average out and the rocks and ground will be fine -

I am thinking of a 10-15X ND filter if shooting during the day. Something to try when I get to a seashore I think.

I think trying to capture real big, violent tumultuous waves in a pano will be challenging, and possibly frustrating as well.

Stumblebum

Yes, it is possible.......Adobe is very smart and even though your image changes slightly, as long as it doesn't appear weird, and obvious, it is all good.
As Jim said, long exposures are easy to stitch because they are just same.....in terms of water.......
However, I have successfully attached crashing waves, etc. numerous times and it works out. It is just matter of trying.......if it doesn't work....try again....

LR (Lightroom) is better at stitching now than PS (Photoshop). However, LR sometimes resets my processing.....so it is better to give stitching a dry run in PS and if it looks weird and distorted try LR. Process stitched image then so you don't have to do it twice.

When taking exposure, need tripod vertical to the perceived horizion (meaning it doesn't matter if your tripod is straight....if what you are aiming for has a tilt).
Overlap 30% or more between images......and grab 15% above and 15% below, more than the imaginary box you are trying to do the pano for.
Do it fast before overall light changes too much.
Usually a single focus works....but to be sure get focus for every shot.
Depending how wide you are going, light WILL change from one end to other, adjust exposure each time but remain consistent in the sense if you decided to go 2/3rd stop to the right.....bring all of them to same spot.

Good luck!

Here are few examples......

1) 9 portrait shot pano

2) 3 long-exposures landscape-format (horizontal) shots pano

3) 3 not very long exposures in landscape format stitched together

4) 7 vertical shots with fog that also moves and there is risk of distortion while stitching but it works....

TMcEwen

Fantastic shots Stumblebum

pathfinder

In my mind I was thinking of large, crashing waves that were a majority of the image - those I think wouldn't stitch well I would use a hiding emoji here if I had one

I do agree that smaller moving water elements stitch fine - I do it with waterfalls once in a while.

The pano engines in PS and LR do react differently at times. I think LR crops the pixels more at times ( I end up with fewer pixels lengths ), but it is certainly easier and faster than PS for me these days, and I generally prefer to stitch in LR too.

Do you remember what your shutter speed was in image 3, Taz?

Stumblebum

@TMcEwen Thanks Tim

@pathfinder I didn't know about pixel lengths....its just that when PS has give up on stitching many shots, LR has stitched it with no issues.....such as shot #1 I posted...PS was not able to do it for whatever reason. For #3 I believe my shutter is 1.6 seconds. Still bit slow as smooths out movement so it probably helped me.....I had more water in one of the 3 frames.....so I was not sure what will happen to it, but it gave me this and I took it! Cheers!

pathfinder

Funny, I have had panos that LR refused to stitch, the PS knitted right up.

I think this is all really just magic. Tongue of frog and eye of newt, and all that

jerryr

Excellent ! I especially like #4 - great job !

Limpopoboy

Awesome dude.. Or shall I say Mr Stumblebum.. I would be very happy with that....

Stumblebum

Thanks kindly both! Cheers!

Eia

Wow - these are fantastic! Thank you for the tips!

Stumblebum

Thanks kindly Anna Maria!

Cornflake

Beautiful work, Taz!

"LR (Lightroom) is better at stitching now than PS (Photoshop). However, LR sometimes resets my processing...." With Lightroom CC, at least, the panorama comes out as a DNG and you can do all the processing after stitching. Maybe I'm missing something.

Stumblebum

Thanks Don! Agree about LR, my problem was that I processed and then tried to stitch.....Cheers!