Panorama

Panoramic Photography

Who invented panoramas? 
  One of the first recorded panoramic photographs was by Joseph Puchberger, in Austria 1843. This was a hand-cracked, 150° field of view, 8-inch focal length camera that exposed a relativity large Daguerreotype which was 610 mm long. Here is the image:

This technology was further developed by Kodak, which revealed the worlds first panoramic camera in 1899, Model No. 4. 

What are they used for? 
  They are lots of uses for panoramic photographs, and now with the technological convergence of panorama apps on mobile phones people can now take panorama images on there phones whenever and wherever they want to. 
  Also, people who go travelling also like to create panoramic images in order to show the people at home. Examples of this can be found on gigapixel.com, where images can be found from all over the world. These panorama's are enabled to let the audience zoom in and move around the image to explore the space is which the image has been taken. 
  Panorama's are most commonly used for to capture scenes of landscapes of natural beauty or even city skylines. These are the most common because of the beauty that they can capture though the use of the panorama. 

How are they created and made? What is the technique behind panoramas? 
  One of the best ways to create a panoramic image would be to use Photoshop and Photomerge. This is done by taking your images in line with one other, but as you move to the next image you make sure you overlap the two to creating 1/3 of the image the same in each next sequence to the images. Once your images are taken, you then 'stitch' your image together threw the use of Photoshop and Photomerge. Each image is opened up in Photomerge in the sequence of which the panorama will unfold, where it is then sent to Photoshop in order to blend the images together. If the image becomes uneven you should first flatten your image and then do an Arbitrary rotation until the picture looks level. Once this is done, you can then edit your photo to how you wish. This is known as segmented panorama. 

  There are also lots of other ways of creating panoramic photographers, here are a few examples: 

• Catadioptric cameras
• 3D panorama

Catadioptric cameras

  Catadioprtic camera consist of lens and curved mirrors that reflect a 360 degree field of view into the lens' optics. These specific lens and curved mirrors are arranged in order to create a single viewpoint, which means the panorama is effectively viewed from a single point of space. Meaning you can simply warp the acquired image into cylindrical or spherical panorama.   

  

3D panorama

  Some camera's enabled a 3D format when capturing a panorama image, this technology enables the photographer to take shots from different angles and combine them creating a multidimensional effect. Cameras such as Samsung NX1000 and Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 off the 3D panorama mode. 

Use of panoramas as art from and science

Art form

Panorama is used greatly in art form, as to create the panorama's which can be moved and zoomed in on, as I spoke about earlier in this blog. Examples can be found at http://360gigapixels.com/tokyo-tower-panorama-photo/. These images are taken around the world everyday and are equally interesting to the audience.

Science 

This image from the Apollo 11 shows a man on the moon, this is done extremely well to this experience to others who have not had this scientific experience themselves, which is most people. To see this imagery, we realise just how vastly time and science has moved on as to be able to create such images to see an amazing experience. 
  Also, such panoramic photographs are also use in science as to capture images of nature and such things in order to examine and express. Here are some examples: 

From these panorama's here you can see the different landscapes of which have been captured, these different landscapes are all part of science and evolution over the years which is what makes this type of panoramic photography so interesting and special. 

My panorama images

Macro photography

Macro photography
  Macro photography is extreme close up photography usually of very small object,  a macro photograph is one in which the size of the subject on the image sensor is life size or greater we is actual fact is it a lot smaller. "Macro" lenses specifically designed for close-up work, with a long barrel for close focusing and optimized for high reproduction ratios, are one of the most common tools for macro photography. Macro photograph is mos commonly used for small objects eg. small animals and insects may be captured with the use of macro photography.

  Within my Photojournalism group, we decided to go for a different approach to the things we had been doing and capture some macro photographs with a twist. 
  We did this with some basic equipment:

• A plate to place them in
• A sheet of medium thickness glass
• Water, in a spray bottle
• 2 cardboard boxes
• Camera
• Tripod
• Sweets/ texture of your choice

  After collecting together our equipment we set up the camera on the tripod, setting up as a close up of the sweets on the plate. I used a fast shutter speed and low ISO in order to capture a sharp and bright image of the sweets. After practicing with the focus through live stream, we were ready to take the macro photographs. We tried different textures of which some worked well and others not so well.

  Here are some of my images from the shoot:

This first image was taken after looking threw live view on the camera. We found that looking threw the live view would help focus our images yet the brightest of the image would have to be changed once taken of this view. This can be seen in the image to the left, as it is over exposed and it very light. We changed this by alterating the ISO of the image, which darkens or lightens the image. We set a low ISO is order to avoid grainy picture and to darken the image to create better quality. The changes can be seen in the image below. 

After altering the ISO, the image became darken and with more detail. After this alteration I feel very happy with the image. The image was taken with skittles underneath the sheet of glass in a tray. I feel this image worked really well as the bigger bubbles of water captured the skittles really well through the glass and created a great almost illusion of the skittles being inside the bubbles on top of the glass. We then went on to find more textures to capture.

We then experimented with bigger objects, as you can here we used a converse shoe is order to capture another macro image. This worked well within the bubbles of the image, as you can see the shoe extremely clear however the shoe is just a blur in the background image and only the colours can be seen. I think this is because of the size of the object underneath the glass, however I still feel the image worked well in order to create this macro 'illusion'.

Finally, as a last experimented I used the face of my class mate to see whether an even larger object would have the same effect. And with great surprise is did work, however I still have the lack of the background because of the sizing of the object. However, inside the littler bubbles compared to the previous images, I have managed to capture her face in the bubbles. I decided I would create this image with smaller bubbles also to experiment further into macro photography. 

HDR

HDR is short for High Dynamic Range. It is a post-processing task of taking either one image or a series of images, combining them, and adjusting the contrast ratios to do things that are virtually impossible with a single aperture and shutter speed.

How is it done?

 

  HDR is done by taking three different photos of the same scene, one photo will be under exposed, one naturally exposed and the other over exposed. These images are then all put together in Photoshop with automate, and merge to HDR which will create the image you see on the top of the three, above.

  Another way of creating HDR, could be to use a gradient filter which is a type of filter that has a black band which is feathered. This creates a darkness on the top part of the glass which darkens the sky without affecting the image, which will make the image the same colour overall.

  Here is a picture of what the filter looks like, and how it works:

 

When can it be used?

  HDR is most commonly used with professional photographs taking images of landscapes, of which in the daytime because of the low exposure and the alternative when changing the exposure of the imagery. With HDR, you can capture the sky's detail without making the land look too dark, and vice versa. However, HDR can also be created at night time because of the dark light which can be changed to light with changing the exposure of the image.

  HDR should not be used in moving images, as you risk the chance of a blurry photo which should of been strong. Because of taking three images in order to create a HDR image, the movement would cause the blur and make the image look poor quality.

However, HDR has also been used to create portraits of people in the photography industry. This has been done extremely well by Andrezj Dragan, as he as captured HDR with the elderly creating a great effect with his photography. Here is an example of his imagery (to the left):

Analysing photo's

  This photography is taken in the style of HDR, allowing this 'fantasy-world' effect to be given to the image. This can be seen by the orangeness of the widows and the brightness of the lights in the reflection of the wing mirror in the car. The bright lights in the photography give this fantasy world effect.

  What is most interesting about this photograph, is how the HDR has been captured in the style of Lee Friedlander. As Lee Friedlander has created great reflection photography, of which I researched in my first year of the course.

One of his images from his 'America by car- Las Vegas Nevada' is almost identical to the HDR image you can see above. 

  The image you can see to your left is in fact the image of Lee Friedlander, being very similar to the HDR image above. Both images capture America in their own way, which could show the comparison in time and viewpoint of each images. The HDR image above, expressed the shopping and street life of America. As it uses bright colours and a reflection of cars and shops, this viewpoint comes across very strong. However, a very different viewpoint comes across in the image to the left by Friedlander. As we can see major America building and the Statue of Liberty in the actual picture, yet just dark shapes in the reflection of wing mirror. This could show a dark and sinister viewpoint towards America from Friedlander, as also the lack of colour with the image being in black and white would be another greater example of this dark viewpoint which comes through the image. 

  

My own example of HDR: 

  Here is my example at HDR photography, I wanted to capture an aspect of the college which would really show it off in the image. I feel I have created this well, as picking the right time of day to capture my image it has allowed me to capture an eye-catching sky making the image stand out. Also, the contrast of the colours, orange, blue and pale colours of the buildings also work well to create this eye catching strong image. 

  I captured this image by choosing the best angles and shots in order to take my three separate images of over exposure, normal exposure and under exposure. After capturing these, I merged then together in Photoshop with the use of Automate, which automatically create this HDR image for you. Which I then just altered until I was happy with my final image. 

Levitation photography

Levitation photography

What is it?
Levitation photography is the appearance that the subject within the image is floating.


How is the effect achieved?
Levitation photography can be created two different ways. One of the ways to create this look can be done by the mixing together of strategic shooting and processing with Photoshop to get the amazing effect.


How is it done?
There are two ways of creating levitation photography, one way would be to take two images of which one contains the subject who you want you appear as floating with the other just being the scene. These can then be manipulated together through the use of layers in order to create this floating appearance. However, this can also simply be done by just taking the image as the subjects jumps- when they are in the point of freeze-frame to avoid the movement of the subject.


                                                      This image is done by capturing two separate images. One image will consist of the subject in the image sitting on a stool or chair, or leaning on something in order to get themselves off the floor. This will then be followed by the picture being taken with just the scene of the image, without the subject in the image. However, objects can be thrown into the image (like the one you can see to your left), these can appear within one of the images taken or in separate images allowing them to be layered separately. Once these images have been taken, the images will then be placed on Photoshop where they are separated into two layers, making them being able to be edited on their own. At this point, this is where you would also add the different layers on Photoshop (eg. the paper planes) in order to place them in the photograph.

Once they are all separated it will allow the editing of the opacity of each, and other technical appearance which will edit the images together in coherence to appear as if the subject is floating. One of these technical appearance could be seen as using the close stamp in order to erase detail that should not be in the photograph, e.g. parts of the stool etc. 

                        However, levitation photography is also simply done with just the movement of the subject e.g. jumping or leaping. This would be the easiest option when taking a levitation photograph however it may not always look as good as the Photo-shopped. As the photograph is just simply taken at the freeze of a jump, to capture the stillness and not the movement of the jump. This would mean for the camera to be set to with a high shutter speed in order to capture the freeze frame. This can look effective, as the image to the right does look effective however not as effective as the one above. I think when creating my photograph I will use the first technique in order to create a more powerful image.

Ideas to pursue for your own work
I think I defiantly want to use the first technique in order to create my own levitation photographs, as I feel they look more powerful and strong. However, I would also like the try and create images of people jumping at the point of freeze frame in order to explore my ideas. I feel this will give me a better sense in to levitation photography.

My own levitation photography 

Here I have created a levitation photograph of one of my classmates, of which I captured one image of my classmate laid on the table and then one of nothing there. I then merged these images together on photoshop. However, this process did no go as well as I had though as the table did not completely disappear. And so because of this, I just took the image of my classmate on the table and put it on top of the layer with no table or classmate. I then rubbed away the table with the eraser tool on Photoshop, which created the image you can see above. 

Here, is another levitation photograph I created with my tutor in class. This photograph was created to give the impression that my teacher was jumping or floating in order to press the button on the screen projector. Again I tried to merge the two images together, yet instead I just had to edit out the chair of which my tutor was standing on. 
  I then also made some changes to the image, like darkening the outside images through the window in order to create a most mysterious look to the image etc.