I am always wanting to deliver quality photographs to my wedding photography and engagement photography clients. That’s why I always bring the right tools of the trade to the table. Specifically, I love to use telephoto panoramas for a broader perspective and use “whatever lens I have” to capture some breath taking panoramas.
Photography Tips: Telephoto Panoramas
The nice part about creating telephoto panoramas is that the appropriate lenses are whatever is inside your bag or on your body. Literally! I’m a big fan of being able to capture the right moment when it happens, and it helps not to be desperately looking for that wide angle or fisheye lens you left in your bag. 99% of my panoramic images are from what’s in my hand at the moment as opposed to shooting with a pano head, tripod, shutter release and pano lens.
What I do instead is set up 16+1 framing: I set up “focus stacking” and then fire off 16 vertical images, (8) 20% below horizon, (8) 20% above horizon +(1) Horizontal HERO image, all with variable depth of fields. Then, I use Photogmerge in Photoshop and it renders some incredible panoramas. Within minutes, I have the kind of image that would otherwise have taken hours—so you don’t have to wait as long for your pictures! Once I have your picture set up, I take a moment to “fine tune” the merged image and add that signature touch to my panoramas.
The results are pretty stunning, if I do say so myself! That’s why I always urge people not to leave their panoramas on their computers. Instead, showcase them beautifully by printing them in an album, on canvas, metal, ceramic tiles—whatever you like! They look amazing when hung up in your home, office or studio.
Panoramic Photography at Disneyland
“What’s in my Head?” - Well, one of my favorite panoramic shots actually was visualized on a production shoot at Disneyland. You see, I had been shooting Stills at Disneyland on a production film for over a week and found myself all over the park. One of our days, at the park was spent at the infamous Tea Cups. During the shoot, I made a mental note that this would be an exceptional 16+1 pano. Flash forward (no pun intended!) a few months later to an engagement session I was shooting for one of my B&G’s. The groom had proposed at Disneyland, so they wanted to have their session there. I immediately thought of the Tea Cups! So, we waited in line until we could get them in the purple tea cup (their favorite color). I sent them in with a radio controlled pocket speedlite and went to work capturing a one of a kind panorama just before the conductor called out for the ride to begin. I know they’ll cherish the “Tea Cup” image for a lifetime—and it only took a fraction of a second to create!
Images like this one (see below) is one of the very reasons I really dig that I am a photographer. That’s why I do what I do. The extra thought and attention to do something unique opens up a greater potential. I love getting the larger perspective with a panorama that will not only captivate visually but will look great artistically when displayed
