Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography
by Harald Woeste
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Book Reviews of Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography
Book Review: Now I know what to do to make good panoramic images
Summary: 5 Stars
Woesta explains with geometric graphics, screen shots, and resulting images why simple methods to make panoramas by combining 2 or more shots usually fails. By simple methods, I mean hand-held shots and standard tripod shots in which the camera is rotated. The author explains the concept of "Virtual Reality" (VR) vertical axis. If your lens does not rotate on this lens dependent VR axis, the stitched seam in the panorama will mismatch. The standard tripod is not a solution, as I have demonstrated to myself many times -- unless the seam occurs were there are no critical details. The author shows tripod heads that put the lens on the VR axis. You can make a cheap tripod head that is an aluminum plate bent into a "L" shape or you can buy a manufactured tripod head. These include heads that are manufactured to work with a specific lens and a variety of heads that are not specific lens-dependent that allow for complex adjustments to attain the VR axis position for the lens.
Other problems solved include parallax, focus, white balance and exposure. When the photographer has solved those problems, it is time to face the challenge of stitching the individual shots. You can't really manually overlap and color match the seams and get a high quality result. The are cheap stitching software programs that do do low quality work; the author ignores these, but they are a starting point for beginners. If you want to do high-quality stitched panoramas, Woesta does you a big favor by discussings the pros/cons of these four commercial software programs that do high quality work: PTGui Pro, Autodesk Stitcher, Adobe Photoshop, and Kolor Autopano Pro.
Finally, the author discusses post-processing of the stitched panorama.
Prior to reading the book, I had given up making panoramas. I'm encouraged by this book to get the proper tools and try again.
Book Review: A very good guide to panorama photography
Summary: 4 Stars
I found this book very valuable in providing a great deal of technical expertise on this subject. I enjoyed the historical section, although I was already very familiar with the old techniques presented here (I have been involved in photography for 47 years), but I think those who are newer will find it fascinating. The very explicit explanations of parallax problems and how to remedy them with special tripod heads and 'L' brackets was very informative. I also liked the information on vertical panorama techniques and how to correct the distortions introduced by shooting with the camera pointed up. Although I already know how to do much of what is in the book (from long years of experience), I really appreciated the thorough coverage of the subject and how it is related to digital photography and techniques. After all, digital cameras are so good at panoramic photography that essentially all camera manuifacturers have ceased production of their film panoramic cameras (Fuji, Hasselblad, etc.). Anyone interested in panoramic photography would do well to study the methods and techniques in this book. the reason that I gave it only four stars instead of 5 is that those who mainly capture landscapes, with no close foreground objects, will need only a small amount of the information presented in the book, which spends a lot of pages on avoiding parallax problems and their remedies in situations that most of us avoid. That said, you should still be aware of those problems, and their solution. And the author does offer more simple solutions than buying expensive, specialized equipment - making the book worthwile for that alone!Book Review: Detailed, Technical Education on Panoramic Photography
Summary: 3 Stars
I found it interesting to read some of the other reviews prior to writing my own evaluation of this book. The information and approach taken by Woeste seems to be a definitely hit or miss with the audience that has chimed in. Here's why I think this is the case.
If you are looking for a simple step-by-step approach to getting a great stitched panoramic photo, this may not be the book for you. Though there is plenty of how-to type instruction with well documented screen shots, it is not presented in the recipe to success approach taken by some books.
Conversely, if you are the type that likes to get the entire picture (pun kinda intended in this case), including all the background, history, technique and philosophy to the panoramic technique, then this is the book for you. Woeste provides superb examples, front annotated behind-the-scenes setup views to beautiful examples of his own work, to compliment a thorough walk through panoramic photography. The history of the craft is included, giving some interesting background.
The detailed view of tripod heads & gear definitely puts this book beyond the avid amateur who is looking for just the basic simple software solution for stitching some photos together. Perhaps that is this books biggest difficulty, finding the right audience. Even so, for the photographer that enjoys knowing the deep details and options available in this area, I'd say this book is a good offering.
Book Review: Technical Study of Panorama Construction
Summary: 4 Stars
This is quite a technical exploration of panorama construction, focusing more on angles and planes perhaps rather than composition. Woeste shares the history and philosophy of the technique which provides a good background to the field, if not a practical one.
There is detailed information about the availability and use of panoramic equipment for professional/commercial photographers, which I think would be very useful for those moving into this field, but less so for an amateur. He looks at the theory for both two and three dimensional (spherical) projections.
His approach to stitching panoramas is similarily technical, rather than a recipe to follow. There is some critical information presented but again I think more suited for a well experienced photographer.
The projects and their progression shown are based on commercial rather than artistic tenents but the ability to follow his process behind the scenes is interesting.
Mastering Digital Panoramic Photography is a detailed look at the aspects of creating a technical image. Though I think an amateur would benefit from the information presented, it is more suited to a professional photographer who is interested in experimenting in the field.
Book Review: Depending on what you want to learn...
Summary: 5 Stars
... This book could be the best of all on the subject or not!
If you are interested only by tutorials about the stitcher you are using or interested only in a particular panorama category, you could find that there is too much theory or that the stitcher you are using is not covered (for example basic stitchers found on camera CD-ROM are not covered and there is no gigapixel-panorama in the 4 projects which are detailed.)
A full coverage of panoramic photography would require 1,500 pages rather than 150 and would be obsolete long before being printed. Harold Woeste opted for a much more sensible solution: the first part of the book describes the available tools and methods, the last part details 4 projects from shooting to printing or QTVR. Difficult subjects like stitching error correction and HDR are covered.
Choosing the right panorama head, choosing the right lens, choosing the right stitcher (or even the right tool from the stitcher your are using) take a long time and errors can be expensive: this book is both worth reading and kept as a reference.