Panoramic photography
Time: 14:00 - 17:00
Location: Kean Street Photography Studio
Choose a start date
- Course Code: VY991
- Dates: 10/05/24 - 31/05/24
- Time: 14:00 - 17:00
- Taught: Fri, Daytime
- Duration: 4 sessions (over 4 weeks)
- Location: Kean Street Photography Studio
- Tutor: Matthew Ward
Course Code: VY991
Choose a start date
Duration: 4 sessions (over 4 weeks)
Please note: We offer a wide variety of financial support to make courses affordable. Just visit our online Help Centre for more information on a range of topics including fees, online learning and FAQs.
What is the course about?
On this practical course you will be taken through the whole process of creating a fully immersive ‘virtual tour’ or panoramic image -see http://www.citylit.ac.uk/studio-virtual-tours for examples. Shooting and stitching images seamlessly together you will start by producing a single row panoramic image, move onto a multi-row 360° by 180° image, then finally be guided through the software process of creating a web-viewable tour.
What will we cover?
- Panoramic tripod heads
- Shooting and stitching single row panoramic images
- What is an image projection and how does this affect the image?
- Multi-image row panoramas
- Creating a web-viewable ‘virtual tour’.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- shoot a series of single images to merge into a panoramic image
- stitch a series of images together and retouch any minor faults using Photoshop and/or Adobe Lightroom
- select an appropriate image projection
- correctly set up a panoramic head to eliminate ‘ghosting’ of images caused by parallax issues
- shoot a series of images using a panoramic tripod head to capture a full 360° by 180° image
- stitch images together using PTGui software at a basic level
- create web-viewable ‘virtual tours’.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This is an intermediate level course; it is vital that you have full control of your camera and are able to shoot in fully manual mode (including manual exposure and manual focussing). You should also be familiar with the basic operations of image-editing software such as Photoshop, although you will be shown in detail all new operations. You will be introduced to some specialist software called PTGui but this is simple to use and it will be assumed you have never used this (or even heard of it).
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The course uses Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and PTGui software, and you will be encouraged to download the free trial and practise with images you have shot in the class.
You will be taught using a range of techniques including workshops, short lectures, demonstrations, practical exercises, tutorials, group and individual assistance and hand-outs. Please note we will be using Apple Mac computers.
The course also uses Google Classroom (an online teaching resource) for you to share comments with your class, download course material and upload images for group crits.
Google classroom login help.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
Please bring your camera with full manual settings and the widest angle lens you own. Fish eye lenses are ideal if you happen to have one. If you already own a panoramic head feel free to bring this with you to practise with, although City Lit has several for you to trial, along with range of digital SLR cameras, tripods and lenses which you are welcome to use during the hours of the class. It would be useful to bring a memory stick (or portable hard drive – please note PC-formatted hard drives can be read by Apple Macs, but not written to).
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When I've finished, what course can I do next?
City Lit runs over 70 different practical and theoretical photography and photographic software courses, from wedding and wildlife photography to darkroom processing and digital printing. Browse the website to get inspired.
Matthew started teaching at the City Lit in 2005 and is now the photography department coordinator. He has worked in darkrooms, Av production, artwork reproduction, photography assisting, studio management and freelance commercial photography. He has shots cars for Chrysler, posters for the National Theatre and dolls for the Queen. To date he has been commissioned to illustrate over 150 books, shooting across the World. He has shot commercially on 10x8, 5x4, medium format, 35mm, DSLRs, digital backs, specialist panoramic cameras and the occasional shoe box (for pin-hole). Matthew has a degree in photography, a post graduate diploma in digital colour imaging and a PGCE in education..
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.