Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2002/10/31

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Subject: Re: [Leica] A Deadman 360
From: John Brownlow <lists@johnbrownlow.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2002 09:06:24 -0500

On 10/31/02 2:25 AM, "Jim Laurel" <jplaurel@nwlink.com> wrote:

> Johnny,
> I don't mean to upset those who prefer a more structured approach to image
> feedback, but I really like your image.

Thanks!

> A big part of my admiration for it
> lies in the fact that I know how devilishly tricky it is to shoot Panoramas
> with alot of people moving around.

No kidding... I initially tried doing it without people but the shots always
felt sterile so I decided instead to damn the difficulty and focus on the
people, and try to develop a technique for shooting them since no-one else
apart from a couple of people like Andrew Nemeth seemed to be doing it.

> I'd be very interested in hearing your technique for dealing with all the
> people moving around.  Is it as simple as taking multiple frames at each
> clickstop, making sure you don't have any people or other moving things cut
> in half or duplicated in multiple frames?

Well, you almost got it. Basically I don't use clickstops at all. What I do
is find a likely spot and start shooting. I generally begin by trying to
shoot a whole 360 with no people in foreground at all (people in BG are
easy). If someone interesting shimmies by while I'm doing this I'll grab a
frame of them. Once I feel reasonably confident that I have a boring 360
with mainly BG, I start shooting for individuals. I try as far as possible
to get them clear in frame and of course you can't cut off any arms or legs.
You also have to get them as free as possible of middleground crowds, who
are the biggest headache since you can't watch them while you're shooting.

The whole thing can take up to 15 minutes, and the 'moment' represented by
the photograph isn't a moment that ever existed. For example in the pano I
posted yesterday the two shirtless guys and the central girl are from
different frames. Even the guy immediately to the left of the shirtless guys
is from a different frame, and some tough photoshop work had to be done to
make the shirtless guy appear to be passing behind him.

It takes about a day to put one of these things together.

Thanks again for the comments!

- -- 
Johnny Deadman

http://www.pinkheadedbug.com



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