A topic that came up recently was just how easy it is nowadays to quickly create seamless panoramic images from stitched photos using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. It’s a simple process in either program, so if it’s something you haven’t tried or are just looking for a refresher on how to merge photos – this post is for you!
The first thing you want to do of course is choose the images you’d like to create a panoramic from. The photos should overlap just a bit, as the colors of the pixels are how the software will determine where to stitch the images together. Make sure you photograph your panoramas in portrait format to get the most amount of pixel real-estate for the highest resolution final image!
Once you’ve made your selection of images, you’ll then need to choose between using Photoshop or Lightroom to merge them together. The base Adobe Creative Cloud subscription includes both, so it’s really a matter of your familiarity with one or the other.
Both processes are simple enough. I’d say if you’re looking for quick and easy results the Lightroom method is a good starting point, but if you want a little more control the Photoshop method offers a little more. Better yet, give both a shot to see what you prefer!
In Lightroom:
1.) Import the images you wish to merge together
2.) From the top menu, choose the “Photo” drop-down and find the “Photo Merge > Panorama” Option
3.) In the Panorama Merge Dialogue box, ensure “Spherical” is selected for the
projection. You can also choose “Auto Crop” to automatically crop away the
transparent edges. Finally, ensure “Auto Settings” is checked.
4.) Click “Merge” and your panorama will be created!
In Photoshop:
1.) From the “File” menu, choose “Automate” and then “Photomerge“. 2.) In the Photomerge dialogue box, ensure “Auto” is checked under “Layout“.
In the “Source Files” box, be sure “Use:” is set to “Files” and hit the
“Browse. . .” button.
Choose the files you wish to stitch together. In this case we will use four
PanoTutorial.jpg images in the Pano Tutorial Images folder.
Be sure that “Blend Images Together”, “Vignette Removal”, and “Geometric
Distortion Correction” are all checked.
You can also choose to check “Content Aware Fill Transparent Areas”, but this
will add to processing time and attempt to fill in edges with content sampled from
the image, which may require more advanced Photoshop experience to ensure
there aren’t repeated elements in your image.
3.) Click “Ok” and the Process will begin. Depending on the size of the images being
merged, it could take several minutes to process the images.
4.) Once the image has processed, from the top menu, choose the “Layer” drop down and
choose “Flatten Image“.
5.) Using the crop tool (highlighted in red below) crop the image to get rid of transparent
areas, and also use the rotate ability of the tool to ensure your horizon is straight.
Those are the basics – There are obviously a lot of other options in those dialogue boxes. . . I suggest experimenting to see what different settings do to come up with a process that works for you!
In spite of the evening cloud cover which thwarted our star photography, we had a great time in the Utah canyon lands near Moab. Studying and staring at all the rock formations is like looking at shifting clouds–how many faces and forms can you see? This is an excellent place to put your artistic eye into action, capturing graphic images of shadowed rocky columns silhouetted against a bright blue sky, or using the natural textures, lines and layers of the landscape to lead your viewer through your shot.
Overall this was a fantastic trip; it’s always humbling to visit such a massive wide-open landscape! Enjoy the photos!
It’s May, and the sun is out here in the Pacific Northwest. Have you thought of what you want to do in July and August? Consider joining me in Alaska’s Katmai National Park to photograph bears. Scary? No. Exhilarating? Indeed! These are the last Katmai trips I am offering until 2021 so if you have been sitting on the fence, it’s time to jump off and sign on. None of us are getting any younger!
Just two spots are left on my Romania tour with native son Gavriel Jecan, and two spots just opened up on the Antarctica Fly/Cruise in February. Sign up today to ensure your spot in these trips before they fill up!
The annual NatureBridge Gala is coming up at 6 PM on May 9 at the LEED-Certified Bently Reserve, one of the greenest buildings in San Francisco.
NatureBridge is a national organization that inspires environmental stewardship and science-based experiential learning by connecting young people to National Parks. This year promises to be another inspiring event with keynote speaker, Sophia Danenberg, the first and only black and African American woman to summit Mt. Everest, and 2019 Student of the Year, Kinzie Klein.
This summer I’ll be holding a workshop in my home state of Washington centered one of the more iconic features of the Pacific Northwest, second perhaps only to the Space Needle. Here are 10 reasons to join me from August 15th through the 18th for the Mount Rainier Workshop!
10.) Visit one of the locations that is the subject for some of my most recognized landscape photos! We will capture Rainier reflected in the local waters at sunrise.
9.) It’s a volcano! Cool!
8.) Make some new friends – one of the best things I take away from these workshops is being able to unite people with similar interests, many of which go on to become great friends and travel companions.
7.) The Instructors! I’ll have my assistant Gavriel Jecan with us to ensure there are enough hands on deck to support all participants.
6.) Familiarity – I’ve been coming here my entire life. You simply won’t find anyone who knows this locations in terms of photographic opportunities, ensuring our group will get the best shots imaginable!
5.) Creativity! I will give my Creativity In Nature Photography lecture as part of this workshop. It’s always my goal to make sure that along with the iconic shots, we also see things differently than everyone else and capture unique and creative images.
3.) Summer in Seattle! We may have a reputation for rain, but summers in Seattle are gorgeous and August is a good time to visit.
2.) The breathtaking nature around the mountain itself – flowery meadows and green forests below the glaciers of the cascade range provide an unlimited source of inspiration and color.
1.) Mount Rainier itself is, simply put, an icon of the Pacific Northwest. Visible looming in the distance from the city of Seattle, it’s one of the most prominent mountain features in the United States. Even locals like myself can’t help but marvel to see it in the distance, let alone up close!
Space is limited, so sign up today to reserve your spot!
The Nautilus Mission is to recognize and celebrate a wide subject-range of Better Books for a Better World. For two decades, Nautilus Book Awards has recognized books that transcend barriers of culture, gender, race, and class, and promote conscious living & green values, spiritual growth, wellness & vitality, and positive social change. Last year, Nautilus received entries from 36 States of USA, and from 12 other nations. Dedicated to excellence and high standards of both message and presentation, the Nautilus program celebrates books that inspire and connect our lives as individuals, communities and global citizens.
TREES: Between Earth & Heaven can be purchased in my online store – a great gift idea for mom!
Happy #WorkshopWednesday! I’ll be presenting my acclaimed full-day seminar Photography As Arthere in my home city of Seattle this November, and time is running out to enjoy an early bird special discount. Sign up before May 1st and save!
This seminar is designed to completely change the way you view photography, and my intent is to inspire you to bring unique artistic visions to life using your camera as both brush and canvas. With an emphasis on the abstract, imaginary landscapes, and capturing metaphors the lessons learned here can be applied anywhere and with whatever equipment you have available – no globe-trotting or a plethora of fancy gear required.
Photographing in Patagonia I am running into people I know at every turn! Hopefully the variety in the slide show indicates all of the varied opportunities that have presented themselves on this trip – it’s been a good one! Save one miserable day that was spent chasing ghosts up a mountain in gale force wind and rain, but that’s all a part of nature photography. We have seen eight different cats, all responding differently toward us – some are prone to flee at first sight of our group, while others casually hang around not seeming to mind our presence at all.
Over all this has been a fantastic trip with great company, and I’m excited to sit down and edit what has been a satisfying batch of new captures.
It’s Save the Elephant Day, which makes it a perfect time to talk about my new upcoming book, Wild Elephants: Conservation in the Age of Extinction. The impetus behind this book is to spread awareness of not only the challenges that elephants face in their struggle for survival as a species, but also the many efforts being made to protect them and ensure their survival moving forward.
Legendary for their size and intelligence, elephants are one of the most charismatic of megafauna. That they are under siege from poachers is no secret, and the rapidity of their declining numbers is horrifying. However, amidst the steady stream of bad news, all is not lost. Ivory prices are declining, global awareness is advancing, and recent government crackdowns are beginning to stem the flow of illegal ivory.
I’ve been honored to work with Dr. Samuel Wasser, Director of the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington. His informative text focuses on his current groundbreaking research on the illegal trade in elephant ivory that is decimating this highly intelligent, tightly knit social species. Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson also contributes, his experience in writing of the emotional experiences of animals pairing perfectly with what I’ve attempted and hopefully succeeded to capture in the affection and sense of family these animals display.
Wild Elephants is a celebration of these wondrous gentle giants and the renewed efforts countries are taking to protect their natural heritage and explores what we can do to to empower local populations to safeguard the survival of a magnificent species.
Wild Elephants: Conservation in the Age of Extinction will be available in late September of this year, but you can pre-order your copy now. 10% of proceeds from presales of Wild Elephants sold through our online store will be donated to the University of Washington Center for Conservation Biology.
India is always a dazzling adventure. This trip began with leopards and ended with tigers, with Holi and Varanasi were sandwiched in between. Holi is a spring festival, but has become a rambunctious free-for-all where crowds fling brightly colored spices and powders into the air to banish the gloom of winter. I don’t know if I’ll ever have the energy to photograph this event again!
I’ll be posting some terrific photos my workshop participants took very soon, so stay tuned for those!
Once you’ve made your selection of images, you’ll then need to choose between using Photoshop or Lightroom to merge them together. The base Adobe Creative Cloud subscription includes both, so it’s really a matter of your familiarity with one or the other.
2.) In the Photomerge dialogue box, ensure “Auto” is checked under “Layout“.
