Panoramic Armenia Photos

[alby]

I have put many panoramic images from Armenia for everyone to see on Armenianpages.com.

See beautiful virtual reality panoramic photos of Armenia like you have never seen before!

Go to: http://armenianpages.com/AP-Panoramas.htm To see the photos.

Armenianpages.com is the only place for full immersion panoramic images of Armenia.

Look at the photos and enjoy.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

Can I ask, how were the spherical (full 360-degree ones in both horizontal and vertical directions) ones created? Can you make them using photos from a normal camera?

[alby]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

Spherical panoramas are much more complicated than regular panos. Yes you can do them using regular cameras but the task becomes extremely difficult and the results not very good. To produce top of the line spherical panos good equipment are a must along with a good computer and software. I do not want to go into more detail because it will become too technical.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

I can handle technical. So continue, please.

[alby]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

I am working on creating a basic tutorial page to add in the Armenianpages.com panorama page. Once it is finished I will announce it so you can take a look.
I do encourage everyone to try doing panoramas and if you have good images of Armenia send it to Armenianpages.com for permanent posting regardless of its size.

Albert

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

OK - don't tell me exactly what to do regarding software and so on. But if I wanted to take pictures, using a digital SLR, that could, at some future date, be used for spherical panoramas, can you give some hints about what I should I do?

[TomServo]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

The photos are beautiful.

[alby]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

Using digital SLRs are best but you have to shoot with the panorama in mind. you cannot shoot pictures without planning and then make them panoramas.
Spherical panos are done best using fisheye lenses.
The http://vrm.vrway.com/issue25/ has put one of my Spherical panos (Genocide Memorial) in their latest issue, check it out and see many more panos from around the world. also you can go to http://www.vrway.com/ for more info.
Best of luck.

[bell-the-cat]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

Thanks Albert

I loked at the "HOW TO MAKE A QUICKTIME VR IN 10 MINUTES" video on the same issue. But what if you dont own a 10mm lens, and aren't ever likely to? A long time ago (like 10 years) I made some 360 degree pans, and in those days using a wide angle lens was not recomended because of the converging verticals and other distortions that it produced. The ideal lens to use then was a standard lens, and that took aproximately 16 shots to do 360 degrees in a horizontal direction. Is it because the software now available can correct the verticals that a wide angle can now be used?
For my digital camera I only have an 18mm lens at the widest end (which is only a 28mm in the digital equivalent). Could such a lens ever be used for spherical panoramas? I was thinking of taking such pictures of Armenian buildings in Eastern Turkey, where I am going to shortly. Like I said - I don't care about the software just now, I only need some advice about how to take the pictures.

[alby]

Re: Panoramic Armenia Photos

i would recommend you to invest in a sigma 8mm because it will make your life easier. chances of making errors with a regular wide angle are hundreds of times higher. the time to take shots with a wide angle like that and the number of shots will be prohibitive and stitching would be next to impossible. so i definitely recommend getting that fisheye lens. putting it simply, you cannot do spherical pano without fisheye!
i hope you come back with some great panos. let me know how it goes.