Panorama Photography 2. Panoramic viewpoint and framing.

Here is continuation of Lex' (www.lexnowakphotography.com) tutorial on shooting panoramic photographs. I find his explanations very good, and hope he will continue with the series, talking about 360 panoramas and virtual tours.

CLASSIC PANORAMA – VIEWPOINT AND FRAMING
Viewpoint – The choice of viewpoint makes a great difference in the perception of a panorama image. Typical viewpoint is the eye-level perspective, in which landscapes scene is seen as it would be from an adult eye-level view. In panoramas more preferred view is from higher vantage point, which can give a more interesting foreground and will better resonate with viewers.
Framing - Framing a picture is an essential part of the panorama imaging process. Historically, two aspect ratios have dominated landscape format: the 3:2 ratio of 35mm film, and more recently the 4:3 ratio of most computer display. The advent of high definition HDTV has brought its new standard aspect ratio of 16:9 (almost 2:1), a format more suited to landscape scenes.
There are numerous panorama framing formats. I found the best framing formats to range from 2.4:1 to 3:1. Interestingly, format ratio 2.41:1 is derived from golden ratio, and is naturally pleasing and proportional.
I use different format for different media:
For showcasing panoramas on HDTV, it is visually more appealing if the pictures are optimized for the full screen – nobody likes black horizontal lines at the top and bottom of the frame.
Where the panoramas really shine is on the print media. Computer monitors are not capable of showing full panoramic images, due to screen ratio and size.

CLASSIC PANORAMA – COMPOSITION
Composing panoramic image is inherently more difficult than image shot with camera, partly because viewfinder doesn’t display the whole panorama we visualized, and the amount of detail is greater than in a single shot.
One approach is to pre-visualize scene with home-made framing/composition aid cut out of mat board. Depending on the distance from your eye, you can also simulate differences in focal length.
Other approach is to shot scene wider than visualized and select/ crop in post editing.
Rule of Third – still applies but shouldn’t be used blindly. Because panoramic images are mostly displayed lengthwise, placing horizon in the middle doesn’t disrupt symmetry and harmony. Panoramas are well suited to emphasize symmetrical subjects, e.g. reflection of the mountains in the tranquil lake, and putting horizon in the center of the frame seems like the correct choice.
The best candidates for panoramas are scenes that have a single subject and whose broad surroundings serve to enhance that subject. Panorama images at sunsets and sunrises are also well suited; however they pose technical challenges (lighting and exposure).

Panorama of Royal Roads gardens, Victoria, BC by Lex Nowak.