360x180 panoramas

If you like the interactive street view in Google and fancy having a go at creating something similar, you are not alone. The internet is full of do-it-yourself tutorials, including some which promise you can build a 360x180 degree panorama in three minutes. Just Google 360x180 panoramas if you want some samples.

These pages are not a guide to instant panorama creation, rather, they document how I currently create 360x180 degree panoramas, illustrated with examples of my work. Before you decide whether to read on, you might want to look at my panoramas and panospheres on Flickr or at my panoramas on 360cities.net. I have also posted some panoramas on Google+, which are tagged with the #photosphere tag.

So, assuming you want to read on, how do I capture and stitch 360 x 180 degree equirectangular panoramas and stereographic panospheres? I have split the process into 13 separate sections. Follow the links to find out how I produce 360x180 degree panoramas and panospheres. Starting with the equipment I use.

I am an enthusiastic amateur photographer and geology teacher. I have been creating panoramic shots using Hugin since April 2012 and finally managed to stitch my first 360x180 degree panorama in late June. Hopefully if you follow this tutorial and learn from my experience, you can dramatically reduce the birth pains for your first panoramas, whilst also enjoying some of the thrill of discovery! Remember, there are other helpful descriptions of how to do this on-line, just Google 360x180 panoramas and I have found the community on Flickr to be invariably helpful and courteous, although I have not badgered anyone for help, just asked the occasional question when an image has impressed me.

Between June and the end of October, I have published 17 equirectangular 360x180 degree panoramas and 16 panospheres on Flickr and as well as ten panoramas on 360 cities (mostly the same images as my Flickr stream, but with an iPod-friendly immersive viewer).

I am still learning how to capture, process and display these panoramas. I hope you find my description of what I do helpful. Feel free to offer constructive comments on Flickr, or Google+ if you want to.