Whether you are taking a photo of a beautiful landscape, shooting a piece of real estate, trying to capture a photo of your new room, or attempting to include a huge group of your friends in one shot, the panorama feature available with Apple’s iOS 6 is just what you need. Capturing panoramic images is one of the major new features available in iPhone 5 and iOS 6. Apple’s latest mobile operating system makes this also available for iPhone users with the iPhone 4S.
How the Panorama Feature Functions
As the name implies, the panorama camera mode allows the user to snap stunning 240-degree panoramic photos. This feature is made possible as the camera takes multiple shots, then “stitches” them together, side by side, to create a panoramic image. Since it is only available on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S, users of older versions of iPhones will have to rely on panorama applications that can be downloaded through The App Store.
Steps to Snap Panoramic Images Using an iPhone
If you are wondering how to snap panoramic images using your iPhone 4S or 5, you simply follow these simple steps:
1. Launch the camera application found on the main menu of your device by tapping the camera icon.
2. Make sure you are in photo mode. This is accomplished by tapping the word “Options” found at the top of your screen.
3. You will see three options on the screen, namely, the “Grid”, “HDR”, and “Panorama”. Now tap on the “Panorama” feature.
4. Once you have entered into panorama mode, you will see some on-screen instructions, featuring a translucent rectangular strip, a centerline and an arrow
5. Aim you camera at the place where you want to begin your shot.
6. Tap the camera icon found at the bottom of your screen.
7. Slowly and steadily move your phone in the direction of the arrow.
8. Make sure you keep the arrow centered on the horizontal line found on your screen. If you move too fast, you will get a warning which will signal you to slow down. If you move too far away from the center strip, you will get a warning to either move up or move down.
9. If you want to take a panoramic image from right to left, you simply tap on the capture box within the panorama track, and the arrow will reverse.
10. Continue turning your phone in a horizontal direction until the photo is complete. The camera app will automatically take and save the photo once you have completed moving your phone by 240 degrees.
11. If you do not want to complete the full 240 degrees allowed, you can simply tap the camera button when you are finished, and the application will save the panoramic photo to your camera roll.
12. To exit Panorama mode on your iPhone, tap “Done”.
Fun Ways to Use Panorama Mode
Vertorama
The vertical panorama mode is one that you can use when capturing tall vertical structures such as trees, bridges, monuments, canyons, and stairs. It is very easy to use as all you have to do is hold your iPhone in landscape mode and then swipe your camera upwards or downwards.
Multiple Appearances
This fun panorama mode can help you create a photo of a single person showing multiple appearances. This can be done through making a horizontal panoramic shot and timing your movement in accordance with the pace of the camera panning motion. This also works for multiple people and you can make them appear more than twice.
Distortion
You can also distort your image by moving your camera at an irregular or non-uniform pace. It can also be used in sceneries with plenty of movements or one that slightly deviates from the panning direction. This mode allows you to move from one place to another or move extremely slow to get maximum exposure.
Tips in Using the Panorama Feature
Now I would like to discuss some helpful tips about your panoramic photos:
- You will find that the slower and steadier you move your camera, the better quality you will get.
- The file size tends to be bigger and can reach as high as 16MB per photo.
- When you want to share your photos on Facebook or Twitter, your iPhone will automatically compress the photos to become a shareable size.
Apps to Download to Get Panorama Feature
As stated earlier, older iPhone versions will not be able to enjoy this camera feature. If you iPhone is older, you will need to download some of the best panoramic applications available. They are ones like:
- Photosynth by Microsoft Corporation (Free)
- AutoStitch Panorama by Cloudburst Research ($1.99)
- DMD Panorama by Dermander ($1.99)
- 360 Panorama by Occipital, Inc. ($0.99)
- Pano by Debacle Software ($1.99)
Snapping panoramic images is not as difficult as many people think it is. You just need to learn about the basic rules and apply them while you practice.