Panoramic photography is a format of photography that aims to create images with exceptionally wide fields of view, but has also come to refer to any photograph that is cropped to a relatively wide aspect ratio (Panoramic format) While there is no formal definition for the point at which “wide-angle” leaves off and “panoramic” begins, truly panoramic image are thought to capture a field of view comparable to, or greater than, that of the human eye - about 160° by 75° - and should do so while maintaining detail across the entire picture. The resulting images are panoramic, in that they offer an unobstructed or complete view of an area - often, but not necessarily, taking the form of a wide strip. A panoramic photograph is really defined by whether the image gives the viewer the appearance of a panorama, regardless of any arbitrary technical definition.

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Today, you can make a cool your own panoramic picture. Before you start, you’ll need to gather these elements:

1. standard digital camera
2. photo-editing software
3. practice and patience
4. tripod (optional)

And now, please follow these steps:

Step 1

Pick a vista. A panorama isn’t just about taking elongated, wider-angle views. Unlike conventional photo-taking, panoramic photography is about extensive views and capturing all the beauty in a single slice. Some scenes lend themselves to the panoramic format almost instantly, like open landscapes, lakes and mountainous horizons. Others require you to compose the potential scene. The trick to making a panorama is visualization: Picture in your mind what the end result should look like, and then take the pictures accordingly, making sure there is overlap in each shot you take. Let’s not forget also that we can turn the camera through 90 degrees for a vertical panoramic view rather than horizontally. As an example, several shots of a beach were shot with a digital camera, taking care to maintain a consistent picture density and color. This will minimize any adjustment and manipulation later on.

Step 2

Stitch the different slices. First, back up the files or use duplicate images so you can always revert to the original. Stitch the image files together using the selected software, which is usually an automatic process. For Photoshop users, the process is manual and has to be done using layers to tweak each image accurately to ensure the “seams” or edges match correctly.

Step 3

Tidying up the image. Once Step 2 is completed, use the crop tool to tidy up the edges, especially for shots taken without the benefit of a tripod. Now comes the tricky part–make the image bigger on screen so any differences in colors can be spottedl. Then adjust the settings manually. For the odd areas which don’t fit perfectly, try using any digital “dodge” or “burn” tool to even out the image. Advanced software such as Photoshop also features “lasso” tools which, when coupled with “feathering” (or graduated selecting of pixels), are very useful to ensure a smooth tonal change.

Step 4

Adjust the picture characteristics. Only when the process of fine-tuning the image to an overall consistency is finished should you start re-arranging the characteristics of the whole picture, such color saturation, contrast and brightness. If these were adjusted prior to stitching, it would mean more difficulty in stitching together a seamless image. Once this is completed, viola! Your first digital panorama. Granted, this exercise is a little complicated at first, but with a few more practice tries, high-quality panoramic images can be produced with little effort.

tips are taken from : http://asia.cnet.com/digitalliving

picture from : http://www.wildnatureimages.com