To create a large panorama, the scene (be it a very large infrastructure, eye catching natural scenery, a sport or social event etc.) has to capture with multiple clicks. These snaps are the raw product for photo stitching. There should not be any parallax in the images. If any of the objects is captured in two different inclinations in two photos, then it will be difficult to stitch them. This error is called parallax. In photographer's language, it is called the nodal point or no parallax point of the lens from which the photos should be clicked. There is a gadget to help avoid the parallax called, panoramic head which has to be placed over the lens. Another point to be noted while clicking is setting the exposure and white balance it in all the photos. Please remember to avoid as much as moving objects in the photos.
Now, let's see the procedure to stitch the photos.
Step 1: First steps would be loading the images into the editor. Next align the images in the correct format. Most software has advanced intelligence to align them by themselves. The software will mark points called control points on the panorama where it senses the overlapping. Control points can be marked manually to increase the accuracy of stitching.
Step 2: Optimization of panorama can be done with the settings available in the stitching software. Optimization will link all the control points and give us a summary if they are matched well. The summary will give us the distance comparison between the control pair points. The lesser the distance between pair points, the greater the quality of the panorama. If all goes well, we are good to go. Proceed and save the project to secure the completed activities. Now view the created panorama. The full-scale image can be tilted to adjust the horizon.
Step 3: Next procedure of called projection. Projection - this is the method in which the designed panorama should be exhibited. There are many projections; they are: Partial, cylindrical and spherical panorama projections. Select the projection that suits well for the design. Cropping can be done to remove unwanted portions of the image. It is always better to crop the image symmetrically as the software will maintain the horizon level. Asymmetric way of cropping is also available in most software, giving more freedom of cropping for the designers.
Step 4: Masking is a technique by which any entity can be erased off the panorama at the discretion of the designer. Advanced options of masking are available in photo stitching software mainly to remove moving bodies in the photos. Now, learnt the techniques, it's time to take the monster camera out to the woods and capture some jaw dropping snaps.