[gsol]

When I was taking the photos for a panoramic image, the sky was changing thus making contrast different in all the photos
When the photos are stitched together, the differences are easy to notice

I am new to the tools in Paint Shop Pro - is there a way of equalizing the contrast across the entire image?
Any other advice?

Tried to attach example image but it will probably look too small(I guess that's another question?)
EDIT-yes it is a bit small but I hope you can see my point

[etaf]

its very difficult if light keeps changing however, with each separate image you may be able to adjust the brightness / levels.

Post the worst two images separately and then perhaps we can have a go

[gsol]

OK, I have resized as for email(800x600) to post here - is that the best way?
Thanks

[etaf]

Ok - i took the pictures into photoshop and adjusted P2060003.jpg using levels until I thought the sky and sand look OK
I moved the white point down and then slightly adjusted the gray point on levels (RHS slider and Middle slider)

what do you think?

[gsol]

Thanks, it stitches together as below, which is much better
Two problems though - I don't know what levels are and I don't have Photoshop

Can you give me a quick overview of what levels are and how to adjust them, if you know step-by-step in Paint Shop Pro that would be great

[etaf]

OK I dont know PSP however, I have PSP7 and just had a look around
open both the documents
click on the darker one so thats the one you are working on
goto
layers>
new adjustment layer>
levels>

you will now get a dialog box up
click on the down arrow next to the eye at the bottom of the box - that enables you to see what happens on the image
then move the Top slide rhs towards the left - you will notice the image lighten
play with that slider to match the image

[gsol]

Yeah, I have PSP7 so thanks for instructions
Could take a while with a 360 panorama though, but then not all the panoramas I have taken had this problem

I just thought there would be an a way of doing it quickly, I had a go at Panorama Factory which I didn't like but one of the processes it did before stitching was to adjust the brightness so that it matched across all images - I wonder how it did this? maybe the same way?

ps. impressed with the photos on dp forums

[etaf]

impressed with the photos on dp forums

thanks
they could do with some more panaroma's there - will we see yours???

I have not tried this
but have been advised to set the camera on manual exposure and use that setting for all the pictures

[buck52]

Originally Posted by etaf

I have not tried this
but have been advised to set the camera on manual exposure and use that setting for all the pictures

I don't do may panos but...that is what I do and it helps greatly provided your camera has manual or lockable exposure.

[gsol]

etaf - yeah it would be good to post some photos for some feedback on how to improve images, panoramas need a bit more practice though(with help from your advice)

buck - I have Olympus C220, I don't think it has manual exposure,any other settings will help?(I'll read the manual later), as you can probably tell I'm not a photo expert, just interested in composing some good images

[slipe]

If you can’t take the pictures with the same exposure in all of them you do best using a sophisticated stitching program that will even out the exposures. Panorama Factory does a nice job and they have a free trial. http://www.panoramafactory.com/

Pentax has a screwy panorama function that doesn’t fix the exposures like other cameras and the S4 doesn’t have manual exposure controls. So with that camera I have to use a program like Panorama Factory to stitch or I get lines. It requires more overlap than stitching programs that don’t even the exposures.

Someone on another board pointed out that the continuous shooting mode where you just hold the shutter release down does keep the exposure and focus of the first shot. It is slow enough on the S4 that I can take a series of panoramas that way. You have to move fast though.