Photoshop Photomerge

Photomerge

Believe it or not, a lot of people don’t know that Photoshop can automatically stitch your photos together for you to create a panorama. If you continue reading this, then I’m guessing you fall into the “believe it” category and that’s fineyou’re why I’ve included this tutorial here.

Step One

Select File > Automate > Photomerge and browse for the images you want to use in the Photomerge dialog box. Press Ok. The photos are then opened and assembled automatically. Photoshop will think for a moment as it tries to stitch the photos together. If you have shoot the images properly then all the images stich properly.

For best results when shooting pictures for a Photomerge, follow these tips:

a) Use a tripod, and ensure that it is level before shooting. b) If you can’t use a tripod, lock your arms and legs and pivot your torso to capture all the shots. c) Line up the markings in your optical viewfinder with the horizon to help you keep your shots aligned when you don’t have a tripod. d) Capture between 0 to 30 percent overlap between images. e) Avoid scenes with moving objects in them. f) Correct for any significant color and exposure differences in the shots before merging. g) If your camera offers a panorama shooting mode, then by all means, use it!

Step Two

The first area to check out on the right side of the Photomerge dialog is the Settings section. Most of the time, you’ll wind up leaving this set to Normal. Perspective is used when you’re shooting a pano that is 180 or 360° around. Now, if you do shoot one of those panormas and click on the Perspective radio button, you’ll see another option become available called Cylindrical Mapping in the Composition Settings section. Turn on this checkbox to reduce the bowed distortion that can appear when shooting these types of panormas.

Step Three

Lighting conditions can cause various issues in your stitched photos. Sometimes the auto exposure settings on your camera can cause seams to become visible between photos. Turning on the Advanced Blending checkbox, in the Composition Settings section, can sometimes help alleviate these seams. Be sure to click the Preview button to see if it makes things better or worse.

Step Four

When you’re done, just click OK and Photoshop will process the photos and build your panorama. It may take a few minutes depending on the number and size of your photos. When it’s done you’ll see the panorama open in Photoshop.

Final Step

The last thing you may need to do to finish this off is to straighten and crop the pano.