How to Take Amazing 360-Degree Pictures
360-degree cameras are one of those things that I didn’t really understand until I tried it. A friend of mine brought his new Gear 360 to a dinner party, took an epic picture of everyone at our table applauding, and I immediately got hooked on it. A week later, I was carrying my thing with me, and I took this thing with me on every vacation and at least some interesting event that I have attended since.
There is something magical about capturing everything that happens in the world around you in one shot. What’s more, with a VR headset, you can let your friends enter your photo and see everything that is happening around you. However, capturing the perfect 360-degree shot is not as easy as pressing the shutter button. Here’s what I learned.
Use a timer
The beauty of 360-degree cameras is that they capture images of everything around them. If you are taking the picture, chances are good that “everything” also includes you. If you don’t want all of your panoramic photos to have a photo of you holding your phone in them (don’t judge if that’s your business!), Then a timer can be your best friend. A five- or 10-second countdown might be just about the time you need to put your phone in your pocket and look like you are the life of the party and not the girl who can’t stop texting.
Use a tripod
A tripod can also prove invaluable when it comes to taking panoramic photos. The Samsung Gear 360 comes with a tiny tripod , but you’re better off using a selfie stick or a foldable tripod like this . Cause? 360 cameras work by taking two 180-degree shots and stitching them together. While this stitch looks great at the top, things can get risky towards the bottom of the frame. Since the camera is a sphere, it will essentially remove itself from the frame, but if it is not high enough above the ground, it could also mean that it is missing out on some of what is below. This may look rather odd. Using a tripod can ensure that you actually shoot whatever you want. This might also come in handy in the next part …
Choose the right height
My first big trip with my 360 camera. I shot about a dozen videos holding the camera next to me, resulting in several videos where my face takes up a quarter of them. Not ideal. As soon as I realized this problem, I started to put the camera on a tripod and move away, but my tripod was short, so I took pictures from a few feet off the ground. It doesn’t really matter, because he shoots 360 degrees, right? Wrong. So this is wrong.
If you take a picture with the camera on the floor, the person who later looks at the picture will feel as if they are sitting on the floor. This is embarrassing and probably not what you intended. Instead, it is best to raise the camera to a person’s height (five to six feet in the air). Then the viewer will feel like just a different person in the room, and not an awkward observer.
This is especially important if you are taking a photo or taking a photo that you plan to view later using the 360 headset. If you do not have a tall tripod and are willing to sacrifice fun for the perfect shot, try placing a small tripod on your head. The finished picture will make the viewer essentially replace you in the picture.
Stay put
While in truth it can be tempting to walk around with a 360 camera, moving videos end up making people feel uncomfortable. The reason is almost the same as why you should use a tripod. When you move while holding the camera, it is impossible (unless you are a pro with some kind of stable camera) to move smoothly. This means your video will naturally move up and down as you breathe and walk. It’s okay when you shoot a regular video, but when you shoot 360 degrees, you do it with the thought that people will want to look around. When your viewer looks to the left and you move forward, there is a good chance that you will move away from what the person watching your video wants to watch, and you are likely to make him or her mildly nauseous. … Shoot the video, but do it from the spot. Believe me.