Unlock The Power of The Panorama

Shooting Panoramas with the Camera Vertical: Extending Your View Beyond the Lens

Panoramic photography is a brilliant way to capture a landscape that simply won’t fit into a single frame, no matter how wide your lens. One of the best techniques is to shoot your panorama with the camera in a vertical (portrait) orientation. This approach not only extends your field of view left to right, but also gives your final image more height, allowing you to crop the result to an aspect ratio that is still usable on websites and social media, rather than a fairly un-usable letter-box shape. 

Why Shoot Panoramas Vertically?

Shooting with the camera vertical means you’ll need to take more frames to cover the same width, but the payoff is significant. You’ll capture more sky and foreground, giving your panorama a better sense of scale and depth. This method also helps reduce distortion, especially at the edges, which is common with wide-angle lenses.

Essential Steps for Success

1. Use a Tripod and Keep the Camera Level!

A tripod and a level camera are crucial for seamless stitching. If the camera tilts up or down as you pan, your horizon will curve, and the images may not align properly. Use your camera’s built-in electronic level or grid lines to help keep everything straight as you move from one frame to the next. Before taking photos, try sweeping slowly left to right (with the camera fixed to the tripod) to check that the horizon remains level throughout the panorama. 

2. Use a Tripod and an L-Bracket for Stability and Precision

An L-bracket is a simple but invaluable accessory for panoramic work. It allows you to mount your camera vertically on the tripod without shifting the centre of gravity off to one side, which can happen if you simply tilt your tripod head. With an L-bracket, you can quickly switch between landscape and portrait orientation, and your camera remains balanced directly above the tripod, making it much easier to keep the camera level throughout the sequence

3. Overlap Your Frames

As you pan across the scene, ensure each frame overlaps the previous one by about 30%. This overlap gives your stitching software enough information to blend the images seamlessly.

4. Lock Down Your Settings

To ensure consistency across all frames, use manual exposure (shooting on manual mode) and manual focus. This prevents changes in brightness or focus between shots, which can cause visible seams in the final panorama.

5. Combine with Exposure Bracketing for High Dynamic Range

If the scene has a wide range of brightness—say, a bright sky and a shadowy foreground—consider bracketing your exposures for each frame. This means taking multiple exposures (e.g., one underexposed, one correctly exposed, and one overexposed) at each position. Later, you can merge these into an HDR panorama in Lightroom, capturing detail in both highlights and shadows.

Merging Your Panorama in Lightroom

Once you’ve captured your sequence, Lightroom makes it straightforward to stitch them together:

• Import your images and select all the frames you want to merge.

• Right-click and choose ‘Photo Merge’ > ‘Panorama'

• Preview the merge and select your preferred projection (Spherical projection is usually best for landscapes).

• Tick ‘Auto Crop’ to remove any uneven edges.

• If you’ve used exposure bracketing, Lightroom can merge both the exposures and the panorama in one step by selection 'Photo Merge' > ‘HDR Panorama’ instead.

• Click ‘Merge’ and Lightroom will create a new DNG file, ready for further editing.

  
  

Final Thoughts

Shooting panoramas with the camera vertical is a simple technique that can dramatically expand your creative possibilities. With a level tripod, an L-bracket for stability, and careful attention to overlap and exposure, you’ll be able to create detailed, seamless images that do justice to even the most expansive landscapes. And if the light is tricky, don’t hesitate to combine this method with exposure bracketing—Lightroom’s merging tools make the whole process surprisingly painless. Give it a try on your next outing, and you’ll find yourself capturing scenes that no single frame, or lens could ever produce.

In the image of Nun's Cross Farm, below, my widest angle lens (Sigma 14-24mm) was unable to capture the full width of the scene, and so a six-shot panorama, with the camera secured vertically on the tripod, was used. 

Want some help improving your photography skills?

Don't forget that if you want some direct help with your photography, I offer a range of 1-2-1 photography courses for Devon based folks. If you're not nearby then I also  offer residential workshops for beginner photographers or improving photographers.

About Gary Holpin Photography

As a professional photographer based in Devon, my journey began along the stunning South West Coast Path. Disappointed with my initial attempts to capture its beauty, I embarked on a second 630-mile journey, this time dedicated to mastering photography. Today, I'm a nationally acclaimed photographer with award-winning landscape photos.

I specialize in providing top-notch property photography, business photography, and drone photography services to businesses across the South West. Additionally, I offer comprehensive photography training courses tailored for both businesses and individuals. Whether you're looking to enhance your corporate image or improve your personal photography skills, my training programs are designed to help you capture stunning images.

As an award-winning and widely published photographer, I frequently share my passion for photography and Devon through engaging talks at local camera clubs and community groups. My expertise spans the entire South West region, ensuring that clients from Devon, Dorset & Somerset benefit from high-quality photography services and training.