Panoramas - Camera + Photoshop Technique

[Pokie]

I've been playing with Photomerge in Photoshop and wanted to share what I've done in the camera and in Photoshop to get to the bottom photo.
Am I on track?
What should I be doing in the camera to make the computer work easier?
What techniques in Photoshop assist in blending images with varying exposures?
C&C on the end result is welcome, but I'm particularly interested in C&C on the camera and computer techniques to allow for successful panoramas.
So far, it's been hit and miss on panoramas for me.

I wanted a vertical panorama of a trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.
There was a big difference in lighting between the trail and the tree tops.

Here's the trail

Here's the treetops


I found an exposure that didn't burn out any highlights or block up the shadows.
I used this setting on manual for all the shots to avoid the camera changing settings between images.
Same for focus - used manual focus to keep from changes during shooting.
Took all on levelled tripod with pan/tilt head so could keep vertical line.

Once I merged in Photoshop, I had a big difference in exposure between the top and bottom of the image.
I needed to lighten up the bottom part of the photo.



I created a Levels adjustment layer and after experimenting (for a long time), found I got the best effect on the trail by adjusting the midrange/gamma slider.
I had to move it a long way, and this lightened the trees too much, so I painted out everything above the dark green bushes (rhododendron) with black on the ajustment layer to eliminate the effect.
This left the affected area as only the trail and rhododendrons.
Still didn't quite like the effect - it was a big greyish, so I played with blending mode and found that linear dodge gave me the best combination of color/sharpness.

I ended up duplicating the adjustment layer twice, adjusted the opacity down a bit, and made some small tweaks in each and here is what I end up with.



I think I need to lighten up some of the tree trunks, or darken the trail a bit - it looks light compared to some of the tree trunks.
So I might not be totally finished, but a lot closer than when I started.

[Edd]

If I could acheive results like this I would be over the moon.

I think it look great.

I've just started playing around with the editing functions on Paint Shop Pro and getting really confused.

Ed

[gldiana]

Ed,
I think it's best to learn one feature at a time instead of trying to do too much all together. Get a good book on Paint Shop Pro and study (study and practice, not just read) one chapter a week (or according to your learning speed).

[Edd]

Thanks for the advice, got the manuals that came with the software and ssslllloooowwwwllllyyyyy working through it.

Your right to look at one thing at a time, but sometimes learning to walk can be pretty boring. However I do understand that basics need to be mastered first

Ed

[Pokie]

Edd - thanks for the compliment.
Those pictures sat untouched since last October waiting for me to figure out what to do with them.
I almost chucked a couple of them out before I remembered why I took them.

I've been playing in Photoshop Elements for a couple of years.
I painstakingly invented a few things that it turns out can be done in one or two steps with standard tools,
such as a handmade fade to transparent gradient.
It took a lot of experimenting to begin to understand how the various tools worked.
I purchased up a book which was totally worthless.
Several weeks ago I bought a magazine - "Photoshop for Photographers" Summer 2008, from the makers of Digital Camera.
It works through tool by tool how to do various types of edits, and has an accompanying CD.
Much more helpful than any other reference I've used.
I haven't necessarily agreed with all the advice - heavy handed on saturation (! that's me saying that!) and sharpening for my likes, but the how-to's have been very helpful.
People learn different ways - I need a little direction (such as a book) and time to play. Just playing didn't get me very far.
Finding the right reference was a huge help.

[Edd]

Your Welcome Pokie,

As per my thread in this forum I'm still debating whether to switch from paintshop pro to photoshop.

I think I will based on the fact that most people on here use photoshop and all the magazine tutorials that I have seen use it as well. Just like your book though one of the magazines that I bought seemed to do an awful lot to photographs to make them too colourful.

I just need to know how the tools work and sit down for a few hour and play, then probabley ask loads of simple questions on here !!!!!

This is really my first go at editing and finding the learning curve a bit steep at the moment, but one step at a time !!