Stitching sequence/action photos.

MA
Posted By
Mark_Areyley
Jun 15, 2007
Views
701
Replies
15
Status
Closed
Hey guys I am trying to stitch together a sequence of wake boarding shots and put them into one picture. I have done it semi-successfully only once and would love to learn how to re-create this awesome effect every time.

Successful <http://www.hushinsulation.com/steve.jpg>

I am pretty sure I didn’t do this correctly but it was the only way I could figure out how. Here goes… I started by bringing in all the images into separate layers into cs3 I then selected all of them and chose Auto-Align. Once it got all of the frames onto the canvas I arranged them from left to right in to layers palette then chose the top image in to layers palette and chose create mask.

After Auto-Align <http://www.hushinsulation.com/afteralign.jpg>

I then used the eraser tool and brought the next image through so that i could see it. Once I could see it I would move onto the second layer in the layer palette and create layer mask and do the same for all the layers.

After Eraser Tool <http://www.hushinsulation.com/aftererase.jpg>

Once done I would choose Auto-Blend and it usually leaves a few of the frames out of the picture. This is what the unsuccessful ones looked like

After Auto-Blend <http://www.hushinsulation.com/afterblend.jpg>

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! Thanks in advance

Mark
Related Tags
action sequence stitch

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MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 15, 2007
Thats a bit strange – AutoBlend should respect your created Layer Masks… There is nothing wrong with your approach.

Have you tried using AutoBlend without creating the Layer Masks?
MA
Mark_Areyley
Jun 15, 2007
Yes I have tried that approach and it still leaves frames out. Here is what AutoBlend does without creating layer masks.

AutoBlend Only <http://www.hushinsulation.com/autoblendonly.jpg>

So in your opinion I am going about this in the best way as far as the eraser goes??

Thanks in advance

Mark
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 16, 2007
I’m not sure just what you are doing with the erasor tool. I’d rely just on Layer Masks… Layer Masks are ‘undoable’ unlike if you delete pixels with the erasor tool. Have you tried manual masking with a soft, large brush on the layer masks?
MA
Mark_Areyley
Jun 16, 2007
No I havent tried that yet. I used the eraser tool because that was the only tool that I thought would bring the images through. How do you do the masks that you are talking about and what tools should I use??
MA
Mark_Areyley
Jun 16, 2007
No I havent tried that yet. I used the eraser tool because that was the only tool that I thought would bring the images through. How do you do the masks that you are talking about and what tools should I use??
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Jun 16, 2007
Wouldn’t it be simpler to use File > Automate > Photomerge?
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Jun 16, 2007
Wouldn’t it be simpler to use File > Automate > Photomerge?
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 16, 2007
Mark,

From the example images in your first post; ‘After Eraser Tool’: In the Layer Palette next to the layers are white masks, which you can paint on with a paintbrush with black, to create transparency. Its just a smarter way to mask something than using the Eraser.

From your images, it looks like you actually are working on the Layer Masks, but using the Eraser Tool instead of the Paintbrush Tool (thats a novel approach!).

I’d try using a large diameter, soft Paintbrush @ 100% black on the masks.

Mat
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 16, 2007
For any remaining color and contrast differences in the images, I’d use Levels adjustment layers placed in-between the layers.
MD
Michael_D_Sullivan
Jun 16, 2007
Oops! Now that I see what you’re trying to do, I retract my Photomerge suggestion.
FN
Fred_Nirque
Jun 16, 2007
If you shoot using manual exposure and focus settings in RAW format, then synchronize all in ACR, each shot should be the same tone and colour as the next, and doing this should be a lot easier without the need to rely on matching and blending densities etc afterwards.
FN
Fred_Nirque
Jun 16, 2007
If you shoot using manual exposure and focus settings in RAW format, then synchronize all in ACR, each shot should be the same tone and colour as the next, and doing this should be a lot easier without the need to rely on matching and blending densities etc afterwards.
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 17, 2007
I’m afraid it is not always that simple. Often, my own panorama shots will vary as much as the OPs, even with manual settings, and using ACR with Synchronize, even avoiding setting relative adjustments, such as fill light and restore highlights.
FN
Fred_Nirque
Jun 17, 2007
Really, Mat? I can honestly say that I never have density or colour issues shooting my panos this way. And that includes using restore and fill, blacks, brightness, exposure and contrast – and whatever else is necessary.

Whether the D2x is helpful in this consistency I cannot say, but all I ever have to do is the odd registration retouch, and even those are rare using the Manfrotto 302 pano head. Processing a 360º pano in 20 minutes is about average, including stitching, and my computer’s 3 years old….

Obviously a pano head is of little use in this sort of thing, but I would have thought "manual everything" settings would help.

15 shots (D2x, 12-24mm @ 18mm), 360º, rising sun behind trees in centre, front lit at right and left, no individual adjustments between frames:

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=11O2ILlJRSocJHtJL0 ZBMvaAELJvd1>
MV
Mathias_Vejerslev
Jun 20, 2007
Well, Fred, I’m pretty sure you used a blender on that panorama that disguised any difference. You should try same without blending. Great shot, BTW!

Then again, it could be just my camera, but I see small exposure differences from frame to frame on Manual on my Canon 10D. Probably due to shutter inaccuracy. After blending, you’d never ever notice, ofcourse.

Differences can also be due to changing light (sometimes light changes very quickly, for instance when a cloud suddenly moves past the sun). In these instances, a Levels adjustment layer tweak between the layers can correct for any differences.

What is most tricky, I find, is avoiding all the relative settings in RAW and Photoshop when doing panoramas. Setting the same black point slider between all the images is wrong. So is using Recovery or Fill Light. In Photoshop, you can’t use Shadow / Highlight on the individual images before stitching and so forth…

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