Assignment 1 (Due September 15)

Create a photographic panorama using QuickTimeVR

Step 1: Identify a site to shoot. If it is outdoors, you need uninterrupted access with stable lighting for about two hours (worst case). Avoid locations with lots of car or foot traffic. Ideally you should be able to plant your camera stand or tripod on level ground at a point roughly equidistant from buildings or natural features that define an obvious perimeter. Examples: center field at Camden Yards; Gordon Plaza at U. B.; your living room (maybe); but try to come up with something interesting. Once you've identified a site, notify me by e-mail.

Step 2: Shoot images. Carefully observe the following rules:

1. Use a tripod or a small table and keep your camera level.
   
   
2. Disable autofocus. You must maintain a fixed focal length in all shots.
   
   
3. Take at least ten shots (and no more than 20) at regular intervals of rotation. If you don't have a calibrated tripod, use a compass to draw a circle on a sheet of paper and mark off the divisions by hand.

Step 3: Develop and digitize your photographs. There are two 35-mm. slide scanners in the Graphics Lab and numerous flatbed scanners. Medium image quality will do. Please do not save your images at any resolution above 144 dpi. 72 is fine.

Step 4: Bring your images into QuickTimeVR Authoring Studio (Mac only) or Spin Panorama (Windows and Mac) adn stitch them into a panorama. I will give detailed instructions for this step in Week 2. If all goes well you can complete the stitching in about an hour. Allow 2-3 hours in case you have trouble.

Save your work carefully. You'll be coming back to it for Assignment 2.