Can a 'little planet' self-portrait be made in a single exposure?
Asked 3/8/2019
3 views
2 answers
0
I’ve seen a self-portrait with a strong “little planet” look, showing two people standing in a wide Antarctic landscape. I’m trying to understand whether this can be created with one exposure from one camera/lens, or whether it requires stitching or a 360° camera.
Is this effect physically possible with a single conventional lens and sensor, or does it require multiple images being combined? If stitching is involved, what kind of equipment is typically used for shots like this?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
2
Depends how you define "single exposure". If we're talking about a single lens projecting light onto a single sensor this is a physical impossibility. With a DSLR or a (regular) smartphone, you always end up with multiple pictures being stitched together.
But there are cameras out there specifically for 360° pictures that come with multiple lenses and multiple sensors, so the moment you take a picture you actually take multiple pictures that are stitched together automatically. The Samsung Galaxy Gear 360 is an example for this kind of thing that can be combined with VR-Gear which - in my eyes - is a sure way of getting sea sickness ;-)
That particular picture might be done by setting the timer of the camera and throwing it up. There are cameras that are intended to be thrown into the air in order to do 360°-panos, e.g. this one.
Originally by user82519. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user82519
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
With a conventional camera and lens, no: a true “little planet” view is not possible as a single image from one lens/sensor. The effect normally comes from a 360° panorama that is remapped into a stereographic projection (“little planet”).
That means the final result is usually made from multiple images stitched together, either:
- manually from a regular camera, or
- automatically by a 360° camera that uses multiple lenses/sensors and stitches internally.
So it may feel like a “single shot” to the user, but technically it’s still multiple images combined.
For a self-portrait like the one described, common approaches are:
- a 360° camera on a timer,
- a camera mounted on a pole or support that is later minimized or edited out,
- or a camera tossed/thrown briefly, depending on the device.
The rectangular crop doesn’t mean much; publishers can crop the final circular/planet image into a rectangle for layout.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
How do you create a 360° polar panorama photo?
Can I include a person in a 360° panorama by keeping them in just one frame?
How can I create a globe-like photo effect with a fisheye look?
Can a 360° spherical panorama be stitched from four cameras mounted at the corners of a car roof?
What software can stitch thousands of photos into a gigapixel flat panorama?