How can I recreate an old photo from the same viewpoint and angle?
Asked 11/27/2017
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2 answers
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I have older photos of some places and want to photograph them again so I can compare how they look now. My problem is matching the original viewpoint and angle closely enough. What’s the best way to line up a new shot with an old one, especially if I don’t know exactly where the first photo was taken or what lens was used?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
8y ago
2 Answers
3
When you say you can't shoot at the same angle, do you mean because it's difficult to figure out exactly where the photo was taken originally, or do you mean it's impossible because of some physical change, i.e. new construction, demolished building etc?
If it's the former, just have a copy of the original photograph with you, and try different locations and angles, paying attention to specific features in the scene. Try to match areas at the corners if possible. If the corners are all correct, then the rest of the photo will be also. A complicating factor would be if you don't know what type of lens was used originally. If you can't be sure the focal length matches, it will be extremely difficult to get the picture to look correct.
If you don't physically have access to shoot from the same location, then you'll need to get as close as you can, and then correct the perspective in Photoshop.
Originally by user48523. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user48523
8y ago
0
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Usually this is a trial-and-error process. Bring the original photo with you and compare it carefully while you move the camera forward/back, left/right, and up/down to match the scene. Pay close attention to fixed features near the edges and corners of the frame—if those line up, the rest of the image is more likely to match too.
If your camera supports live view to a phone or tablet, that can help: compare the live view with the old image as you adjust position. A helper can make this easier.
The biggest challenge is matching the original focal length. If the old photo was taken with a very different lens, it can be hard to reproduce the same perspective and framing. Also, if the original shooting position is no longer accessible because of construction or other changes, an exact match may be impossible.
So the key steps are: identify the original shooting spot as closely as possible, align distinctive scene details, and use a similar focal length if you can.
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