Night Panorama - How?

[agp]

I have a camera and lens with decent night abilities. I have a tripod. How would I create an image like this? Because it's low light, I can't use the "sweep panorama" function. I've read some tutorials and they all say take multiple photos each with 30% overlap... but when I do that the imagines don't line up. Object A on the side of image 1 is not the same size as object A in the center of image 2. What are your thoughts?

This is along the lines of what I want to achieve.

http://chenanigans.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/shanghaipanorama21.jpg

I've changed your image to a links as forum rules prohibit the posting of images to which the poster does not hold rights; if this is indeed your image, you may replace the

 

[tirediron]

Easy-peasy:

1. Set your camera to manual focus, manual exposure and manual ISO.

2. Confirm step one.

3. Locate the point where you want to take your panorama from (usually the approximate centre of the sweep is a good point).

4. Adjust your legs & centre column for the desired height.

5. Ensure your tripod is level and solidly placed. Completely level. Not just flat-ish, but LEVEL!

6. Determine the appropriate exposure by taking a series of test shots; these could wind up being fairly long; anything from 2 to 30 seconds depending on ISO, aperture, etc.

7. Place the camera on the tripod, verify that it is level and the lens axis perpendicular to the horizon line at the centre.

8. Verify your exposure settings, set your focus appropriately (usually infinity) and then rotate your camera to the far left-hand edge of the scene.

9. Lock up your mirror and if you have a remote release, use that, if not, use your self-timer to trip the shutter when you've moved back from the tripod a couple of feet (this is a bit of a pain in the butt, but it helps to eliminate blur from mirror-slap).

10. Rotate the camera to the right, ensuring at least a 30% overlap, and repeat steps 9 & 10 until you have captured all of the images. For extra credit, do the whole sequence 3 times, one stop above as well as one stop below desired exposure.

11. Open in your favorite application, stitch, crop and sit back smugly.

 

[agp]

What's the purpose of taking 3 sets of different exposures? For HDR panorama?

Can I photoshop one set to have two different exposure?

 

[tirediron]

What's the purpose of taking 3 sets of different exposures? For HDR panorama?

Not HDR proper so much as, "Hmmmm... I didn't notice how bright/dark that area was when I set my exposure!"

Can I photoshop one set to have two different exposure?

If you shoot raw, then you tweak them a bit, but it's never as good as getting it right in-camera.

 

[agp]

I just learned about Photoshop's auto panorama function... This is much easier than photo-stitching manually...

 

[Trull]

I've experimented with night-time panos...extensively. Best plan is to get a fisheye and use panotools to return a flat perspective. The problem is that at even fisheye focal lengths the stars move so you end up with issues in the stitching stage. Doing HDR is practically impossible if you are moving the camera.

 

[petrochemist]

I just learned about Photoshop's auto panorama function... This is much easier than photo-stitching manually...

Doing it manually the photos won't line up perfectly due to slight distortions across the image. The auto panorama tools (there are several standalone ones such as Hugin & Microsoft ICE as well as Photoshop's built in one) correct for these distortions. Some do quite a good job at correcting less carefully aligned shots too.