The basics

Starting a new
panorama
Editing in
Photomerge
Producing the
panorama
ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
Photomerge Stitching Summary
Select Photomerge from the File menu (Editor: File > New > Photomerge Panorama )
to start a new panorama or select images in the Photo Browser and choose File >
New > Photomerge Panorama.
Click the Browse button in the dialog box. If the images are opened already then they
will automatically be added to the Photomerge Source Files list.
Search through the thumbnails of your fi les to locate the pictures for your panorama.
Click the Open button to add fi les to the Source fi les section of the dialog.
Version 1.0 only – Set the Image Size Reduction amount to reduce source fi le sizes.
If you are using images greater than 2 megapixels then a setting of 50% or more
should be used.
Version 1.0 only – To get Elements to lay out the selected images check the
‘Attempt to Automatically Arrange Source Images’ box for manual layout control;
leave the box unchecked.
Version 1.0 only – If you are using the Automatic Arrange option then you can also
choose to apply perspective correction across the whole of the composition. Do not
use this feature if the panorama covers an angle of view greater than 120°.
Select OK to open the Photomerge dialog box. Edit the layout of your source images.
To change the view of the images use the Move View tool or change the scale
and the position of the whole composition with the Navigator.
Images can be dragged to and from the Light box to the work area with the
Select Image tool.
With the Snap to Image function turned on, Photomerge will match like details of
different images when they are dragged over each other.
Ticking the Use Perspective box will instruct Elements to use the fi rst image
placed into the layout area as the base for the composition of the whole
panorama. Images placed into the composition later will be adjusted to fi t the
perspective of the base picture.
The Cylindrical Mapping option adjusts a perspective corrected image so that it is
more rectangular in shape.
The Advanced Blending option will try to smooth out uneven exposure or tonal
differences between stitched pictures.
The effects of Cylindrical Mapping as well as Advanced Blending can be viewed
by clicking the Preview button.
If the source images do not quite line up using the automatic ‘Snap to’ setting you
can manually drag to reposition or rotate any picture by clicking on the Rotate Image
and Select Image tools from the toolbar and then clicking on the image to adjust.
The fi nal panorama fi le is produced by clicking the OK button. Also, in Elements
3.0 and above you can choose whether or not to keep the panorama images as
separate layers during the save process.
Photomerge basics>>
For those readers who
are new to the feature,
use the workfl ow in
the table aside to
guide you through
making your fi rst
Photomerge
panorama.
Once you are confi dent
with creating simple
wide vista images
using the feature,
work through the
advanced techniques
discussed in the rest of
the chapter to refi ne
your panoramic
prowess.
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
219
MAKING BETTER PANORAMAS