The basics

228 ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 5.0 FOR DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS
MAKING BETTER PANORAMAS
As most panoramic pictures require sharp details in the foreground, mid and background
you should practise setting up your camera for the largest depth of field possible. This means
selecting a high aperture number, wide angle lenses and increased camera-to-subject distances
wherever possible. It is also good practice to take a couple of test shots of sections of the scene and
review these on the LCD monitor on the back of the camera (using the magnification option) to
ensure that you have sharpness in the areas of the picture that you desire.
Use the table below as a quick guide for setting up your camera for either shallow or large depth
of field effects.
Depth of field effect
required
Shallow Low (e.g. F 2.0, 2.8)
Large High (e.g. F 22, 32)
Book resources at: www.adv-elements.com
Aperture number Focal length
Longer than standard
(e.g. 120 mm)
Wider than standard
(e.g. 24 mm)
Subject to camera
distance
Close
Distant
9.06 White balance
Suitable for Elements – 5.0, 4.0, 3.0, 2.0, 1.0 | Difficulty level – Basic
Related techniques – 2.07
As we have already seen in Chapter 2 the White Balance feature assesses not the amount of light
entering the camera, but the color, in order to automatically rid your images of color casts that
result from mixed light sources. Leaving this feature set to ‘auto’ can mean drastic color shifts
from one frame to the next as the camera attempts to produce the most neutral result. Switching
to manual will produce images that are more consistent but you must assess the scene carefully
to ensure that you base your white balance settings on the most prominent light source in the
environment.
For instance if you are photographing an indoors scene that combines both daylight through a
window and domestic lights hanging from the ceiling then the Auto White Balance feature will
alter the color of the captured images throughout the sequence. Switching to manual will allow
you to set the balance to match either of the two light sources or even a combination of both
using the preset feature (see technique 2.07).