How was this photo taken? Any ideas

[rcooper102]

So I recently found this photo online and the original maker doesn't respond to comments so I figured I would turn to you guys. I have been trying to get a really cool perspective shot like this for ages but my attempts never get the same wicked composition. Does it use some sort of specialty lens like Tilt Shift or Fisheye?

The closest I have come is by using a 18mm wide angle lens and placing the camera on the ground at the base of the tree but the perspective didn't even come close to looking this interesting. The angle just didn't feel right. I have also tried doing a panoramic stitch at the base of a tree using the "perspective" feature in PS when photo stitching.

Any advice would be fantastic!

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/20...is-d321ekj.jpg

[RecurrentNerve]

Some kind of camera I think...

Yes, tilt-shift I would say. Others might give you a definite answer. If it is and you want to replicate the effect then be prepared to drop some serious cashola.

[rcooper102]

Ya hahaha, I know them tilt-shift lenses arn't cheap, was hoping for an easier way hahahaha, thanks tho

[OsmosisStudios]

Not tilt-shift: It's just really really wide. Either a fisheye or a stitch (likely the latter).

[rcooper102]

Ya the stitch seemed like the likely route but I haven't had much luck with it. :S Perhaps I am doing something wrong? The method I have been using is to set the tripod up as low as possible and stitch with the camera in landscape rotating up. Then in PS I photomerge using the "perspective" option

[OsmosisStudios]

I use photomerge on CS4 for my stitching, and i just let it do things automatically (hasnt failed me yet).

The trick is ensuring you get good overlapping coverage between shots. Most people advocate 1/3 frame, I usually aim for 1/2 if not 2/3 frame overlap. The more info you give the software, the better the result. I also shoot so that I maximize resolution, so for a shot like this I would actually be shooting wit hthe camera HORIZONTAL, and tilting up.

[jml79]

Just a guess but ...free lensing. Or maybe a totally fake image made up of several in photoshop and I don't mean a stitch.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by jml79

Just a guess but ...free lensing. Or maybe a totally fake image made up of several in photoshop and I don't mean a stitch.

Freelensing is essentially tilt-shift, and it would, in this case, LIMIT DoF rather than extend it.

[rcooper102]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

I use photomerge on CS4 for my stitching, and i just let it do things automatically (hasnt failed me yet).

The trick is ensuring you get good overlapping coverage between shots. Most people advocate 1/3 frame, I usually aim for 1/2 if not 2/3 frame overlap. The more info you give the software, the better the result. I also shoot so that I maximize resolution, so for a shot like this I would actually be shooting wit hthe camera HORIZONTAL, and tilting up.

Oh the merge works fine, its just the perspective isn't as extreme. Depending on your photomerge settings you can drastically impact the final image.

For example the two images I have attached were merged from the exact same set of original photos only one used "perspective" and the other used "cylindrical". I have heard CS5 also adds a spherical setting that sounds interesting, perhaps it is the tool I am looking for.

However, back on topic I was merely wondering if there was perhaps different technique available when shooting that may help make the perspective more defined.

For example not placing the point of rotation at the exact same spot as the nodal point of your lens so that you can intentionally introduce parallax. I'm not an expert in the math and such involved though so I can't say how you would figure it out lol.

thanks though, you have been quite helpful so far

[jml79]

Originally Posted by OsmosisStudios

Freelensing is essentially tilt-shift, and it would, in this case, LIMIT DoF rather than extend it.

Thanks, learned something new.