Panorama in Lightroom Classic

How to merge photos to make stunning exposures

Do you recall making panorama shots on your phone? I do. I used to find the settings in my smartphone and scan the scene to get fun panorama shots. However, with a digital camera, you can get nice quality shots with a little bit more effort. This week in class I learned how to use my digital camera to make fun Panorama images for my portfolio. I can teach you how to do it with some quick easy steps in Lightroom Classic.

1. Find your location with good natural lighting

2. adjust your shutter speed, aperture and ISO to get a nice exposure of the scene

3. take four or five pictures of the scene scanning each shot while overlapping your photographs every 1/4 of an inch to an inch. You should have about 5 individual pictures of the scene when you’re done scanning it with your camera.

4. upload these photos into lightroom

5. select each photo (they should be four or five photos highlighted together).

6. right click “merge photos” > panorama > submit

7. try crop to fit

8. try spherical to cylindrical settings— it’s up to you

9. save

10. adjust global adjustments and presets

11. export JPEG file

12. Done

As an example, here’s my panorama shot from this week.

I chose this area because the veteran park is a nice memorial to our veterans and I wanted to get a shot of the bodega in the back framed by the trees. It turns out other elements were included in the picture like the American Eagle Statue, the benches, and trees. The sun was beginning to set so the light was lowering beginning to cast at “golden hour” I feel I could have done better but this will do for my first panorama photo merge. I hope this inspires you to be creative with your own photos.

Much love,

Rosa de Saron C.