A while ago, I posted an article asking for your feedback. We were all very thrilled to see so many of you comment (even though I didn’t get to answer all of the comments, we already have a list of things we will be working very hard on during the coming months). One suggestion, made by Marcin (thank you!), was of particular interest to me. “What inspires us?”, he asked. Let me rephrase that – who inspires us?
Learning something new is vital for any aspiring photographer, not to mention how interesting it can often be. But then there is a question – whom to learn from? There are a lot of photography forums and blogs around, both with good and not-so-good content, and it can take quite some time for one to differentiate them accordingly. Luckily, just when I was starting my wedding photography business about two years ago, I came across Ryan Brenizer’s blog, and from him I learned one of the best techniques I’ve seen around – the Brenizer method panorama.
Panoramas have been around since film days, and there were actually cameras specifically designed to take such images by using a longer portion of film than conventional 35mm or medium format cameras. Today, most point-and-shoot cameras, as well as some mirrorless and DSLR cameras, are capable of taking panorama images automatically, and, frankly, the result can often be spectacular. So what is so special about this so-called Brenizer method panorama? Well, take a look at the following image.
I took this photograph using my Nikon D700 camera and a 20mm lens set at f/0.5, and gave the full 80 megapixel image to my clients in case they wanted to print large, for those of you curious enough to ask. It was a very fine day and an amazing wedding. No one truly cared about the oncoming rain, least of all the gorgeous bride with her makeup and hairdo. As I was…
Hold on. A 20mm f/0.5 lens? This can’t be right… Can it?
1) Meet the Author
For those of you who still don’t know, Ryan is a professional wedding photographer based in New York City, and he’s done well over 200 weddings by now. I’d go on about saying how he was an independent (and very successful) photo journalist before he found his passion for weddings, but I fear I would never be able to put those words better than he has (a quote from his website):
Photography has filled me with purpose and joy, and taken me places I never thought I’d go. I have covered three U.S. presidents, been blessed by the Pope, and been stared down by Muhammad Ali. I’ve shared a laugh with Smokey Robinson, and had a picture I took of him used when he received a lifetime achievement award. I’ve photographed a 110-year-old woman as she told me what it was like to climb onto the torch of the Statue of Liberty. I was chosen as the only independent photographer allowed near Obama and McCain in their last meeting before the 2008 election. I’m the only photographer in the world to have been officially represented by the three largest photographic retailers in the Western hemisphere. Heck, I’ve even had a photographic technique named after me (which is crazy).
But I have never felt so blessed by photography as when I am photographing a wedding. At weddings, we are most visibly ourselves — the walls we walk around with come tumbling down under the forces of joy, anxiety (and sometimes a bit of alcohol). To document that experience, the relationship of friends, families, and a couple launching a new stage in their life, is an incredible feeling. When a client says “This is the first picture I’ve seen of my parents that actually looks like them!” I feel like I’ve done something with lasting value. After years of shooting and more than 225 weddings under my belt, I still find each one to be more exciting than the last, and try to make each one the best one that I’ve ever photographed.
While, in all honesty, I can’t say if there was anyone before Ryan who tried the mentioned panorama technique, he did have it named after him with good reason. Thanks to Ryan and his continued use of Brenizer method, many professional photographers have learned it and, by doing so, found a way to experiment and try something completely new with an immense amount of different possibilities. For all I know, he is the sole founder of this technique, and for that many photographers, myself included, are deeply grateful. How’s that for sharing tricks?
2) What’s a Brenizer Method Panorama?
I keep talking about it, but what really is a Brenizer panorama and how is it different from those great conventional panoramas we are all familiar with? Well, it’s first of all – surprise surprise – a panorama, and so, just like with any other panorama, you photograph and then merge several images to achieve a wider angle of view and/or higher resolution image. But this is where the similarities end.
With conventional panoramas, photographers tend to shoot mostly landscapes and cityscapes, or interiors, and, as you turn you camera shot after shot, most of the time you photograph horizontally (or vertically, or a little bit of both). Brenizer method panoramas, however, are most popular with (though not exclusive to) portraits, where you shoot around your subject as much as itself. But, most importantly, Brenizer method puts an emphasis on the amount of background blur (bokeh) and depth of field at a given field of view. Best way to achieve that is to stand relatively (or very) close to your subject and photograph it with as fast a lens as possible wide-open (or close to wide-open). In my practice, 50mm f/1.4 (for wider angle of view) and 85mm f/1.4 (even more emphasis on background blur) class lenses work very well for this, but you can, of course, use other fast lenses (the 35mm f/1.4, 50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8, 135mm f/2 and so on) with great results.
The first panorama example I used at the very beginning of this article was taken with the lovely AF-S 50mm f/1.4G Nikkor lens at f/1.4 – I had to merge around 30 images to achieve the end result, but it was well worth it. Here is one of the images used:
Notice how close I was standing, and yet the resulting image is a wide-angle shot with tiny depth of field, something unachievable with existing lenses! Had I stood even closer or used a longer lens, like the great 85mm f/1.4D Nikkor I own, the image would’ve been even more surrealistic, but I found my lovely 50mm lens was best at that particular moment. Do you own an entry-level DSLR and want that shallow-depth-of-field of larger sensor cameras? Try this method, it will also make those images less grainy when shot at high ISO values if you choose to downsize.
(A side note: I mentioned that I used a 20mm f/0.5 lens for the first panorama, and it wasn’t a simple guess. I used Brett’s calculator (a special Brenizer method calc created by Michigan wedding photographer Brett Maxwell, a fan of the Brenizer method) to find out exactly what lens I had on my D700 when I took that photograph. So nice to know what gear I have in my camera bag… Thanks, Brett!)
3) How To Do It?
While it’s a relatively simple process for anyone who’s tried panoraming before, there are several rules of thumb to keep in mind while you’re at it. Here are the steps I usually take:
In the end, it sounds much harder than it really is and all these steps will become natural once you’ve gotten used to them.
4) What About the Software?
Photoshop CS5 does the job pretty well, although it also takes quite a bit of time. Occasional mistakes happen, but most of them are due to my lack of skill – after all, this technique does need to be properly mastered, and that is why I never use it for any critical shots without backing them up with regular captures. Usually, I use Auto setting in Photomerge within CS5, but sometimes it gets it all wrong, then I need to spend some more time experimenting with other choices. Also, for all you D800 owners, downsize before stitching! In most cases, you are very unlikely to ever need a 200 megapixel image even if your computer does eventually manage to finalize that panorama.
There are a lot of panorama-stitch specific software, but I haven’t tried any yet. I expect them to work faster, and maybe even better, than Photomerge in Photoshop CS5. I certainly hope to test some, and once I do, I will make sure to share my findings.
5) More Examples
The following photograph was taken with a Nikkor AF-S 36mm f/0.6G lens. It’s a very sharp and fast lens, and somehow makes that 12 megapixel sensor of my D700 suddenly gain another 70 or 80 megapixels, which I don’t mind. It’s a miracle, that lens, and I don’t believe anyone else has one of these in their bags. :)
According to Brett’s calculator, this next photograph was taken using a 30mm f/0.5 lens. Quite something, isn’t it?
Ryan recently held a Brenizer method panorama contest. You can see some of the entries here and here, and here you will find the winners. All of those photographs are quite something to behold. Visit Ryan’s blog if you want more – apart from being the creator of this technique, he is also a hugely talented wedding photographer. Or is it the other way around?
6) Share!
If you have any great Brenizer method panoramas, you are very much welcome to share them in the comments section below. Try it, with enough practice it can be very fun and inspiring!
Does that at least partly answer your question, Marcin? :)
About Romanas Naryškin
What a great article ^__^
One quick question
for this kind of panorama i’m guessing you to rotate the camera around a single point.
(say a ball head on a tripod)
Basically in terms of camera technique. It is just like a normal landscape Panorama just with a wide open aperture?
- Collins
Pretty much! I didn’t even know there was a name for the technique… But I wasn’t really applying it to portraits anyway since that’s not what I usually shoot.
Roman,
Great article. I have been seeing images on flickr with amazing bokeh that say “53 image panorama” and it was confusing me. Now it makes perfect sense. Great timing on this article as I think this will become even more popular as word spreads.
- Randall
P.S. Your photos are amazing also. :)
I’ve been an admirer of Mr. Brenizer’s work for some time. I first found out about him due to his excellent reviews of Nikon equipment, and then I fell in love with his wedding photography. Next, I was blown away by his use of panorama techniques to achieve shallow DOF as described in this article. I always imagined him using a tripod to do this, until the day I actually saw him on a photo shoot in Brooklyn, spraying the scene with shots that I knew he’d be combining later. He was rock steady, going back and forth like a lawn sprinkler. It was really something to see! The funny thing is that I had JUST been talking about him at lunch, a few minutes before running into him. I’d also like to add that he was extremely gracious when I interrupted what was obviously a paying gig so that I could introduce myself and gush like a little schoolgirl about how much I admired his work :-)
Thanks Roman! This is a great article!!
I followed the links back to his site and watched the small video that was posted with B&H in his blog http://www.ryanbrenizer.com/2011/05/brenizer-method-instructions/. WOW very cool, this will be fun to try today! I will try with and without a tripod. Funny thing is was just thinking of getting a Sunwayfoto Pano-1 but I see that for this method hand held works great.
Hello, Richard, thank you for reading!
I’ve seen that video quite some time ago and was planning on publishing it very very soon in a separate, short article. Even so, thank you for the heads up ;)
Hi Roman,
Interesting article. Thanks. Getting confused by the lenses you’re talking about- How have you got a lens with f/0.5 and f/0.6?!
Thanks.
Look at the end of 2) there is a side note that has a cool link it’s called Brett’s calculator.
Ah! I get it! Thanks =)
Hi Roman,
First of all thank you very much for taking on my idea into consideration. I really appreciate it. To answer your question: In my opinion you are way too humble :). Of course you answer my question and in great style too! You actually take the initial question to the next level not only by presenting an inspiring person, but you show your own results based on the inspiration. Really, this is something to admire.
Keep up the excellent work!
Cheers,
Marcin
I’ve often done this to get a medium or large format look, even if I never intended on printing it larger than an 8×10 or web display. I didn’t know there was an actual name for the technique though. Thanks for sharing! :-)
If it’s of interest, I have been really impressed with PTGui for Mac, to make stunning dawn panoramas in the West of Ireland. Offering intuitive, full controls without mathematical hassle, the Pro version also allows exposure compensation & a full choice of which alignment points to accept or erase.
I agree Graham! I use a PC, but PTGui Pro is my favorite program for panoramas and things like this article. Much better than Photoshop for control and alignment. However, I still do most of my blending in Photoshop. I have found though that for really large panoramas like gigapixel size, I prefer the blending in Autopano Giga (they get too large for Photoshop to blend).
Great article and a very interesting concept, not something I’ve seen any where else before? Thanks for sharing this.
These are absolutely stunning photos! Well done.
http://lauragaylorphotography.com
i suggest microsoft ice, really fast and works good
http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/um/redmond/groups/ivm/ice/
I try to use this method at least once per photoshoot. When done correctly in the right setting, this shot can really impress your clients. Take a look at a few I did…http://jaycassariophoto.com/bokah-panoramas/
hi Roman..
i faces some problem when do this method.. I put toy cars on the table, then I began to shoot that car with Brenizer method.. I did it with tripod and handled…
the problem is my pic was look like bending… especially the side of the table.. its bending..
did i do it correct or not.. still confusing…
thanks..
I got a chance to experiment Brenizer method this weekend :) Could you tell me Mansurov, how is it looking?
http://500px.com/photo/16507149
Sorry Roman, I didn`t realize this article was from you :)
I love the shot, Beyti, keep practicing!
How is this?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=472918666100309&set=a.246304348761743.62623.206219556103556&type=3&theater
I feel like I should have been closer to this subject (subject is my son in this shot :) But when you are too close won`t you get a lot of distortion on the sides of the frame?
You will, Beyti, but it’s part of the charm. Try it. :) I would, too, suggest you get closer to your subject – much closer. Experiment with complexity and distance and number of photographs you take. :)
Hello everyone,
I’m sure this has been asked before, but other than Adobe Photoshop is there any other free or budget software tool that does the “Photo Merge” trick to achieve these amazing shots?
I, much like many hobbyists out there, feel that I won’t get any ROI in Photoshop as I don’t make a living with Photography and I am against the use of illegal copies for the sake of having the software on your computer. I do use Lightroom 3 and I’d like to know if there are any other cost-effective alternatives (even with an acceptable level of loss of IQ).
Many thanks.
There were a few other programs mentioned in the comments above, my favorite being PTGui.
Hugin is a free open source panorama stitching tool. http://hugin.sourceforge.net/
I’m sorry, I’m new, but I just don’t get how this is a panorama. Isn’t a panorama used to view wide angles of view?
To me, it just seems like a normal photograph.
Hello, Zach!
A panorama is an image made of several photographs. It doesn’t matter if it’s horizontal or vertical, or both. It also doesn’t matter if it’s a wide-angle shot in the end or not. Read about it in section ” 2) What’s a Brenizer Method Panorama?” where I explain what this is all about and mention differences with conventional panoramas.
OK that makes more sense.
Thanks for the explanation. Great article, by the way.
Zach
I gave it a go in paris this weekend. The only thing is I went about it with a fujifilm X100 and a teleconverter… Check it out and read the full post here: http://www.eriksawaya.com/brenizer_method_in_paris/
Erik,
wonderful image, I’m glad you enjoyed the process! Too bad there’s only one, though.
Good luck!
Hi Roman
thanks for in details about Brenizer method. You said you have to be closer with subject to achieve bokeh but how to take full lenght protrait pictures. Do you only move your camera standing still or have to move behind from the subject?
I only move my camera, Sanam :)
Thank you. I reshared it on G+.
So if I understand this correctly, you take the shots in manual focus, starting with the person if doing a portrait. And you don’t change the focus. So it’s not really bokeh as much as it is deliberately taking pictures out of focus around the subject and then stitching them with the in-focus subject, right?
as a follow-up to my own question (to which I’m 99% sure the answer is yes), I found a great way to set up a camera for this technique. On the D4, I assign AF-AE lock to the Pv button and I set the release mode dial to CL, then in the shooting menu in setting d2 specify a shooting speed for CL of 3 or 2 fps. Then focus on the subject using AF if you want, press the Pv button to lock focus and exposure and start shooting in a panning motion both left to right and up and down.
Sergio,
I use the AF-ON button for autofocus and decouple it from the shutter button, so I autofocus with my thumb. The advantages are:
1. I can leave the camera on continuous auto-focus (if I don’t need the AF assist from the flash in the dark), and when I want to track a subject I just keep my thumb pressed. Easy to switch from a stationary subject to a moving one.
2. I can easily recompose without needing to change focus points and therefore ensure a stationary subject stays in focus even if the focus point sits between two people in a group photo as I recompose. This makes things like panoramas and the “Brenizer method” of portraits very easy to shoot.
3. My meter is decoupled from my focus point. If I want to also hold my meter I can do that by holding down the shutter button half way and not letting up as I take a panorama (usually I’m in manual exposure anyway though).
4. If I’m tracking a moving subject with my thumb held down on the AF-ON and something momentarily interrupts (say the subject goes behind a tree for a moment), all I have to do is let up with my thumb and re-engage a few moments later without losing my focus.
5. VR only gets engaged when the shutter is half pressed, not the AF-ON. This can save a lot of battery life if you are doing a lot of continuous focusing but not taking a lot of photos, just waiting for the right moment.
It takes a bit to get used to it. Don’t try it before a major shoot without plenty of practice, and don’t set it and forget about it only to wonder a month later why your camera won’t focus. :-P
Hi Aaron,
actually I primarily shoot sports and I’ve been shooting with AF-ON for a couple of years now. I just got a Sigma 85 mm 1.4 lens today and I was practicing this panning technique and I think it’s definitely something I’m going to have to get into.
For best results should you take a lot of shots or just a few (since Photoshop does all the heavy lifting it really doesn’t matter to me!)? Which one do you find gives you the best results?
Hello, Sergio. For the best results, less shots is better – Photoshop will do less stitching, which means less mistakes. Just try to overlap by about a third.
It really depends on your technique and software. If you are very careful to swing about the no-parallax point of your lens and use software like PTGui or AutoPano you can get better results than Photoshop itself, although your time and monetary investment will be much greater. I also have both manual and motorized panning rigs which resolve most issues with stitching greatly out of focus shots and featureless skies, something Photoshop cannot do. But generally speaking, Romanas is right if you are going handheld and using Photoshop. Anything else takes more planning and equipment to achieve good results.