Heard of photospheres? While the term may be new to you, you’ve probably seen them in Google Street views. They are basically 360 degree views, comprised of images that are stitched together (known as “photostitching”) enabling users to freely look up, down and all around to view the entire scene. Ideal for outdoor captures, photospheres have changed the way we interact with images, while giving the user a full digital immersion into the scene. For the past few months, I have been capturing photospheres using my HTC One phone, and I compiled some key tips to keep in mind while doing them:
1) Get the right app: there are many Android-based mobile apps out there to capture photospheres, and it really comes to trying them out to find the one that meets your needs. I have found the Google Camera app to be the best one to use.
2) Know your position / Keep it vertical: photospheres are best when captured outside, and you have at least a 30-foot diameter around your body. That is why most of them are of large land masses, such as beaches, canyons and open fields. Also, keep the camera steady and close to your body and I found keeping the camera vertical works best.
3) Rotating: All apps capture each photo stitch in blocks, requiring you to rotate the camera slowly. Keep a steady hand and follow the screen prompts (usually dots) to capture them.
During a recent work-related trip to Quito, Ecuador, I captured several photospheres, including this one of a community garden. I really love this one as it highlights the many greens in the garden. Check it out:
Once your photosphere is done, you can submit it to Google Views. From there, you can embed them on your site with the provided embed code and the process is similar to embedding a YouTube video. For more details on the submission process, follow this link: https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3538641
For info on how to create and use photospheres, panorama metadata and other details of particular interest to developers, visit the Google Developers Photo Sphere site. In addition, this video is a good introduction to capturing photospheres.
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