Canon G9 and Autostitch

I have been familiarizing myself with a new camera, the Canon G9. It is a good piece of kit as they say (the Brits), and I like it. One of the things Canon is known for is the Photostitch software that comes with their cameras. I have been using a similar utility from HP that came with the printer, and it gives good results. But apparently Canon is the state of the art. I have read that in their big displays at the annual photo shows they have wall size posters made of photos stitched together.

I am hoping that the Photostitch utility will let me shoot the great landscape photos that a lense just can't capture. Or at least a lense that isn't a true wide angle. It is one of the things you learn when you try to do landscapes- getting close is not an issue, getting it all in is the challenge. And since the G9 is not a superzoom, the lense is only a 35mm equivalent at its widest, being able to get a wide shot requires some software magic.

So, first attempt and I am already learning! There was a real, honest to goodness thunderstorm this afternoon, a rare event here. It is amazing, but the lightening was kinda scary. Apparently after a few years away from the midwest we revert to primal fear of thunder. Anyway. I took a set of photos using black and white, so I could better see what is going on with the photo. I used the function on the camera that is set up just for making panaramas using Photostitch. It was easy. Four shots covered the area I wanted. Then I used the software, again easy and intuitive to put them together. The result is seen in my new album on Picasaweb. Or you can click on the thumbnail of the photo below to go to the same place. Belt and suspenders.

Photography

So, what have we learned today? First, be more careful of exposure. Make sure you expose the first shot in the series the way you want the rest of the shots to appear. Use the exposure lock for this. Second, and most apparent, extend the lense to about 100mm equivalent, so you can avoid the kind of distortion you see in the fence.

For next time, try holding the camera vertically, so there is more resolution, and more photos in the series. Keep at it, till technique is mastered, then I can see how the software does its job.