Mobile Mondays: iPhone panorama photos can be dang good

Okay, I’ll admit I’ve been fighting using my smartphone for making any images. I am a professional photographer after all with the proper tools and kit that goes with that. After quite a bit of prodding and pushing from some fellow pros I finding a place for the iPhone as another tool in my bag.

The push

My push came from watching phone images being created by fellow pros like Rick Sammon, Scott Kelby, Terry White, Russell Brown and many others. Then came the final shove over the edge. As a Platypod Pro I am tasked with showing best and creative uses of the gear. Larry Tiefenbrunn came up with another piece of kit called the Platypod Grip. It’s an advanced phone holder/mount that has additional ports for mounting lights, microphones and extra gear when working with the iPhone.

Moving forward, I was sent the grip to show some interesting ideas. Well, first I needed to upgrade my iPhone as I was pretty far back in the stone ages as far as the camera systems went. And that’s probably why I was slow to move forward. The camera phones have improved a lot in the latest generations! I moved to the iPhone 14 Pro.

Panorama image creation using the iPhone 14 Pro

Larry asked me to show how The Grip and Platyball Elite could be leveraged to make stronger panoramas. Here’s the skinny. You can make panorama photos with your iPhone handheld without major problems. If you have a steady hand and can make the arrow follow the indicated line it can work. What I found was if you didn’t follow the line perfectly there could be voids in your panoramic image.

I’ve always shared that when creating panoramic images, you achieve better results when you are pivoting around the sensor of the camera vs around the lens or having the camera held out in front of you. You can see an article here on that for your main camera photography. Platyball Elite has a built-in level between the camera and the tripod. Once that is level, your camera will move level from one side to the other with the also built in rotator. This makes it easy to set up the iPhone camera to follow the pano line exactly. When mounting the iPhone I offset it so the camera was in the center of the pivot point.

Wetlands panorama

I was knocked out by the results. Heading to the Sedona wetlands to photograph some avian wildlife. Found the clouds and reflections of the grasses to be pleasing. Making a straight image left something to be desired. I set up the iPhone on the Grip and Elite and made a totally different version of the scene. Once the camera was set up it was a piece of cake to rotate following the recommended line.

Tlaquepaque Panorama

Architecture takes on a totally different, and interesting, look when captured as a panorama. This is Patio del Norte in Tlaquepaque Village in Sedona, Arizona. Tlaquepaque is a pretty cool place to visit when you’re in the area.

Tlaquepaque Vertorama

Panorama images can be made in the vertical orientation as well, AKA vertorama. Once you have your camera mounted, just flip the Elite on the side. Activate and utilize the level and you are in business for a vertorama. Larry wanted me to show a vertorama extreme. To create photograph from in front through overhead to behind. This set up worked for that as well. I made one vertorama inside the intimate small chapel. Another created outdoors in the courtyard featuring a fountain and the wonderful architecture and arch on display.

Thoughts

While I’m not giving up my OM System cameras for my main work, I have added a new tool to my quiver. As one of my mentors suggested, “Proper tool for the proper job!” With that said, the iPhone 14 Pro is a new tool. As Jay Maisel noted, “Always carry a camera, it’s tough to shoot a picture without one.”

Now, I’ve got a decent camera with me almost all the time.

Yours in Creative Photography, Bob