Chronopanorama

Previously known as Time Lapse Panorama

Written by Paul Bourke
The term "chronopanorama" credited to Peter Morse
August 2010, Updated 2014


Panoramic photography with a single camera typically involves capturing multiple images in an arc and stitching/blending them together. If the stitching is based upon feature recognition then the final panorama image can appear seamless. For best results one is usually hoping for a stationary scene, at least over the time period that the images are being captured. The following 5 images are a selection from the 9 that were used to create example 1 below.

A fun variation on this is to intentionally take the photographs as some, usually spatially isolated, object is moving in the scene. If the speed of the moving object and the duration and frequency of the photographs are synchronised then the result is a combined time lapse and panoramic image. The moving object then appears at multiple positions (time) in the panorama.


Click for higher resolution, note plane taking off left to right.
Melbourne Airport, from the Hilton Hotel



Further examples are given below, it is likely that the higher resolution version (click on image) will be required to see the effect. The trick is an understanding of the panorama stitching software being used, the ideal image overlap width, and synchronising the moving object and image capture to avoid the object of interest being blended out of the final panorama. But generally feature points will not be found near the moving objects and so their influence on the final image is only through blending.


Click for higher resolution, note man with stroller walking right to left.
Campo Santa Margherita, Venice




Click for higher resolution, note quad bike on beach.
Cape Gregory, Western Australia.


2014



Shenzhen, China.



Hong Kong



Perth



Perth



Osaka airport



Osaka airport