Even though I’m naturally drawn to large, pristine, high-res images (I did a pano of Lombard Street in San Francisco for Hewlett-Packard and have a stellar nine foot print of it ), I also see a need for a viable solution at the other end of the VR market. So I began exploring single shot VR about two years ago, working with the 360º One VR unit, PhotoWarp software, and a KODAK ProSLR 14 megapixel camera. This admittedly provides only a narrow view of the market considering the range of systems available. However, I’ve done enough shooting with this system to know its capabilities (and it’s failings) well. Many of my observations will apply to most all single shot systems, so if you are on the fence trying to decide whether or not to make an investment in this direction, you should find this article helpful.

BACKGROUND INFO
My first professional work experience was in the multi-image industry where I was the photographic presence for twelve years at a stellar little production company in Rochester, NY called IMAGESMITH. For those of you too young to have ever seen a Multi-Image slide show, this was the dominant business presentation form for a bit over a decade starting in the late 1970s. A good sized multi-image production typically involved from nine to twenty-four Kodak Ektagraphic slide projectors precisely aimed at a 30 foot panoramic screen with thousands of slides computer coordinated to a sound track. Special effects, photographic animations and “widescreen panoramas” made the shows impressive and lively. Image quality was very high. To survive in this industry one had to be incredibly organized and pay extremely close attention to a dozen or more variables at all times or the process would eat you alive. The successful commercial photographer of the day was invested in a full Nikon set-up, a full Hassleblad set-up and a large format set-up and had to have a craftsman’s knowledge of his trade in order to compete . . . being creative was not enough fifteen or twenty years ago, it took a strong sense of technical excellence as well. This background formed my work ethic, and my need remains strong to understand and control each technical variable I face in the photographic process, whether it was film processes of a decade or more ago or the digital processes of today.

This is a long way of saying that it is not accidental that I get good results in my work . . . it is technical excellence that puts the finishing touch on the creative process. And achieving technical excellence takes thorough testing, analysis, persistence and time. Many young photographers today do not pursue that sense of craftsmanship that was so essential to success only a few years ago. Many are quick to blame the equipment or software when their work falls short of expectations. (Maybe we need a renewed drive towards craftsmanship in our trade). Software can’t do it all if we don’t have a clear understanding of the variables we are trying to control.

GENERAL COMMENTS ON SINGLE-SHOT VR SYSTEMS
I took the time to set up my thoughts about technical craftsmanship, because achieving quality in single shot VR demands technical excellence and high attention to detail. I have gained a reputation for succeeding with single shot VR, yet a number of people have told me they don’t seem to get the same results I do. (Actually, my first work in the medium was not very good either). Don’t overlook the need for technical excellence . . . that’s the main reason why many others don’t get the same results I do. This is not a tool you can just pick up and “run & gun” with, at least not until you have thoroughly tested the variables and found for yourself what works well and what doesn’t.

The Lesson Here Is: test your single shot system meticulously and don’t try to push it beyond where it wants to go - I can’t emphasize that enough. If you play to its strengths - as with any tool - it won’t let you down.

My basic philosophy about single shot VR . . . For a long time it bothered me that I was putting so much work into panos when the client didn't want to pay for that level of quality and really would have been happy with less. In my opinion, single shot VR gives quality enough for a low cost solution in a professional VR market, and single shot VR allows me to satisfy this level of client. I can then hold to my pricing on the higher end work, too . . . so, it's a double bonus to me.

OBSERVATIONS BASED ON 360º One VR with KODAK ProSLR Camera
After two years of shooting with the 360º One VR unit on a KODAK ProSLR professional camera, I’ve come to know this system’s capabilities well. I use a KODAK Pro 14/nx with either the 60mm Micro Nikkor or a 28-105mm macro zoom, or a Nikkor 105mm macro. I always try to shoot at the full 14 megapixels, although I have gotten good results at 6MP. Even though I’m talking about a specific system, much of the following information should be useful to anyone considering a single shot VR workflow.

Here are things I’ve learned over the past two years to help me work with this system successfully:

1. Make sure the optic and the glass stage are clean and free of dust . . . time spent on this will reduce retouching time later (and opt for a glass stage over a plexiglass stage)

2. My initial testing shows that with this system, I need F27 to carry depth of field across the entire optic. I do what I must to get to F27. This seems to hold true for whichever of the three tested lenses I choose to use. (I most frequently use the 28-105mm macro zoom as it better serves my general photographic needs as well as my single shot VR needs).

3. FILL THE FRAME with the optic . . . you need every speck of file size you can muster. If you don’t fill the frame, then you ultimately crop in more than you have to and you lose resolution in the final QTVR movie.

4. Generally speaking, brightly lit scenes do well . . . dark scenes do not. (Again, play to its strengths whenever you can).

5. Get to know your options for noise reduction and learn to use them well. I use the noise reduction tools in KODAK PhotoDesk to control noise right in the RAW file. I have become proficient in Noise Ninja and Quantum Mechanic Pro as well and use them as necessary.

6. As with NR, learn to control sharpening expertly. Use whatever tool you like, but expert control of noise and sharpening makes a big difference in the perceived quality of your finished files.

7. Author using a “smallish” window size. Again . . . don’t push this beyond where it wants to go and then complain about the results. Accept the fact that this is not your high-end solution . . . this is an entry level tool in a professional market. For me, it is my loss leader.

PRO’s & CON’s of Single Shot VR
PRO’s & Viable Markets for Single Shot VR
- extremely fast authoring . . . shooting and delivering ten in a day is not out of the question . . . at any reasonable price, that’s a good day’s work! One could make a good living doing nothing but single shot VR.

- complex scenes have zero stitching errors.
- nice for general imagery in bright light levels.

- great for site survey work,
- excels in small spaces

- capture action (can even be hand-held like the LPGA pano above). The beach volleyball was done at ISO 1000, 1/350th @ F27

- highly functional and cost effective (for use by small businesses). This one is boring but serves the client well:

- low cost solution for general use VR (Model show home)

CON’s
- one “focal length”. That is, everything you do is at a wide angle . . . can’t choose different “lenses”.
- low resolution images
- dust and dirt on optic or glass stage creates excess retouching,
- not capable of generating large, high quality prints,
- not real clean in low light.

SUMMARY
Single shot VR is at an entry level right now. The quality will get better, and it will become used more and more in a number of markets. It will migrate to hand-held uses and become a photojournalistic tool as well. My use of it currently is more with the future in mind than the present. I want to be experienced with it when it really gets good.

And, watch for single shot interactive 360º video as well . . . interactive 360º video will be very intriguing.

Although my experience with single shot VR has been positive, be ready and willing to work at it to get the best from it . . . it’s not a no-brainer. And there is a bit of a learning curve up front.

I believe strongly that there is high market potential for this product. Don’t sell it as the high-quality solution though . . . that would be a misrepresentation. It is a reasonable quality solution for small business and the budget minded. (I give a significant price break for ten or more, which creates a win/win situation with a budget minded client).

Finally, bring technical excellence to your workflow (as well as a creative sense) and you’ll get very reasonable and saleable results.

About the author:
Pat St. Clair has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Miami University (O), 1971, and a bachelor’s degree in professional photography from the Rochester Institute of Technology, 1979; he has been photographing commercially since 1978. St. Clair serves a corporate clientele that includes agencies of all sizes as well as direct corporate clients such as Eastman Kodak Company, Palm, Xerox, Hewlett-Packard, 3Com, DaimlerChrysler, ExxonMobil, Microwave Data Systems and more. He was an early adopter of digital technology and has worked with Eastman Kodak Company on digital capture projects and digital image quality issues for the last eleven years. He has worked with QuickTime VR since 1994, is a charter member of the IQTVRA, and was a speaker at the first three IQTVRA Summits Boulder, CO, Washington, DC and Sedona, AZ. He will speak again at this year’s Summit in Savannah.

He owns and operates St. Clair Photo-Imaging in Rochester, NY. More about Pat St. Clair and his work can be found at www.stclairphoto-imaging.com
Email: pat[at]stclairphoto-imaging[dot]com