AutoStitch Panorama app — new and improved!

With the recent release of AutoStitch Panorama Version 4.0 ($1.99), the best mobile panorama photo app just got better! Among several new features, the one that is most appealing to me is panorama photos now include geolocation data in the EXIF/IPTC info.

In order to test the new geotagging feature, I re-stitched a 21-image panorama photo of a field of Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) spotted during a photowalk through the “Wildlife Sanctuary,” one of seven small parks owned and maintained by the Community Association of Hollin Hills, Fairfax County, Virginia USA; the resulting composite images are shown in the following gallery. Photo 1 of 2 is a cropped version of the composite image; Photo 2 of 2 is the “raw” composite image. Image 3 shows the FxIF Data (see “Related Resources,” shown below) that verifies the re-stitched composite images are in fact geotagged; Photos 4 and 5 show two views of the FxIF Data Map Link.

The following gallery shows the original composite images that were not geotagged by the older version of AutoStitch Panorama. Photo 1 of 2 is a cropped version of the composite image; Photo 2 of 2 is the “raw” composite image. Image 3 shows the FxIF Data (see “Related Resources,” shown below).

Related Resources:

• Panorama photo app showdown: Field of Jewelweed (one of my recent Posterous posts)
• FxIF is an add-on for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser that allows the user to view EXIF info — including GPS info, when available — by simply right-clicking on a Web page photo and selecting “FxIF Data.” The user may set preferences for coordinates (e.g., decimal degrees) and map display (e.g., Google Maps); for details, see the section entitled, “Configure me” on the FxIF Web page.

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Panorama photo app showdown: Field of Jewelweed

The following gallery shows a 21-image panorama photo of a field of Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) spotted during a photowalk through the “Wildlife Sanctuary,” one of seven small parks owned and maintained by the Community Association of Hollin Hills, Fairfax County, Virginia USA. The plant covered a broad area in a clearing of a deciduous forest, between two forks of an intermittent stream running through the park. AutoStitch Panorama app  ($2.99) was used to create the photograph: Photo 1 of 2 is a cropped version of the composite image; Photo 2 of 2 is the “raw” composite image.

I used 360 Panorama app ($1.99) to shoot a geotagged panorama photo of the same field of Jewelweed. A hyperlink to an online interactive version of the panorama photo is listed following the “flattened” version, shown below.

360 Panorama photo (interactive version)

Compare and contrast the AutoStitch Panorama composite image with the same shot created using 360 Panorama and I think you’ll agree with me that AutoStitch is still King of the Hill in the field of panorama photo apps.

My Top 30 iPhone Photos — A One-Year Retrospective

I bought a used Apple iPhone 3G a little more than a year ago; I upgraded to a used iPhone 3GS a few months later. iPhoneography rekindled my interest in photography. I have taken more than 1,500 photos using my iPhones during the past year — that’s more photos than I’ve taken in years! Inspired by a recent Tweet from professional photographer Rick Sammon …

Selecting your best photos can be challenging — as well as quite rewarding.

… I started a project to select my best iPhone photos from the past year. Along the way I learned about some of the advanced features of Aperture, a professional-grade tool for organizing and adjusting photos. Embedded in the EXIF/IPTC info of every photo is a title, caption, one or more keywords, copyright notice, and a geotag.

Conventional wisdom says I should rank the photos and lead with my best shot; I chose to present the photos in chronological order instead. In this order, the gallery reflects the passing of time as well as the persistence of my interests. Here they are — 25 of my favorite photos, and five of my favorite panorama photos. All photos were taken using the iPhone’s built in camera; photo 16 of 25 was post-processed using Diptic app.

Panorama photos 1 through 3 (shown below) were created using AutoStitch Panorama app; panorama photos 4 and 5 were created using Photosynth app (panorama photo 4 was adjusted and cropped using Aperture).

Tech Tips: You may be wondering, “Why did you buy used iPhones?” If you have a used smartphone, then you do not have to commit to a long-term contract with a wireless phone service provider. That’s a gold nugget of wisdom I’m happy to share! “FxIF” is an add-on for the Mozilla Firefox Web browser that allows the user to view EXIF info — including GPS info, when available — by simply right-clicking on a Web page photo and selecting “EXIF Data.”

Field test: Photosynth app

I used Photosynth app (free) to shoot the preceding geotagged panorama photo of Milway Meadows, a residential community in Fairfax County, Virginia. An online interactive version of the photo simulates virtual reality, enabling you to see what I saw (Silverlight required, the Microsoft equivalent of Adobe Flash). That is, assuming you aren’t using the Safari Mobile Web browser on an Apple iOS mobile device. Seriously, why would Microsoft choose to use a platform like Silverlight that excludes a significant percentage of the market for mobile devices from using their product? That’s a business model that makes NO sense!

There is a free app called iSynth that is billed as a Photosynth viewer. I downloaded, installed, and tested iSynth on my Apple iPhone 3GS and iPad 1. A simple search caused iSynth to crash on BOTH devices, and now it crashes every time I try to launch the app. Based upon my experience, I think it’s fair to say iSynth is not ready for prime time.

Photosynth is an interesting solution to the problem of how to stitch together a series of overlapping photos to create a panorama photo. As you turn around an axis of rotation, Photosynth displays a green frame that indicates the camera is correctly positioned to take the next frame; then Photosynth shoots the photo automatically. Sounds simple, right? If only the process worked better! You don’t have to look very closely at the panorama photo (shown above) to see the seams between frames; in some places, the frames are obviously misaligned. Contrast the Photosynth app panorama photo with the same scene shot using AutoStitch Panorama app, and I think you’ll agree with me that AutoStitch is still King of the Hill in the field of photo-stitching panorama apps.

Field test: 360 Panorama app

I used 360 Panorama app to shoot the preceding geotagged panorama photo of Milway Meadows, a residential community in Fairfax County, Virginia. The same panorama photo was uploaded via Posterous app (shown below); most of the EXIF/IPTC info, including GPS Info, is missing due to a bug in Posterous app for iOS. An online interactive version of the photo simulates virtual reality, enabling you to see what I saw! Can you see where the panorama came full circle? Let’s hope the developers at Occipital are able to figure out a clever solution for this glaring problem.

Contrast the 360 Panorama app photo with the same scene shot using AutoStitch Panorama app.

Milway Meadows panorama

A 16-image panorama at the intersection of Milway Drive and Woodlawn Trail in the community of Milway Meadows, Fairfax County, VA. Photo created using AutoStitch Panorama app.

Huntley Meadows Park panorama

Huntley Meadows Park is a 1,425 acre protected natural area managed by Fairfax County Park Authority. The park features a large freshwater wetland habitat, shown above. Photo created using AutoStitch Panorama app.

Hollin Hall panorama

Hollin Hall, a colonial estate house located on the grounds of Mount Vernon Unitarian Church in Alexandria, VA. Photo created using AutoStitch Panorama app.