Some scenes are just too epic to fit into an ordinary picture frame. Consider this: Your usual field of vision is about 200 degrees, but a typical digital camera can only see about a quarter of that—which is why a photo of a breathtaking vista is a lot less impressive than the view you might remember.
Only panoramas come close to delivering the same field of view as your eyes.
In the old days, people sometimes made massive panoramas by arduously combining multiple photos using a razor and tape. These days, whether you have a camera or a phone, technology has made the task much easier: With just a few clicks, you can capture a large vista in an impressively oversized panoramic photo.
Panoramas by phone
When it comes to making panoramas, most iPhone owners have it easy: Just turn on panorama mode (available in the Options button at the top of the Camera screen), and then make a panorama in a single fluid, sweeping motion after tapping the shutter release icon. (Tip: You can change the panning direction just by tapping the panorama bar in the middle of the screen.)
If you don't like the sometimes jagged panoramas, or if you have an older iPhone that can't make panoramas automatically, don't worry—you still have options. One of the best panoramic stitching apps for the iPhone is Pano. For $2, you can take sweeping vistas using up to 16 photos (and a final resolution of 24 megapixels). The image quality is excellent, with superb alignment and blending. The interface works great, with a guide that helps you line up each subsequent photo.
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