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While surfing the web I foudn that Photoshop has a picture merge feature that can take several pictures and make one large panaromic shot. Seems like this would be great to make a backdrop. Find a good location. Take several shots side by side and let the software merge them. Looks like something that I'll have to try. The printing is another thing .
Also alot of the good quality point and shoots have built in panoramic settings too.
I'll have to check mine, it's a new cybershot T90
Unless you have a specific prototype location you want to use as a backdrop, you're going to find that the cost of printing your own exceeds the cost of commercial photo backdrops. I started to do my rather small layout this way and, after going through three color cartridges and a ton of photo paper, I finally realized this was going to cost me a lot more than I first thought.
The reason I'm looking into it is my wife happens to run a sign shop and they have a high end large print machine that does vinyl. They've done 20 foot graphic signs. She's offered to make one for me but I've been putting it off.
Jump on that offer, HB. That's basically the way commercial photo backgrounds are made. I'd buy her a dozen roses and nice dinner if she'd print a 20 foot background for me.
My Kodak ZD8612 takes 3 pics side by side, but sometimes it's hard to line up the next pic w/the 1 I just took & so on.
I agree w/Jim about cost of your own to cost of buying it already made. I did the same thing just for small backdrop pictures & the cost was staggering.
My camera came with the usual software that comes with digital cameras these days. Also in there was a program called Panorama Maker. Its a very simple program that can take up to 10 photos (I think its 10, it may be more. I'm not at home and can't check the program.) and put them into a panorama. It can do this also in the vertical as well as horizontal.
There's also Autostitch:
http://www.photo-freeware.net/autostitch.php
Here's a model railroad related panorama done with Autostitch:
It's the "Big Railroad Hobby Show" which takes place in West Springfield MA every year. There are three other buildings.
Several camera makers have an autostitch packaged with their cameras, I know Nikon and Canon do for sure. They are extremely good! I have used the Canon version in the past, I plan to put it to good use on an upcoming trip to Yellowstone.
For printing, I highly recommend perfectposters.com. They print in whatever size and/or aspect ratio you want, for backdrops you could get 18" x 72" if you wanted (altho hanging that might prove awkward...).
and they are cheap! that 18x72 poster would come to ~$34 +s/h.
Thats a great price Ken, I'll have to check them out. Though shipping to Canada will cost more
I've just finished making a backdrop using Photoshop CS4 and the photo merge feature. It works very well, but is not perfect. I does some great perspective and colour correction and blends the edges very well. A fun toy, but you need a powerful PC to use it for anything large. I made a backdrop that is 1'x7' at 180 DPI, and it almost killed my PC!
Photoshop suggests that a tripod be used and to keep the angle difference under 3 degrees. If you do it by hand that makes it more difficult for the program.
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