6x17 Photography: Composing Panoramic Photos

[@jonjanson8021]

I learned 6x17 composition as an army tank driver.

[@sjmheron]

The majestic hair-wobble makes this video endlessly re-watchable. Thank you!

[@ChrisHunt4497]

Another masterclass in composition from Nick. I am only a humble digital photographer but I have learnt more from Nick than anyone else on You Tube. Wonderful. Thanks Nick. ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@tompoynton]

God I would coat my wall with prints of your your dusk and dawn images

[@jaykickliter]

I’m sure if the price is right the flight’s tonight.

[@mikesmith-po8nd]

He does sell his work. His website is in the description.

[@jaytolbert7538]

Context, Context, Context! That's what 6x17 provides. Which is what your first example demonstrates perfectly. Your desert subjects, especially those that include a derelict structure, reproduce the atmosphere of the place and that moment. Always chasing that myself.

[@krakencoffeeroasters3727]

I live on the Great Plains, in the Platte River Valley, on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills. My home landscape cries out for 6x17 composition.

[@xuanwu8527]

I LOVE this channel, Nick. Your videos are always a treat to watch. Regarding the point about symmetry, I'd say that the panoramas are actually more symmetric than their cropped counterparts. The backgrounds of the panoramas are more balanced. At 9:20, the two prominent trees on the sides are almost the same distance from the store and of the same height. At 9:33, the grass, cacti, mountains, and sky feel equally weighted on the left and right. At 9:50, the trees on the left are balanced by the poles on the right. When the photos are cropped, the asymmetry stands out more, and you lose the balance. At 9:02, the silhouette of the tree on the left is not balanced by anything on the right. At 9:26, the mountain and the cacti are more heavily weighted to the right. At 9:45, the poles on the right that would have balanced the trees on the left are cropped out, so it feels less symmetric.

[@bobsykes]

Amazing collection of your work throughout this video! Your compositions really do connect and tell a story. This was also kind of a walk down memory lane given how many of these were featured in a past video highlighting how you scouted and made the photos. I just noticed that you hit 100,000 subscribers as well! Maybe that happened a while ago, but regardless, congratulations, Nick!

[@randomsixty]

Excellent video as always. Shout out to the bouffant.

[@JoshPricePlus]

King Carver. Thanks Nick.. I'll buy you a beer in person next time you're in the UK.

[@gusatvoschiavon]

We need to see those vertical panoramas on a wall, absolutely stunning

[@MilesforMoments]

A great way to implement this on digital is with tilt-shift lenses. Three shifted shots stitched together gives me a ~70mpx image that has given me some of my favorite shots in the past two years. It just requires a little more visualization since you cant see the overall image until you process it.

[@c1m1w]

I use either a shift lens or a gigapan motorised head; visualisation is critical. For the gigapan, you need to shoot for the resolution you want at the edges - the perspective projection will stretch the edges a lot!

[@2252269]

Probably I am not the only one who is addicted to NK's presentations. Köszönöm, that's my way to say thank you in Hungarian.

[@guillaumejousset9469]

Whaaaat a masterclass from you Nick, again, thanks a lot for your amazing work 🙌🤝.

[@curiousgeorge684]

Wonderful composition information, It went well with a nice bourbon.

[@sethrobinson6998]

Speaking of vertical panos Josef Koudelka has some of the best I’ve seen in his book Chaos

[@jaytolbert7538]

Had to look him up. Thanks for the recommendation.

[@ianbabcock5951]

I'm inspired now to break out my 1/2 dark slides I made for 4x5 and 5x7, hardly ever used. ..thought I clicked on Mat Marrash's Film Fridays at first with the big top-do :)

[@jasongold6751]

A great and imformative video. I did a panaorama on a beach, 6 frames on a Leica M3.Tripod and checking where to start and where to end! About 45mins later, now a race with setting sun. 6feet x 8 inches high! What i had slight curvature (the Earth). Your way better, way better. Also only one frame to contend in printing! * I used film, pre-digital. The Cactii the best! Train in desert 2nd. 3rd All the rest! Bravo.

[@johnmay1788]

Very nice discussion of a complex topic.

[@dafyddwhyles8169]

Absolutely fantastic videos by Nick. We are completely addicted and can't wait for new videos coming out. Fantastic knowledge and eager to share it. A true gentleman!!

[@JeroenVanRie]

what a great presentation on composition !!

[@Seeker_of_F1r3]

I have a humble suggestion, if I may: I'd watch the heck out of you giving a breakdown (both artistic and technical) of your images. My favorite image out of all your work I've seen is the cactus-scape at 3:00 and I always wonder about the mental and technical aspects behind such a superb image. The cactus image at 9:31 also looks like a great image for commentary because I can only imagine the process of getting both the foreground and background in focus on such a large format. Cheers and thanks for helping me and many others start of the weekend right!

[@kirstymcleod6647]

have to say, am loving your videos (although I also have to admit to being digital)... found you through the "Tethered" chat you had with Thomas Heaton - and so glad i did! Love your images 😊( and the content)... thank you!

[@sneakingelephant]

I don't have a 6x17 camera but I started my first roll of 35mm on a Pentax 67(using the panoramic conversion kit). Going to try applying the concepts you taught here.

[@krakencoffeeroasters3727]

It might be fun to “practice” 6x17 composition on our existing digital images by setting the selection tool to a 6x17 aspect ratio and selecting various crops, with an eye to compositional improvement.

[@Seangalusha]

Having gone to cal poly slo for journalism i find the Ksby image to be fascinating. I love how the billboard screams commercialization and an inherent need to be connected at all times which contrasts daily life in slo so much. Slo really is a bubble and it’s pretty out of isolated. So it’s hard to remember it’s even part of California sometimes, which makes this billboard perfectly ironic.

[@ducgerard2361]

A great lesson of composition!

[@mrdolby]

I really like the vertical ones! As always, great video!

[@stephenhoran4897]

Good to see you doing a few more videos Nick. I don't do film or pano's but good to hear about techniques and the like used as can try and apply the thought and theory to my own workflow.

[@mikearmstrong7956]

6 x 17 Photography is something a lot of people don't put much attention on. I like it. It really does work . A nice perspective! Cool

[@ThomasParis]

Thanks for another great one! I find it fascinating how much I like your videos even though I don't use film and my compositions are mostly square(-ish). But your points in this one made so much sense! And I feel they might be helpful to me, even though I'm not planning on composing in 6x17.

[@csd128]

Nick, thanks for generously sharing your knowledge. I really enjoy your compositions and especially appreciate how you handle the edges of your frame. When my eye gets to the edge, I'm always drawn back in, but it's never forced. The subject is interesting enough that I want to remain in the scene you have captured.

[@brianmckeever5280]

Well done sir, thanks! I don't do 6x17, but I love panos!

[@oneeyedphotographer]

This was suggested to me by KZbin. My preferred equipment at present is a Lumix S1R and Canon TS-E lenses.It's less flexible than a view camera, but it seems to be getting a bit heavy lately. I can stitch to get a wider view and the multiple images are coplanar so don't get that distortion. There are videos on straightening stitchups too, one I did looks a bit strange because I was too close. I saw someone complain about distortion with a 10mm ultrawide prime on 25mm, but in truth he too was too close. I have a 14-28 on my S1R, and a 7-14 for Lumix G9. The 14-28 has a flat face, if I want I can put filters on it, easily. My TS-E 17 and 7-14 are pregnant, I have to work around that bulge.

[@cmichaelhaugh8517]

One of those great instructional pieces that organize and make sense of what we suspected at the gut level. Now I have to go back and see the other three.

[@timryan894]

The biggest advantage of panoramic 6x17 is that it gives the subject more context or story. Story is the life of still imagery

[@NoorKarzon]

Thank you for providing me a proof - your video - so I can prove to my community that I'm not insane. I have a personal project where it's only about panoramas using technical cameras. None of my friends were convinced about the idea thinking it's meh. Although I did mention most of the points you mentioned in your video, but you did more than that. And for that, I thank you ❤

[@tonygreenwoodN10]

What a great video! And you had me laughing out loud as you mimicked someone looking at wide vista, slowing moving their head left to right looking at the horizontal axis and then quickly nodding up and down at the vertical axis. Really good stuff, thank you!

[@johntazbaz1121]

Nick, I’m getting addicted to your videos and work. Fantastic images with the 6x17!

[@ian7379]

Great videos on 6x17, one of my favorite formats.

[@magnusa.5599]

i love the aspect of vertical confinement! gonna focus more on the details rather than the obvious horizon shot. thanks nick, you‘re the man.

[@jmiller1819]

What a great way to start the day! This entire series has been great and one I will come back and watch a few more times I'm sure.

[@melvyndavid]

Excellent video again much of what you teach comes very naturally when i take images but you go much further and make it clear why much wider is better than just a bit wider and why the hight is is less important as hight is better implied than seen. thanks again

[@jimmynordstromphotography]

Friday and a Nick Carver video, can't be much better. Keep up the good work!

[@whafrog]

Brilliant discussion, well presented. I love taking panos, but have to do the multi-shot way...not a lot of pixels left if it's a single shot.

[@chuckhaaser884]

Well done Nick!

[@odukar2315]

Great insights in 6x17!

[@Sprengstoff]

Great series, thank you very much Sensei! Maybe, one day i get my hands on a 6x17 camera - It is just such a cool format! Have yourself a cold beer my good man, cheers!

[@jaytolbert7538]

Sensei. Most appropriate title for Nick!

[@bryanswisshelm941]

“Tobacco pipe and ascoty about it”😂 I’m definitely stealing that line. I always look forward to your videos! I’m going to try incorporating some of there concepts.

[@geoffmphotography9444]

So very informative and helpful

[@jeremygarretson5482]

Thanks Nick. Great video about panoramic photography. I'm new to 4x5, but have shot digitally for a long long time. One of my favorite features about the GFX 100s is the 65x24 option. It makes such a difference when pre-visualizing a shot. I'm debating getting a 6x17 back from my TZ45.

[@boristahmasian9604]

Hi Jeremy, have you printed GFX 65x24 files? If so, how big of a print can you get out of it? I know it is relative but I am talking about gallery quality prints. Thanks.

[@JoaoRiveres]

Amazing masterclass.

[@davidtracy223]

Looking forward to your vertical 6x17 compositions

[@ryanbhangdia]

love this commentary, my favorite of the series!

[@LikeWeDidOutdoors]

14 minutes, the big tree, amazing shot! I've tried to fit the height in on similar circumstances - you backed up and it didn't work as well. I tested out taking a second panorama of a scene, higher up and joining the 2 panos as a top and bottom, showing the whole size of the massive object - still don't work as well as leaving it chopped off into the unknowing! I found it to be like yours, the confinement was what did it, your head can imagine the tree far bigger. I didn't know the words for it, now I can consider it properly in future, so thanks!

[@andreaspidde9694]

Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, great explanation and photographs!

[@clementaanestad3397]

Great job x 4! Well done.

[@peterturner1052]

I've never shot film in my life, yet I think this is possibly my favourite youtube channel. I just love how you see the world and then show us with such a calm and well reasoned thought process. Great video.

[@peter-robinson]

Excellent series, thanks Nick. Your clear definitions and explanations have clarified why I love 6x17 so much.

[@AlejandroHiraldo]

Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge. I love this channel.

[@Mecholable]

Thank you for sharing all that good information

[@timfarr369]

Brillant. Incredible “framing” of how to communicate through the format. In particular a defined structure that can be used consistently to consider and approach a somewhat intimidating format.

[@JakeAlletson]

Wow! That is one of the very best photography instructions I have ever seen. And it doesn't hurt that the presentation is so "informal" (like a chat with a long time friend) but sharp. I missed the first 3 lessons but will certainly go back to them.

[@highlander200107]

Great series Nick!

[@forgottenamericana]

Pay attention kiddos.....Professor Carver is in the house..... Great info! Thank you Nick!

[@chiragpradhan]

Thank you for such great content. It must take a lot of effort to produce such quality videos.

[@Black_Jesus3005]

Thanks Nick.

[@timbradburn3967]

Gorgeous. Compelling as always Nick. Thanks for putting words to why I enjoy your photography.

[@amaitra]

Really nice pictures of not so "glamorous" subjects! Bringing out the best in them! Great video.

[@DrRedive]

Um, Um... "6 x 17 Photography: Printing, mounting and framing panoramic photographs." There, I took care of the title for you. 🙂👋Amazing series Nick.

[@chromagraphphotoart]

Alright Nick, you've convinced me. My next camera purchase WILL be a 6x17, for which Angus Noble of Noble cameras will no doubt be relieved as he has been pestering me for a while to purchase one of his fine cameras. However, I am concerned about one thing... Which is the height of your quiff that is about to escape the confinement of my monitor. This could result in me purchasing a computer monitor with movements. As you are no doubt aware, this may be expensive, so I am relying on you to mitigate the costs...😉

[@juanitakelly3082]

Videos on composition are my absolute favorite. Thanks!

[@caulenspencer1157]

Please stay with such regular uploads!

[@ducgerard2361]

The best channel about panoramic Photos. You are great.

[@alfredbass]

superb! as always mr. Nick. 🤘😎

[@TRD_Kyle]

Such a great series on one of my favorite style of shot. I really hope that some day I can afford to get a 6x17 setup in some form. I am just working with digital and stitching and have so many panos that I throw out because of the distortion or stitching errors that just cause them to not turn out how I wanted and could have gotten with a singular pano image. Panoramics and verticals are my two preferred compositional styles for the same reasons in their opposite ways. Panos, you get the wide expanse and vertical confinement and feels very natural to me and how I feel like I view scenes whereas verticals are the exact opposite. Both can use negative space super well, both can give amazing senses of isolation and both feel "special" to me. I too have grown tired of big foreground images though I still take some and have some I like, I am more into the middle and background of a scene or just getting a more specific, detail oriented shots. I shoot plenty of standard horizontals still but find myself being a bit bored of them.

[@josephschimmer302]

It‘s not only a great video in itself, condensing your knowledge on the topic. It‘s a great way to revisit all your excellent on location videos. To me this 3:1/6:17/24:65 aspect ratio is so appealing because it makes you read and discover a picture. Unlike more compact ratios I can’t see these pictures as a whole.

[@jungerhansmann6608]

Now please do 4x5 or an overall full course on composition!

[@bakr2508]

Great one nick! There should be another part regarding printing 6x17 frames in detail. Thanks a lot

[@JimNorman-op1cv]

An outstanding wrap to your 6x17 format series.

[@flam3srock]

keep the videos coming!

[@key2adventure]

One of my best panoramas (not made as a 6x17) is the sunset on Mount Everest and the sourrounding mountains, it cant get more “mountaineous” than that - at least not on mother Earth

[@Luigi13]

I enjoyed the video and learned a few things I could use in my panoramic images. 🤔🤔

[@sdkgodeacs]

Great series, I don't think I'll ever shoot 6x17 but its fascinating and your work is great.

[@ageary]

The 6x17 ratio is perfect in my eyes and I use it to shoot cityscapes.

[@MeasuredLight]

Thank you, Nick! Really enjoyed this video, and the whole series! I really enjoy shooting 6x17 and you are a big inspiration!

[@thodenz8851]

Thank you Nick, you really nailed it. This is the first time I found someone bringing all the essential bits and pieces of panoramic photography to the point. I feel like I subconsciously knew some of this, but you made it so very obvious. Thanks again and I try to keep this in mind for my next panoramic shots.

[@thomastaylor9237]

Great series, terrific channel and your online classes are outstanding.

[@curiouslizard]

Fantastic content, great teacher, beautiful intentional photographs!! Your work speaks volumes.

[@sebastiantrandafir5607]

Very cool, a great series for 6x17, with all the details you need. Thank you for this! Cheers, Seb

[@terrybehm3835]

Excellent presentation! Your next assignment, should you choose to accept it, is a discussion of the square format. 😊

[@dominey]

Wonderful video Nick. Really enjoyed this. Congrats on 100 subs! 👊

[@danmckee4988]

Your video on 6 x 17 was very informative even though I shoot with a Nikon D850 and use mostly use either a 70-200mm or 100-400mm telephoto lens. As you stated, the panorama brings so much more value to the scene, I think it’s a ‘natural way’ that we look with our eyes and how we remember the scene. Most of my compositions are landscape panoramas shooting several vertical photos stitched together. Using a level ball/plate on my tripod and a telephoto lens, I haven’t any noticeable distortions. However, I do shoot at long distances for the most part so I think that contributes to less distortion since I don’t have to pan the camera to a great extent. The lenses are ‘lens mounted’ so that helps get to the Nodal Point to minimize any parallax. Thanks again, I enjoyed the lesson!

[@julianpaxton5750]

Thanks Nick. Your videos are consistently good. This one is a ripper!

[@bradleyverde]

'Really enjoyed the 6x17 series. Thanks, Nick.

[@nelsbondephoto]

Definitely highlighted why I love panoramic photos. I shoot digital mostly so I play around with different aspect ratios. And by far my favorite is 12x36 or similar. These were great tips and techniques, that I will be utilizing in the near future. Thank you!

[@who2u333]

Terrific video! I've been really bored with my work for a while, but this talk made me think back on a bunch of images that I have taken and not liked. This video made me think of a number of old shots as panoramas and suddenly they work (at least in my head). I think I have been forcing images into more of a 4x5, or 8x10 format when subconsciously, I was envisioning a wider shot. I can't wait to take another look at some old shots with this new vision.

[@weaverl43]

Love the nostalgic poignancy in your images. If you could find one, I’d love to see what you’d do with and old drive-in movie site.

[@Kokorba6iqta]

Great explanation and very inspiring video!

[@brianbeattyphotography]

Great tips. Panorama aspect ratios are definitely a compositional challenge, but definitely worth the output!