{"id":12637,"date":"2025-11-19T02:05:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T10:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/?p=12637"},"modified":"2025-11-19T03:55:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T11:55:51","slug":"how-to-take-good-360-degree-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/how-to-take-good-360-degree-photos\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Take Good 360\u00b0 Degree Photos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>An Introduction to 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Photography for Beginners<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>360 degree images or photospheres capture the entire surrounding environment in a single shot, allowing viewers to look around freely. They are ideal for travel, real estate, events, virtual tours, and immersive creative projects, for presenting any environment in virtual reality headsets, or to explore via desktop or mobile device for a more immersive experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this blog, we\u2019ll cover:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Choosing your camera and other equipment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The basics of 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> photography<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shooting Indoors vs. Outdoors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Photos<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Basics of 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Videography<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Videos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"tl-cta-block\"><h3>Book a free consultation<\/h3><p>Learn more about how you can create immersive learning and training materials in ThingLink on a free call with our Education Specialist.<\/p><button class=\"tl-button tl-button--white tl-button--small tl-cta-block__button\" data-link=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/troy-thinglink\/30min\">Book a free consultation<\/button><\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Choosing a 360 Degree Camera and Other Equipment<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Camera<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Pick a model based on your needs &#8211; from simple point-and-shoot devices to professional multi-lens setups. Key features include image quality, low-light performance, stabilization, and resolution. Well-established brands you may want to consider include Insta360 and Ricoh Theta<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Accessories<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Sturdy monopod that extends to 160 cm (tripods are not recommended as they are too visible in 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> images)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Spare batteries and memory cards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Protective case<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Memory card (128 GB or above; UHS-I microSD cards with a V30 or higher speed class and exFAT format)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>External microphone for video, if supported (e.g., Rode Wireless GO)<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Basics of 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Photography<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> image is created by stitching together photos from multiple lenses. Stitching is usually done in the phone app used to control the camera\u2019s settings and capture images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Core principles<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Keep the camera stable.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Place the camera close to the object or in the center of the space you\u2019re trying to capture.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Start with auto settings; adjust ISO and exposure manually as you advance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lighting affects every angle, so help the stitching software by prioritizing even, overall illumination.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Shooting Indoors vs. Outdoors<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Indoors<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid dim lighting &#8211; add lights or use a camera with good low-light performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Watch out for mirrors and reflective surfaces.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Position the camera centrally for balanced depth and perspective.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some lights can cause flicker in images (especially with long exposure times) and in videos. Flicker is often caused by a mismatch between your camera\u2019s shutter speed and the frequency of artificial lighting, or by inconsistent exposure in time-lapses. To fix this, adjust your camera settings (e.g., match shutter speed to the light frequency).<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Outdoors<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Avoid pointing the lens directly at harsh sunlight to reduce flare.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early morning or late afternoon light works best.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Secure the camera well, especially in windy conditions.<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Photos<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Editing is done using the camera app or with specialized software.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Typical steps include<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Basic adjustments (brightness, contrast, color temperature)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fixing stitching errors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Light retouching to remove unwanted elements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The equirectangular projection can make editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> images tricky, as standard photo-editing apps don\u2019t let you view the top and bottom areas properly. You can still make basic adjustments normally, but for viewing and editing in full 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong>, you need specialized software. Affinity Photo offers excellent tools for editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> images.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Taking a 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Photo with your Phone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Whilst it is not possible to take a true photosphere with a smartphone, ThingLink have created a user-friendly way to convert any panoramic image, taken on any android phone, iphone, or other phone camera, into a 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> image. Originally designed to replace the popular but deprecated Google street view app photo function, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/pano-to-360\"><strong>Pano to 360 by ThingLink<\/strong><\/a> feature uses AI to stitch the image end to end, and fill in the areas at the top and bottom of image. Simply upload the jpeg or png file to the converter (on desktop or mobile), press convert, and your final image is ready to download. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Basics of 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Videography<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>360 video is more demanding than still photography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key considerations<\/strong> for 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Videos<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Use a high resolution (5.7K or higher recommended). Please note that you need to downscale the video to 3840&#215;1920 in post production to upload to ThingLink.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep the camera steady with a monopod, tripod, or built-in stabilization.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Position the camera close to the person speaking for better audio. Avoid windy conditions and environments with heavy background noise.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prepare for large file sizes and longer processing times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> Videos<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Editing is typically done in the camera\u2019s software or a 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong>-capable video editor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Main steps<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Stitching and stabilization, usually done in a phone app or the camera manufacturer\u2019s desktop application<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Color correction and lighting adjustments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cuts and transitions designed for immersive viewing (avoid sudden changes)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Exporting in the correct codec and resolution for different platforms. For ThingLink export, set the video resolution to <strong>3840 \u00d7 1920<\/strong> and bitrate to <strong>15\u201320 Mbps<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For editing 360<strong>\u00b0<\/strong> videos, you can try DaVinci Resolve, Adobe Premiere Pro, or Final Cut Pro X.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<section class=\"tl-cta-block\"><h3>Book a free consultation<\/h3><p>Learn more about how you can create immersive learning and training materials in ThingLink on a free call with our Education Specialist.<\/p><button class=\"tl-button tl-button--white tl-button--small tl-cta-block__button\" data-link=\"https:\/\/calendly.com\/troy-thinglink\/30min\">Book a free consultation<\/button><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An Introduction to 360\u00b0 Photography for Beginners 360 degree images or photospheres capture the entire surrounding environment in a single shot, allowing viewers&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":12645,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[491],"tags":[156,177,595,270],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12637"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12637"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12637\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12647,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12637\/revisions\/12647"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12645"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thinglink.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}