How to Create a Real Fisheye Picture With Your iPhone

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How to Create a Real Fisheye Picture With Your iPhone

Albert G.

29.6k Views

Step 1 of 11

What is a fisheye lens? Is an ultrawide-angle lens that produces strong visual distortion intended to create a wide panoramic or hemispherical image. (Wikipedia) Ok let's create it 'virtually'.

Step 2 of 11

What this tutorial is based on is in taking a 180x180°-squared panorama, and when seeing it flattened (not spherical 360-180°) creates a fisheye look.

Step 3 of 11

Download Photosynth app from the App Store, it's free and has no ads. Read the in-app quick tutorial to know how to use it, it's really simple.

Step 4 of 11

How to get the best fisheye effect: Closer subject or straight lines looks better when 'fisheyed' // Take a 180x180° panorama (left-right-up-down) without moving your body // Has to be a squared pano

Step 5 of 11

This is the original image exported from Photosynth. I've tried to make it squared, and it's about 180x180° (a bit less), but it's ok.

Step 6 of 11

Using any photo editing app (I use and recommend Filterstorm) I've cropped it squared and improved it a little bit using two masks of levels and curves.

Step 7 of 11

And I gave it a dramatic look with some adjustments and the Sutro Instagram filter. That's the final picture.

Step 8 of 11

Note the visual distortion on the sideway buildings, improving the fisheye effect. This is because the original image derived from a spherical image (partial 360x180°) that became flattened.

Step 9 of 11

Also note ote that a simple camera capture would be like that, about 1/8 or less of the final fisheye image, so it's what a fisheye lens does.

Step 10 of 11

Any questions or suggestions, just ask or leave a comment ;) I'm albertgarciarue on Instagram.

Step 11 of 11

Another example I took some days ago.

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Albert G.

Tarragona

Instagram: albertgarciarue

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iPhone

Photosynth app

Any photo editing app

On Photosynth you can 'paint' the panorama while capturing. You have to capture the panorama beggining on the center, then moving one portion to the right, one to the left, up and down, and then the four corners: top right, top left, bottom right and bottom left. It'd be like a panorama made by a 3x3 pictures. Usual panoramas are like 2 width x 1 height or 3 width x 1 height, etc. This is 3x3 snaps, a square.

Albert G. (author) 2 months ago

Hey I just don't get the taking a squared panorama part. I'm on photosynth and r u suppose to take a pic from left to right then up and down??

Chris Roxas 3 months ago

Amazing!!!!! Looks awesome great guide

Missa 💗 4 months ago

Thanks! Excited to give it a try.

River Haven 4 months ago

I'm using this too... Best one so far. Unless you're using iPhone 4s or 5 with iOS 6. Panaroma feature is included for iPhone camera.

Daniel Lee 6 months ago

You're welcome.

Albert G. (author) 6 months ago

Awesome....when I actually try to get I good one you'll be the first to see it...good or bad as it might be. Always have loved photography from the old days up to the future technology. I haven't been able to capture the view I see to what the camera/phone generates. I'll let ya know & thanks for the guide. 😎

Nancy Henshaw 6 months ago

@Ahmed You can use Photoshop Express, Snapseed, Filterstorm and many others available on the app store

Albert G. (author) 7 months ago

Great job and nice but Can you give me another editing photo app?

Ahmed Al-shamri 7 months ago

I'm use photosyth too...it's nice app, has panoramic photo quality more better then others panoramic photo app..thanks for sharing..😄

Dedi Triono 7 months ago

I'll try this right away. Tnx for sharing!... I'm too excited!

April Six 10 months ago

.....or you could just use an SLR and a fish-eye lens :P

Lewis Ilsley 10 months ago

Got it. Thanks Albert :)

Jeff Seal last year

Jeff, follow the in-app instructions and advices. You don'h have to move the arm, keep the phone on the same rotatory point, moving your wrist. Also a bit practise will help. As better you capture, better the stitched images will be. ;)

Albert G. (author) last year

Albert is there a trick to getting photosynth to make better 'stitched' images? When I go up and down it make a mess of the image.

Jeff Seal last year

I used this app after your guide, and I love it. As a fairly new mom I'm always taking photos of my son for a scrapbook and this has helped tremendously, thanks!

FabuloCity By Jessica last year

Nice, I'll try it out.

Ramon Gonzalez last year

Woooow very cool :) thank u :)

Rob Mather last year

Panoramic pictures? I have never done it, but in a specialized printing shop you should'nt have any problem.

Albert G. (author) last year

Great idea. Do you know where you can get these photos printed?

Christopher Plavcan last year

Nice guide!

Ashley Brown last year

Great guide. I love photosynth!

Amanda Max last year

Cool

Javier Villegas last year

Very nice! Thanks for sharing this ;)

Jeff Seal last year

Ah I love photosynth. This is an awesome way to use it as well.

CeeJay Vann last year

You have given me some great ideas! First the iPod dock & the info on photography. I enjoyed the photos you have in the instagram app. Look forward to more!

Rebecca Smith last year

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