VR photography

VR photography, or virtual reality photography, is the interactive viewing of wide angle panoramic photographs, generally encompassing a 360 degree circle or a spherical view.

VR photography is the art of capturing or creating a complete scene as a single image, as viewed when rotating about a single central position. Normally created by stitching together a number of photographs taken in a multi-row 360 degree rotation; the complete image can also be a totally computer generated effect, or a composite of photography and computer generated objects.

VR Panoramas are viewed through movie players, such as Apple's QuickTime software, which may be part of a Web browser plug-in or a stand-alone player application. QuickTime VR (QTVR) was the original interactive panorama format, but there are now a growing number of different players and plug-ins. Many of these are based on Flash, but some use Java, SilverLight, custom programming using OpenGL and WebGL, and even JavaScript. Most of the players can be seen in the Panorama Player Comparisons project.

The term virtual reality is used different here then in it's original meaning of a reality that only existed in a computer and not in real world. As the photos above are made in the real reality, the term virtual reality photography can be considered incorrect.

See also

• Image stitching
• MotionVR
• IPIX

External links

• College virtual tours at Curlie
• Panoramic/360° photography techniques and styles at Curlie
• Panoramic image galleries at Curlie
• The World Wide Panorama Project - a series of ongoing worldwide VR Photography events
• World Tour 360° project - a collection of VR Photography around the world.