Huge, floor-to-ceiling windows allow you to feel spacious and enjoy the scenery at any time of the year. Among other things, they give the interior of a house or apartment a special chic and luxurious atmosphere. What is worth knowing before building a house with panoramic windows? Photos of the most ovs and interiors, expert recommendations and much more in this material.

Read in the article

Advantages and disadvantages of huge windows

Before discussing the pros and cons of panoramic glazing, you should pay attention to two important aspects:

1. Panoramic windows were invented in French Provence, where the winter temperature does not fall below seven degrees Celsius.
2. High-quality execution of panoramic glazing is possible only if it was provided at the design stage of the house. Attempts to make changes to existing walls in order to install such structures can lead not only to the loss of the external appearance of the building, but also to its partial or complete destruction.

Take note:

And now let's break it down, as they say, on the shelves, the advantages and disadvantages of large windows.

The pros and cons of large windows are a reason to think hard before making a decision. It is much easier to refuse a panoramic view if there is nothing special to admire - if, for example, only the dull wall of a neighboring house or a dusty road is visible opposite.

Bay window as a decoration of the facade

Without a doubt, a bay window is one of the varieties of panoramic glazing, it is an adornment of the facade of the cottage. Due to this protrusion, you can significantly increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe living room, kitchen or. In this cozy corner of the house it is nice to sit with a book or receive guests.

Types of bay windows:

It has frame glazing, in which there are opening sashes in the side frames. Typically, frames are placed at thirty-degree angles relative to each other and the wall.

This is not a standard ledge, the windows in it are located at right angles. This area is perfect for relaxing.

In such structures, in addition to frames, a flexible profile and additional connecting elements are used. The higher the glass in such a bay window, the more attractive it looks in the facade ensemble.

This is perhaps the most difficult form to perform. Such designs are only possible for professionals. They require the use of curved glass and are located mainly in the corner of the building.

Related article:

In the article, we will take a closer look at domed houses: projects and prices, photos and recommendations from experienced specialists. The knowledge gained will be useful in choosing the methodology by which the building will be erected.

What is important to know about panoramic glazing

In order for the glazing to be reliable and beautiful, it is necessary to approach the selection of materials with all responsibility.

Important! The impressive area of ​​​​the glass surface will exert a large load on the frame. Part of this weight is the profile. It is necessary to select not too heavy, but durable material.

Glasses

The selection of a double-glazed window is an important aspect. For large surfaces, you need to choose a special glass:

• hardened - has a strength that is five times higher than normal;
• laminated (triplex) - consists of several plates fastened with a special film, this structure gives the material special strength;
• coated with a special film - a reinforcing film strengthens the surface and additionally protects against bright ultraviolet radiation;
• tinted and reflective - used for the sunny side of the building;
• energy-saving - the material of the double-glazed windows is coated from the inside with silver or tin oxide for better heat retention.

Advice! Washing panoramic windows is not an easy procedure that requires patience and sustainability. Special magnetic brushes appeared on sale, allowing you to wash the window from the outside without leaving the room.

frames

Glazing frames can be vinyl - this material is very easy to maintain and retains color for a long time. Vinyl will not dry out, crack, or be affected by fungus.

PVC profiles are not very suitable for glass panoramas. PVC tends to deform when the temperature changes and, if it is hardly noticeable in small areas, on huge windows such deformation can lead to very unpleasant consequences.

Wooden frames are traditional and eco-friendly. But choosing this option, you should remember that such frames will require constant supervision and care.

Aluminum profile is an almost eternal material. To improve its thermal insulation qualities, such profiles are supplied with polyamide "insides".

For your information! The most "advanced" glazing option is the so-called "smart windows". They are equipped with a ventilation system and sensors that control ventilation and closing. They can become opaque when the sun is too bright. The glass coating has water and dirt-repellent properties. Such windows can be controlled via the Internet and maintain the necessary microclimate in the house even during a long absence of the owners. The cost of a panoramic window with such properties is estimated at a six-figure sum.

Mounting tricks

The main thing in the installation of panoramic structures is to ensure their complete safety. When glazing a balcony or loggia in an apartment, as a rule, blind frames are placed on the sides, and two swing-out doors are made in the center for ventilation. In the bay window, on the contrary, the side parts are made opening.

On top of such structures, visors are placed to protect against rain. Bottom - . An internal fence is installed if there are children in the house or if the owners are simply not sure of their agility. Fences are usually made of stainless steel. Less often - from forged metal. I must admit that the latter look very beautiful.

On verandas and terraces, glazing can be with an accordion mechanism. In this case, glass without frames is connected by a special mechanism that allows you to assemble and disassemble the structure as needed.

Heating

Heat loss due to a large area can be reduced by using special heating systems. Since the usual one cannot be installed under the windowsill, they use a low one for the panoramic window. Its height is only twenty to thirty centimeters. If you can not use it, you can purchase a thermal curtain, this is a very effective tool for maintaining a stable temperature in the room. The curtain can be installed on top of the window or built into the floor below it. Convectors in the floor should be located at a distance of thirty centimeters from the window opening so that warm air does not "get confused" in. In addition to those listed, the task with a panoramic view can be performed by:

• warm floors (electric or water0;
• heating skirting boards;
• fireplaces (real or electric).

Architects' fantasies: projects of houses with panoramic windows and a terrace

The use of new technologies in construction allows designers to approach the design of panoramic windows or glazed terraces more and more boldly.

Here are some example projects:

Panoramic windows in a private house: photo, issue price

The cost of panoramic windows depends not only on their area. This is just one of many factors. In addition to size, the price is affected by:

• additional structural elements (window sills, ebbs, mesh,);
• accessories (handles, mechanisms);
• work of masters (installation of new windows and dismantling of old ones, finishing and thermal insulation);
• transportation cost.

The main item of expenditure is the profile. A good profile cannot be cheap. Cheaper to buy a white profile. All other colors and stains will vary in price. The cost of a window sill depends on its width: the wider, the more expensive.

It is better to choose triple glazing, it will provide reliable thermal insulation. The blank frame will cost the least.

This is the cost of panoramic windows.

Luxury photos: a house with panoramic windows

Details Created: 04/08/2013 23:55

If the technology of panoramic shooting can be found in different textbooks (for example, from Efremov, Frost or Jacobs), then not every panoramic photographer will give out small professional secrets to a novice colleague. In fact, there are not so many of them, but ignorance of some features of the behavior of technology can lead to incomprehensible results. Everything seems to be done correctly, but the photos look deplorable.

First, you need to take care of the light at the shooting location. Now we are not talking about a remote studio with reflectors, soft boxes and other things, but about natural sunlight. It is not recommended to shoot in very windy weather, when the wind drives the clouds at high speed. Because of this, you can get frames with different degrees of illumination, with shadows of different density, falling at different angles. The ideal option is a clear sky with lazy sedentary clouds, cloudy weather. Then, when gluing frames, you can get a “picture” that is uniform in light.

Secondly, you need to clearly understand the settings and modes of the camera itself. It is better to forget about the concept of "auto mode" and "auto mode plus", and set the manual settings. Then you can adjust the white balance, exposure yourself. It is very good to use an aperture of f / 8, then the depth of field will be good, and distortion will not appear. Manual settings allow you to get panoramic photos with uniform indicators. If at least one automatic setting is saved, the photographer risks: the camera will rebuild the mode at the slightest turn.

Quite a lot of questions for novice masters arise about focusing: where to “do” the focus when shooting several frames for subsequent gluing? Speaking from practice, there is only one working option: switch to manual focus mode. Next, the camera is pointed at the hyperfocal distance: this means that all objects will be sharp from the beginning of the set distance to infinity. Therefore, this focusing mode is often called "pointing to infinity." Autofocus must be turned off, otherwise all frames will have sharp completely different areas: panoramic photos with such a defect will look ugly and unprofessional.

360 panoramas when shooting have another important secret: you need to start shooting horizontally from the left side and to the right. And only then can you shoot the terrain vertically by moving the camera up or down. Adding horizontal stripes will increase the vertical resolution. Frames should overlap by at least 30-50 percent.

And the last thing: you should not shoot constantly moving objects, such as people at the crossing, the flow of cars. This will prevent overlapping frames so that objects look the same in the panorama.

Easily and quickly turn your panoramas into attractive, miniature planets using Photoshop or your favorite graphic editor.

Panoramas are one of my favorite ways to show a scene. They are so interesting and detailed that I advise you to pay attention to them. This little tip adds an extra pinch of creativity, turning standard panoramas into miniature planets that really have the "wow" factor.

The technical name for this technique is "stereographic projection", but don't be intimidated by this complicated word, in fact, everything is much simpler. For this example, I'll be using Photoshop, but you can use any other editor, including GIMP which is free.

Choosing the right photo.

Almost any panorama will do for us, but there are moments that will improve the final result.

• Viewing angle- 360 degree panorama, best suited because their edges merge together. Narrower angles will work too, but you may need to do some extra work to get the colors and textures to be consistent at the edges of the panorama and fit together.
• Image Width- The aspect ratio (width divided by height) of your photo affects the smoothness of your planet. Wider images tend to produce smoother planetary surfaces, while narrower panoramas can produce larger elevation changes. Both options look great.
• Sky- the panorama sky will be seriously distorted in the final image. Clear skies generally produce the best result, although clouds can give an interesting stretched effect.
• On the first - the bottom of your photo will be squashed into a bun to form the center of the planet, and this can lead to some distortion. As with the sky, smooth textures like grass or sand look better.
• Horizon - must be perfectly aligned so that the edges meet neatly, the bases of the steps. If your photo does not fit this parameter, then you can correct it in a photo editor.

It may seem to you that there are many criteria in our business, but after trying, you will understand that almost any panorama will do. If you still have doubts, take any panorama that does not fall under the above "rules" and try it out. The result may turn out to be interesting and unusual, and under normal conditions this will not work. So don't be afraid to experiment.

Planet transformation.

Found the right image? Fine. Time to turn it into a planet.

1. We make a square of the image.
Let's start with the dimensions of the image. Go to the >image "image" tab. Choose the image size. In the window that appears, uncheck the “preserve proportions” checkbox and set the height according to the width.

This procedure will distort your panorama a bit, but don't worry, that's how it should be.

2. Apply a gradient to the sky.
This step is optional, but without it, the final image at the corners may look warped and pulled. Select the gradient tool and set the colors on the edges to match the prevailing colors of the sky. Set the opacity slider on the left to 100% and on the right to 0%.

Drag the gradient from the top of the photo down a further distance to create a smooth transition to a solid color.

3. Turn your photo upside down
Go to Image tab > Rotate Image 180° to flip your image upside down. This ensures that the twisting is done correctly when we turn our panorama into a planet.

4. Applyfilter, polar coordinates
Go to filters > distortion > polar coordinates. In the window that appears, select the Rectangular to Polar option and click OK.

Voila! Your panorama is now wrapped in a circle and looks like a small planet photographed from above with a fisheye lens.

5. Final touch
Check the top center of your photo, it should be smooth and the connection should not be visible. A stamp or a healing brush will help here.
If you prefer your planet, then it's time to create it. You may still have white corners, but you can fill them with the same color you used in the gradient. Re-crop your image and you're done.

Making small planets is extremely easy, you will understand it as soon as you try it. In the future, you can experiment and get unusual, interesting effects. Therefore, do not think that you need to be rigidly attached to the above rules. If you come up with something unusual and interesting, be sure to share it in the comments.

Examples for inspiration.

Here are a few examples showing what is possible when you add a little creativity and imagination to this technique.

Use a photo of a different terrain to create a jagged asteroid effect.

We found out what opportunities panorama photography gives the photographer and what tools will be needed for it. Today we will touch on the practical side of the issue. How to shoot separate frames of a panorama so that when it is stitched together everything fits together without problems?

Taking pictures for gluing a panorama

So, we are at the shooting location and we want to take a panoramic photo.

Thinking about the frame. Where to begin? As always, with artistic intent. Imagine the composition of the future shot: select the subject, foreground, and the like. The difficulty of panoramic shooting is that we cannot see the final frame directly through the viewfinder or camera screen: only its fragments will fit there, from which the panorama will be assembled. Therefore, for such shooting it is very important to develop a special skill - to see the finished frame without the help of a camera. Mark for yourself the boundaries of the future image: what do you want to include in it, and what will you leave outside of it. For example, something like this: "I'll shoot a panoramic shot from that tree on the left to that rock on the right, so that this picturesque house is positioned in the final image according to the rule of thirds." This mental plan will help you move forward effectively, and not just flick the camera in all directions, trying to capture the frame from the maximum possible angle of view. Lack of thoughtful composition is the main problem with most panoramas made by beginners, so think carefully about your future shot before you start shooting!

Tripod. In order for the shots to converge into a single panorama, it is important to take them strictly from one point. A tripod will help with this. In addition, this device will allow you to shoot at slow shutter speeds. This is especially important if you have a foreground close to the camera (which is almost always the case).

What is a panorama made of? Of course, a panoramic shot consists of several separate frames! But what is the right way to make these photos so that they fit together well into a single image? To do this, you need to shoot "overlap", turning the camera on a tripod. Each subsequent frame must capture a certain part of the previous picture. Naturally, the less they overlap, the fewer frames will be required for the final panorama, but at the same time there is a higher chance of making mistakes when shooting. A panorama taken in a hurry may not add up to a single image. Therefore, in order for the frames to converge confidently, the overlap of one frame on another must be at least one third. And the more it is, the better. How many frames should be in a panorama? As much as you like - it's up to you. Start not from the number of shots, but from the scene being shot: just take the right number of shots with the necessary overlay.

Shooting images that don't overlap well is the main reason novice photographers don't stick together in their final panorama. So pay special attention to this moment.

An attentive reader may notice that in most examples the panoramas are assembled from vertical frames. There is nothing fundamental here: you can glue both vertical and horizontal photos. But I find working with vertical frames more convenient. Especially if we are talking about a single-row panorama: in this case, we can get a more detailed image (since the wide side of the captured frames becomes the narrow side of the panoramic frame). In addition, a vertical frame allows you to more accurately assess the overall exposure of the subject (we have enough sky in the frame, enough ground). Also, when shooting vertical shots, it is much more convenient to use gradient filters.

"Multi-storey" panoramas. Often, in order to get a sufficient viewing angle when shooting, gluing several vertical frames in a row is not enough. Gluing multi-row panoramas allows you to seriously expand the possibilities of a panorama. This method is not much different from the one described above. It's just that in the process of shooting, we do not make one series of shots, but several. So you can achieve any viewing angle. The advantage of a multi-row panorama is the ability to seriously increase the viewing angle when shooting, as well as the resolution of the finished image. But there are also disadvantages. For example, when shooting a multi-row panorama, it is much more difficult to use gradient filters.

Multi-row panoramas are somewhat more difficult to shoot and glue together. Therefore, I advise you to first practice with single-row panoramas and only then move on to more complex, "multi-story" options.

An example of a multi-row panorama.

Exposure settings, bracketing and HDR. Exposure parameters for panoramic shooting are adjusted in the same way as when working with single frames. Only one thing is important: all frames of the panorama must be taken with the same exposure settings. Therefore, the panorama must be shot in manual mode (M), with the automatic ISO detection function turned off. Otherwise, the final pictures will turn out to be different in brightness, and you will be tormented to bring them to the same look.

Please note that your panoramic scene will most likely have a large brightness difference: it may happen that in some frames of the panorama there will be only the ground and shadow, and in others - a colorful sky with a dawn sun. But the exposure parameters in this case, as we have already said, should be the same everywhere. Therefore, it is important to adjust the exposure so that details are well developed in both the lightest and darkest parts of the panorama. Modern devices Nikon D810, Nikon D750, Nikon D610, and even simpler models have the widest dynamic range. This means that with a competent exposure, it is often possible to pull out details from one frame in both dark and light areas. However, this requires skillfully fine-tuning the exposure, which is not always possible in the field. To insure yourself against mistakes, I recommend shooting each frame of a future panorama with exposure bracketing (when the camera takes a series of shots with a certain exposure step). The result is a series of frames with different brightness. With a good set of circumstances, you can easily pull out all the details from the most successfully exposed frame of this series. Otherwise, you can glue an HDR image from this series, and already assemble a panorama from the prepared HDR images. In addition, gradient filters will help to qualitatively expose the frame: they are able to darken the bright sky without touching the rest of the frame.

RAW or JPEG? Since panoramic shooting involves computer processing of images, of course, it will be more convenient to work with the RAW format. However, if you just want to practice panorama shooting, you can work with JPEG, but then it is recommended to enable lens distortion and vignetting correction in the camera menu so that later your shots fit one with the other. Note that such a correction through the menu of the device will be available only when using native Nikon optics.

By the way, when working with the RAW format, you can also correct optical distortions in one click. Such a mechanism is implemented, for example, in the RAW converter for Nikon Capture NX-D cameras.

White balance. If suddenly you decide to shoot a panorama not in RAW format, but in JPEG, make sure that the white balance on all photos is the same. I definitely recommend shooting panoramic shots in RAW: this format is much more flexible in processing, and it will also allow you to adjust the white balance after shooting, when working with images on a computer.

Focusing. As with frame exposure, you can focus when shooting panoramas in the same way as when working with single shots. And in the same way, focusing should be the same on all frames of the panorama. If the focus will "walk", most likely, it will not work to glue them together. Therefore, having focused once, immediately before shooting a specific panorama, it is better to turn off autofocus altogether. And be careful not to accidentally move the lens focus ring. If the focus is off, it is better to reshoot everything from the very beginning. When shooting a landscape panorama, it is convenient to focus on the hyperfocal distance. If you want to take a panoramic portrait with a shallow depth of field, then of course the focus should always be on your subject.

Difficulties with panoramic photography

Panoramic shooting is a very powerful technique in the photographer's arsenal, but there are scenes that are very difficult to shoot as a panorama. Remember: if there is a lot of movement in your frame, especially in the foreground (for example, if you are shooting a forest and a strong wind is blowing, swaying tree branches), then it is better to shoot such a scene without panoramic stitching, in one frame. Otherwise, it will be difficult to bring together branches that are in different positions on different frames. The same applies to scenes with dynamic water, surf, people and animals. If you shoot waves, they will look completely different on different frames and it will be as difficult as possible to glue them together. There are exceptions to this rule. For example, frames with a mirror-like water surface are easily glued together. Another exception is water moving evenly, without drops. If in the sea surf the incoming waves differ slightly in their strength and height, then the flow in a mountain river moves absolutely stably, without sharp drops in its movement. This allows you to shoot shots with mountain rivers and waterfalls in gluing, without fear of any special problems.

A simple solution to the motion problem is to place a moving object within one frame of the panorama so that it does not fit completely into it. We can take his image from this frame and avoid the described problems.

In addition, you should not shoot panoramas using polarizing and neutral density filters with variable density. Such filters on wide-angle optics can produce uneven darkening of the frame: as a result, in the final panorama you can get, for example, a mottled sky.

Parallax and how to deal with it

Before I plunge into the theoretical jungle, I will say: you can start shooting panoramas without all the devices described below! They are not always needed, in most cases only a camera, a tripod and your inspiration will suffice! In most cases, modern panorama stitching programs perfectly “digest” frames with parallax and give a decent result. Also, small flaws in gluing can be corrected by retouching photos in a graphics editor.

Parallax is a change in the apparent position of an object relative to a distant background, depending on the position of the observer. This effect can play a very cruel joke with the photographer. If the plot includes a closely spaced foreground, its details on different frames may change their position relative to objects in the background. All this threatens that the final panorama will be assembled with errors or not assembled at all.

Flaws in gluing caused by parallax

How to be? There is a common stereotype that parallax can only be combated with the help of special panoramic tripod heads. However, such heads are difficult to use, bulky, and expensive. Yes, they will help get rid of parallax, but using them in the field is fraught with a huge number of difficulties. At the same time, they are really needed only in very difficult cases: for example, when creating spherical panoramas with a 360-degree view.

In order to take a great photo of the sky, you do not need to go to distant lands. Almost any day of summer or winter, spring or autumn can give you the opportunity to capture an amazing sunrise or stunning sunset.

When photographing the sky, the most important thing is to capture and convey the lighting in the photograph. Well, armed with a wide-angle lens, we go outside.

When you shoot the sky, your photo depends entirely on the lighting that is available to you when shooting. For example, a grey, overcast day is likely to produce a rather dreary picture.

If you have time and can wait until sunset, chances are high that you will be able to take a spectacular shot of the sky as it turns deep blue and orange.

Mount the camera on a tripod, set the camera to Aperture Priority (AV). Use a wide-angle lens and a small aperture (between f/11 and f/32) to achieve great depth of field.

How to photograph the sky: Sunrises and sunsets

Sunset is perhaps your greatest ally when shooting the sky. Firstly, it paints the sky in beautiful red and orange tones, and, secondly, it does not force you to wake up neither light nor dawn, as dawn requires.

The best sunrise and sunset photos are taken during the golden hour, which is the first hour after sunrise and the last hour before sunset.

To shoot, use a wide-angle lens and attach the camera to a tripod. In exposure compensation mode, select -1 or -2: a slightly underexposed scene will increase the color saturation. To increase the depth of field, close the aperture.

Choose a location for the camera so that the sun is hidden behind a tree trunk, for example. Wait for the moment when it begins to appear from behind the tree and take a picture.

How to Photograph the Sky: Photograph Spectacular Clouds

Pay attention to the gray clouds, indicating the approach of a thunderstorm or storm.

If you want to take a spectacular shot of a cloudy sky, you should wait until the sun breaks through the clouds and illuminates them. Without this, the clouds in the photo will most likely look like a simple gray mass.

To take such a picture, you will need patience, because you cannot control the sun and predict the moment when exactly it will appear from behind the clouds. So be patient and wait.

Cloudy weather is often accompanied by wind, so make sure your camera tripod is stable. Choose an aperture value between f/11 and f/32 for greater depth of field.

How to Photograph the Sky: Combine Portrait and Sky Shot

If you want to combine a portrait and a sky shot, wait until the sky is spectacular.

If you're shooting at dusk, put your subject in front, make sure she's in focus, and use fill flash.

Since the distance between your model and the sky that is the background for such a photo is very large, using a flash will not affect the image of the sky in any way.

How to Photograph the Sky: Capture Panoramas

The sky is the perfect subject for panoramic photography. If you don't have an ultra wide angle lens, you can still create stunning panorama shots by combining them with Photoshop.

Mount your camera on a tripod and make sure the horizon is clear. Take a picture with the timer or cable release, then pan the camera slightly and compose the new shot, remembering to slightly overlap the previous one. Take at least 3 photos this way.

Using Photoshop or another editor, combine the resulting photos into a panoramic shot. If, when shooting, you managed to move the camera strictly horizontally, without vertical deviations, then combining frames even manually is not difficult. The main thing is to make sure that there are no gaps when combining, otherwise they will spoil the whole effect of viewing the panorama.

As we mentioned above, use apertures up to f/32 to get sharp shots.

If you want to capture the movement of water or clouds, use a polarizing filter or a neutral density filter - these filters will give you the ability to use slower shutter speeds to blur motion.

Ideally, to take panoramic photos of the sky, you need a wide-angle lens.

Since the most spectacular sky photos are taken in the early morning or late evening, that is, in low light conditions, you need a tripod, it will help to avoid camera shake, which negatively affects the sharpness of the image. Many landscape photographers take pictures without touching the camera at all, you can also follow suit and use a cable release or remote control.

If you need to light up people or particularly dark areas of an image, you can use a flash.

Conclusion

The sky can be photographed at any time of the day and at any time of the year. The main thing is not just to shoot the sky, but to look for interesting combinations of colors, spectacular clouds.