Panorama mode on smartphones can create optical illusions

While most of us are now familiar with taking photos on smartphones, there are many who are not using them to their fullest potential. And it's so easy that anyone can do it. once they know how.

How to create optical illusions using Panorama mode

It's surprisingly easy to take optical illusion photos using Panorama mode on your phone. All you need to do is understand how Panorama mode works, along with a little imagination, a steady hand, and a few willing participants in the shot.

First, you need to understand how your phone's Panorama mode works.

Although the camera mode on this smartphone has many different uses, the Panorama mode can really help when taking travel photos.

Essentially, this mode captures everything in the frame as you move from left to right. Simple, right? However, it's important to remember that your phone doesn't understand when something appears in the frame. So if you can capture someone or something in the first frame, then place that person or thing on the other side of the panorama before the phone's viewfinder reaches them, then the person or That object can appear twice.

Once you grasp this very simple concept, you just need to find someone willing to appear in your panorama, plus your imagination to create some interesting optical illusions.

Once you have an idea in mind, a person ready to be the subject of the clone panorama, and a phone ready to take the shot, you can get started.

Find yourself a spacious space with nothing that can move strongly in the back. First, ask your subject to place themselves in a pre-agreed position. Then, keep your hand steady and start taking panoramas.

Once the subject is in the photo and (importantly) the subject is out of the frame, have them quickly move behind you and position themselves in the pre-agreed second position. Once they're in position, continue taking panoramas, capturing their image a second time.

Different optical illusions to try using Panorama mode

There are countless different ways you can use this effect to create stunning photos. You should use your own creative talents to create your own photos. However, these are just some of the other optical illusions you can create with this simple technique.

The photos below were taken with a Samsung Galaxy S23, which is capable of capturing RAW images.

Create an image of a person falling off something

One of the easiest yet most beautiful copied panoramas you can create is one of someone falling off an object. This is an example of a two-frame clone panorama, because you are showing the progression of events.

Create an image of a person performing two different activities

This clone panorama requires some advance preparation, as you will have to set up operations and have any equipment on hand. For example, using a garden as a backdrop, the author will create an image of two different gardening activities.

The only preparation needed is to place the watering can behind the photographer for easy access. The rake also needs to be placed behind the photographer to avoid it getting into the frame.

Create a photo of a person interacting with themselves

Since the main purpose of these panoramas is to create an optical illusion, having the subject interact with a copy of themselves in some way is extremely effective. In this example, in the first, the author is throwing a Frisbee across the garden, and in the second, the author is preparing to jump to catch it.

This applies to sports very effectively, as they provide an easy-to-understand example for people to interact in a simple way. However, there are countless different options to experiment with.

None of these panoramas have been edited, other than some simple cropping to remove excess unused space. If your photo editing skills are good enough, you can do a lot more after you have that first photo in your bag. However, any major editing affects the purity of these photos.

Samuel Daniel

Update 20 August 2024