Why do your panoramas look so bad? Here's how to fix it in just 2 minutes!

Panoramas may seem simple, but many times they end up warped, blurry, or just plain ugly. Turns out, it's not the camera that's wrong, it's you not using the right tricks. Follow a few simple rules and your panoramas will actually look good.

6. You move the camera too fast

Moving your camera too quickly is one of the easiest mistakes to make when shooting panoramas. While you usually need to move your camera around, many people confuse this with trying to break a world record for rotating their device.

When you move your camera too quickly, you miss out on the most important details. You know you rushed the photo and it will be obvious to everyone when you try to publish it.

The solution to this problem is simple. Instead of trying to take a photo really fast, move much slower than you think you should. Then your device will be able to capture everything without any problems.

To make your camera more stable, you might consider using a handheld stabilizer. This will reduce camera shake, resulting in clearer photos.

5. You don't think about your layout

The golden rule for any type of photography, including panoramas, is to consider what you want to include in the photo. Without taking this important step, you'll end up with a bunch of photos in your camera roll, none of which you like.

Look at the scene in front of you. Decide on your main focus point and any other points you think will help you get the best possible photo. Then combine these points.

Equally important, you should think about everything you don't want in your photo. While you can remove some of this in your editing software, it's best to remove as much as possible ahead of time.

4. Your camera doesn't stitch the pieces together

Another problem with taking panoramic photos is that your camera sometimes doesn't stitch the pieces together. In some cases, you may end up with a photo that clearly looks like it's three separate areas, even though that wasn't your original plan.

When your camera does this, others can clearly see that you have taken a panoramic photo. Furthermore, it reduces the overall appearance of the scene.

Inaccurate stitching can be caused by a number of factors. Sometimes it's because you're moving the camera too quickly. But other times it could be because you're leaving too much space between each shot you take; this happens more often on DSLRs  when you need to stitch the images together.

The best tip to solve this problem is to move your panorama in the smoothest way possible.

3. Each part has different light

When used artistically, different lighting in different parts of your photo can make your photo look great. But if you don't do it on purpose, it can make your photo look sloppy.

Varying lighting in different areas can be a big problem when shooting landscapes, especially at sunset. However, it can also be a problem when shooting indoors, especially in rooms with varying light levels.

Unless you're trying to shoot with different lighting in an artistic way, it's best to look for scenes that have consistent lighting throughout the photo. Otherwise, it's better to shoot individual photos and use them as standalone images rather than trying to stitch everything together.

2. You are using the default 1.0x lens

Don't limit yourself to the default 1.0x lens; you can also use your phone's other lenses to take panoramic shots. The default lens often causes you to move the camera too far, and can also make some main objects appear farther away than you want.

Sometimes a regular panorama is better than forcing a panorama.

1. Not making the most of your surroundings

In addition to considering the objects you want to include in your photo, you should also consider what additional things you can include from your surroundings. For example, one of the best ways to make your frame more unique is to use unique objects, such as door frames.

Thinking outside the box will often improve your overall image. While you will still get some bad shots from time to time, the ones that work will be great. You can experiment with different subjects to get the results you want.

Panoramic photography is one of the most difficult types of photography to do, but with a few simple steps you can instantly improve the quality of your photos. Sometimes changing your camera mode, as well as thinking more creatively about the types of images you want to capture, can help.

David Pac

Update 26 May 2025