Panorama Merge in Affinity Photo 2

Panoramic images are remarkably easy to create. You simply shoot a series of overlapping frames and then merge them in software. Affinity Photo 2’s Panorama Merge mode is especially effective, producing seamless blends automatically. This tutorial shows how it’s done, and how to overcome issues like ragged edges in the merged image and occasional merging issues where you need to intervene manually.

It is very easy to get technical with panorama merges, and especially multi-row VR-style captures, with dedicated panoramic heads, spirit levels, 90-degree camera rotation and more, but you don’t often need this attention to detail. With a little care and know-how you can shoot perfectly good panoramic ‘stitchers’ handheld in just a few moments.

The main thing is not to get too greedy and to stick to just 3-5 frames. The trouble with extra-wide panoramas is that you end up with a very wide and narrow image that’s not easy to display or print – if you fit the full width on to a print or a screen, all the details look very small.