Aligning photos in a sequence - software option?

Pound Coin

Horatio Nelson
Messages
4,296
Edit My Images
Yes
OK - I shall try and explain what I am hoping to do!

Firstly I am a Mac user, but have a Win 10 install (and Unix) that I can use if needs be. I don't use Photoshop. Or Lightroom.

After not really doing anything interesting during the various lockdowns, except frequently walking the same route, I have decided that this year I'll take the same view as many time as possible, to show how it changes over the year.

The trouble I have is that although the images are taken with the same camera, it's hand held and therefore only approximately lined up. What I'd like to do is have some kind of automated way of getting the images lined up, and then choose how to output them. Easy to do manually, but hugely time consuming.

Is there any clever software out there that can do this?
 
It might also be necessary to morph/stretch the images to align all corners. Especially if using any sort of wide angle lens. As any slight change in angle will change the corners more dramatically. But I don't know of an automated solution for this.
 
Take me minutes in Photoshop 20121 - I would go down that software route

Les :)
 
I have Affinity - that's what I now use instead of Photoshop. I'll investigate aligning in that.

Is there anything that would do it automatically (I'm thinking like some video apps do steadying of video)
 
Do you mean by 'lined up', or in alphabetical or numerical order order. That should be auto with PS at least it does non my set up.

Before the title Iwill usually insert '01' the 02 etc if there are less than 100 or 001 if there are more than 100. It is easier numerically but you can always add letters in if there are a sequence of images on the same subject, then type in 01a followed by 01b.

Or if you want to list all the images on one or more sheets with the images visible. Click on open then go down the menu until you come to Automate. Click on this and a panel opens up. Click on folder and you can select how many images can appear on a sheet. Set what you want then click to continue. It has to be from a folder and numerically sequenced so it appears in the same sheet(s)

I do this with my film scans and print them out and put the sheets together with the negatives as a form of reference contact sheet.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I mean that (largely) the features in each image in the sequence are lined up with the same features in other images. So a sort of time-lapse can be created.

As if they were taken on a tripod.

As there will be over 200 images across the year, I don't really want to be doing it manually.
 
I cannot see any other way than doing it manually. The computer must have some start point so that it knows where it is and the easiest way is to numerically title them, I don't think with what we have available at reasonable cost, software that recognises one image to the next or the one before that to put into the sequence you want. Think of it as something to do during lockdown.

I am about to start a similar thing on my flicker site to show the route of a long closed industrial railway from high in the north Pennines down to the sea. The additional problem I have is that it has to be set up in reverse order. It will tax my brain to get things right. Like your project I will have around 200 images some of which will be very similar
 
Last edited by a moderator:
An update to this.

I experimented with putting frames into FCPX and trying stabilisation, but with very mixed results.

Also - the tree that I use as a marker to take the photos from (with my back to it) appear to have been marked up as one to come down with Ash-DieBack :confused:

I think now I shall choose a small series of frames over the year and decide how to use/display them, rather than putting them in a video sequence.
 
Can't you use GPS on a phone to pinpoint your marker?
 
I'm hoping that there is a stump at least for this year.
 
You never know your luck! Even if they do dig the roots out, chances are that you'll be able to find the spot.
 
Back
Top