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January 2000

Panoramic Photography Becomes Viable by Greg Rice
As Professional Niche Service

If you think of panoramic photography as a novelty that's just suitable for tourists at the Grand Canyon, you may be missing out on a great business opportunity.

The proof can be found in the work of Robert Knudsen, a second-generation photographer in suburban Washington, D.C., who has developed a niche business specializing in panoramic group pictures, landscapes and architectural photography. "It's changing the way many of my clients see pictures. The panoramic format sets you apart from what they see from other photographers. It gives you an immediate edge," Knudsen says.

Knudsen built his business on event photography, association work, trade shows, annual report photography and photojournalism in and around Washington, D.C. He got into panoramics after borrowing a camera from another photographer and shooting some scenic images. "I showed them to clients and they were all very impressed with what a distinctive image it was. Instead of just looking straight ahead, you have to turn your head to see the whole image," Knudsen says.

He bought his first panoramic camera, a Noblex swing lens model that produces 6x17cm negatives. In addition to scenics, he began offering panoramic services as part of his trade-show business. Knudsen thought it would be nice for overall shots of the shows, but soon companies started requesting panoramic images of their own booths, too.
"It really took off much more than I expected and increased my business' profitability," Knudsen says. Why? First, it captures people's interest. Normally, a photographer approaches clients with standard 8x10-inch sample images, a format that everyone has seen countless times. But when Knudsen walks in with his 5x15-inch proof prints, he stands out. So does his work. "The impact of seeing things in that size and format impresses clients," he says. "They begin thinking right away, 'what can I use this kind of image for?' "

Making Panoramic Viable with Automated Printing
But interest in panoramic photography hasn't always translated to sales. In part that's because it has been so expensive. Until recently, all panoramic work was hand printed. Knudsen says that for 6x17cm negatives, a lab would use an 8x10 film carrier, custom mask it to fit the negative's shape and typically charge $80 or more for a 15-inch custom print.

But now Knudsen can have the same size print on Kodak Professional Portra III paper, which he uses as a proof-produced on an automated production line for as little as $3 each. Roger Billstone, the founder of ABC Photo and Imaging Services was interested in wide-field photography himself and worked with a manufacturer to develop the special automated printer. ABC can automatically crop and print a panoramic image from any standard film format, from 35 mm up to 5x7-inch view camera formats, and offers the automated panoramic service for 10x30-inch prints. Orders are produced in the company's 30,000-square-foot plant in Manassas, Virginia.

So now panoramic prints are affordable, whether the photographer needs a single print or a production run of thousands, which ABC can produce easily. "I'm able to offer my clients finished prints for the same cost that other people would have to pay the lab," Knudsen says.

Knudsen has recently added a second panoramic camera, the new Hasselblad XPAN, to his arsenal. It uses 35mm film and produces a negative that's roughly 70mm long. The Hasselblad is far more portable and versatile than the Noblex, which measures 13x8x7 inches. The XPAN camera has a hot-shoe and PC for flash, and will also take different focal length lenses. "And it has a flat film plane, so it doesn't distort like the swing lens camera or an ultra wide-angle lens will," Knudsen says. "So when you take a picture through a doorway, or through arches and columns, you get true, straight lines."

Knudsen says the quality of panoramic images sets the images apart. "I've shot images and blown them up to 30 inches long, and you can't see any grain," Knudsen enthuses. His contemporary panoramic images are also much sharper than those produced a generation or more ago. "With older panoramic cameras, you would get a lot of falloff in sharpness on the edges. But the optics on the Hasselblad and Noblex are much better. It's really not a problem anymore. And the Hasselblad is so portable you get some fantastic people shots."

People, Places, Things
What makes a good panoramic image? You might be surprised. Most people think of wide-ranging landscapes. But Knudsen has found it's a wonderful tool for capturing large groups. When NEC Corporation wanted a distinctive image to celebrate its 25th anniversary in the U.S., Knudsen proposed a panoramic group shot. The customer responded that they had tried it once before, but individuals were so small in the frame that they got lost in the picture. "Then I showed them a sample panoramic image. They got so excited about it, the chairman of NEC even flew over here (from Japan) specifically to be in the picture," Knudsen says. In the resulting image, every employee can be clearly identified. A 15x60-inch print hangs in NEC's lobby, and every employee received a 5x15-inch print.

An image of a rally on the Capitol steps for the Credit Union National Association was printed as a poster and a first-ever fold-out cover on an affiliate's magazine. "It's really changing the way clients are using my pictures," Knudsen says.

The key to a good group shot is to plan the shot specifically for the panoramic format. "Instead of stacking everybody up behind one another, just go ahead and stretch them out. You get to see everybody, not just heads in the back row," he advises. When using the swing-lens Noblex camera, Knudsen strikes an arc about 30 feet away from the camera position, almost in a semi-circle. The arc is corrected by distortion into a straight line in the final image.

He has used the Hasselblad XPAN to produce 3x9-inch postcards for the Capitol gift shop. The postcards went over so well they decided to produce books of them. He also shot the Capitol Rotunda in two frames to produce complete, 360° coverage. "The historian for the U.S. Capitol Historic Society said he has never seen anything like it, and he's seen virtually every picture taken of the Capitol," Knudsen says proudly. Now he's talking with the Society about producing its "We the People" calendar for the year 2001 entirely in panoramic images.

What lies ahead? He's working on doing group photos of House and Senate committees, hopefully leading to a shot of the whole Senate. He's also developing a growing stock collection, which Knudsen says is virtually all panoramic. He's shot images from Utah to Baltimore, Dallas and the Caribbean. At last word, he was planning a trip through Manitoba, Canada, to produce stock images of the mountains, wild animals and a herd of 100,000 Caribou from a float plane.

"One thing I never wanted to do is go out and shoot pictures that are just like someone else's," he says. "So now I'm doing something that's a little different from other photographers." And loving it.

Greg Rice is a freelance writer based in Cloverdale, Ind., who writes on marketing opportunities in the photo industry. To reach Robert L. Knudsen Photography of Annandale, Va., call 703/280-2326, or e-mail Knudsen at bknud63840@aol.com. Find ABC Photo and Imaging Services at www.imageABC.com or 703-369-1906.