Shel wrote:
What defines a panorama or a panoramic photograph? This discussion
prompted my visit to a few dictionaries, and, based on the definitions
found, many, if not most, of the photos presented here as panoramas aren't,
at least that's the way I understand it. Comments?
Well there's the dictionary definitions and there's the commonly accepted
usage.
From just Webster's, "an unobstructed or complete view of an area in every
direction" and "a comprehensive presentation of a subject", I'd say the
definition is pretty mushy.
The word "complete" seems to be pretty concrete and would imply a panorma
needs to be 360 degrees. Or should the view encompass a complete sphere?
It does say "in every direction".
Define "area". It can be large or small.
The word "comprehensive" though carries both the meanings of complete and
broad. So one can present a broad view of something that is not
necessarially complete and it still could be termed panoramic.
Vertical 'panoramas' I think, tend to stretch the colloquial meaning of the
term.
Tom C.
