Help with photospheres

[civilwarincolor]

I am just beginning to explore the Photosphere's, but thought it might be good to give people some pointers on what to look for and how to get around.

Here is a description of what it is (copied from my post on Ford's Theatre) along with a series of images to help you find and discover what is available with these views.

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OK, first for those of you that do not know what a photosphere is, think of it like this. If you stand in one spot and looked in any direction, up down left/right, behind you, etc. what would/could you see. A photosphere can be done with a number of camera's and tools, but in this case is done with just a regular Android/iPhone/Tablet running Google Camera. You take a series of photos until you have all that you need for a particular shot. Once that is done you have the ability to look around in that space just as if you are there.

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Help with photospheres: ​

This is just something I threw together to help those (like me) that are new to this. Hopefully it helps you. If you have more ideas or corrections to what I posted, just put them down below.

To got to find Photospheres use Google maps. This will take you to your current location in the world. Then use the following directions:

Note: sometimes turning on the "Earth" view (lower left) helps visualize better than a map does, particularly in open terrain like a battlefield.

 

[MRB1863]

Very nice tutorial!!! These photospheres are amazing and I view them frequently from places near and afar!!! A great place to spend many hours. Previously, I could get lost for hours in a few maps, now this!

 

[Dave G]

Interesting! I noticed a couple more that might be worth looking for although I don't have the web addresses.
There's one at the NPS acre at Brice's Crossroads (although they left out a segment), another at Elkhorn Tavern, and also at the Little Bighorn Cemetery, inside Chapman's Mill at Thorofare Gap.

 

[civilwarincolor]

Interesting! I noticed a couple more that might be worth looking for although I don't have the web addresses.
There's one at the NPS acre at Brice's Crossroads (although they left out a segment), another at Elkhorn Tavern, and also at the Little Bighorn Cemetery.

When you find them, just copy the address and post it so others can find and enjoy them.

 

[Allie]

I don't think I realized that tablets could take photospheres. I'll have to try it!

 

[civilwarincolor]

I don't think I realized that tablets could take photospheres. I'll have to try it!

Yeah, it's a lot of fun. The best suggestion I have to make it come out good is to keep the phone/tablet as stationary as possible and you move around it on the outside of the circle. I have seen some (i.e. Lincoln home in Springfield) that it looks like the person stood in the middle of the circle and had the phone/tablet move outside. This causes stitching and alignment issues.

 

[Dave G]

inside Chapman's Mill, Thorofare Gap, Broad Run VA

 

[civilwarincolor]

inside Chapman's Mill, Thorofare Gap, Broad Run VA

Nice one, thanks!

 

[LoriAnn]

Is this because I got stuck in a bedroom in the Confederate White House?


(Teasing. Thank you for the info!)

 

[civilwarincolor]

Is this because I got stuck in a bedroom in the Confederate White House?


(Teasing. Thank you for the info!)

Well, yes and no. Truth is I got stuck too and had to figure my way out. Then I started finding other "things" and realized if I did not write them down I would not remember them the next time I wanted to try it. When I started to write it down for myself I thought about you and thought others probably have similar issues and making it public would help them and I could just pull it up for myself anytime I needed it too.

So, I wrote it so I would not forget, but I posted it because of the challenge you had. I really love these things and I hope others will find lots more for us to see and when we visit a CW location, take some of these and post them so the rest of us can enjoy!

I put this camera (Richo Theta S) on my long term wish list. It has the ability to take all of the shots with one click, no stitching! I am hoping that I will have the $ for it before my next CW related trip!

 

[LoriAnn]

When I started to write it down for myself I thought about you and thought others probably have similar issues and making it public would help them and I could just pull it up for myself anytime I needed it too.

This took some serious effort. I appreciate your hard work.

 

[civilwarincolor]

This took some serious effort. I appreciate your hard work.

I have been doing corporate training for many years, so this was pretty easy. The challenge was finding out what all the features are. I am sure I have missed some and hope others will add new ones they discover.

 

[Eagle eye]

You never cease to amaze me CWIC! This is the first I've heard of photosphere … thanks for opening the doors for me… ill share anything I can with all … great stuff!

 

[civilwarincolor]

You never cease to amaze me CWIC! This is the first I've heard of photosphere … thanks for opening the doors for me… ill share anything I can with all … great stuff!

I had just "discovered" photospheres on my tablet about two weeks ago and took some around the house and at Christmas. Then in the thread about "General Washington's HQ" I posted a link to a street view of the building today and @Dave G pointed out that you could click on the building and view the inside. Until that moment I had never really thought of photospheres for anything other than personal amusement.

As soon as I saw that it got me to thinking "Well if there's one..." That is when I started looking and tried to find CW ones and discovered the ones I have posted so far. I am really tempted to shoot some of my own the next time I am at a CW site.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

This is crazy good!!! Thanks so much for directing us- the first one I managed was Lincoln's box- said ' WOW ' out loud, woke up the dog. One of the coolest uses of technology to come my way in forever! Sorry to rant slightly, I'm still amazed by the telephone ( How does it work? ) . Wish CWT did not have so very many distractions, never get anything done around here!

 

[1stMN]

Thank you for the directions! I'm looking forward to doing this at the battlefields I visit this year.

In the meantime, I went to the photosphere of LRT to see what they had on it. Not bad! A couple of different seasons there to pick from, love the partially there/partially not people in the photos hehe.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.792...2uLt4/w203-h101-n-k-no/!7i9728!8i4864!6m1!1e1

 

[Dave G]

Now we need one to the east of the Gettysburg Virginia Monument so that we can look around and repeat that question to ourselves: What was Lee thinking????

 

[1stMN]

Now we need one to the east of the Gettysburg Virginia Monument so that we can look around and repeat that question to ourselves: What was Lee thinking????

I think that could be a long discussion

 

[civilwarincolor]

I'm glad everyone is enjoying these.

I have a non-Civil War website that I started years ago where I would take a 360 photo at a location. In those days I had to use a camera and a tripod and it would only let you go around in a circle, not up and down. They were a lot of fun to do, but I always wanted the ability to go in any direction and now I can. This is just so much fun. I have not taken any in years, but used to love to do them. This really takes it to a level I could have only dreamed of.

I have been visiting other non-CW sites as well like the Smithsonian Air and Space museum (Spirit of St. Louis & an X15) or the other Smithsonia air museum - Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles (Space Shuttle Discovery) or the Lincoln Portrait in the Whitehouse or USS Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. Of course it does not stop at the US border you can go almost anywhere in the world!

 

[Dave G]

A few more photo spheres at the Rose Field/Woods might be helpful for checking out the old photographs there. I generally find numerous land mines or very high grass blocking the view. But there is one HERE.