Snapshot: Aram Pan

At first glance, Aram's pictures look pretty normal. But on closer inspection, we realized the heavy distortion and ultra-wide panoramic view are unlike anything we've come across. Till now, our minds are still boggled by how he achieved it.

The images you see from this feature have been reproduced with permission from Aram Pan. If you wish to be featured in our interviews or know any photo buffs who may be interested, write to us, and we'll get back to you.

Name: Aram Pan Type of photographer: Professional VR photographer Equipment: Nikon D3, Nikon D300, Nikon D200, Nikon FM10, Nikon D70

What he says:
The world is too big to fit in a frame. That's why I love 360- by 360-degree VR photography because it allows me to capture the world around me in a "time bubble". The technique of shooting VR photography is actually quite simple, but it's the needs the all-round environmental awareness that defines good composition for a VR image. To create a basic VR, I shoot six images around, one up and one down, then stitch them together to create a panoramic image/ texture map. These eight images are the most basic requirements. Sometimes, when there are extremes in lighting, I may even bracket up to two stops to compensate. That means a total of 56 photos just to create a VR with a more balanced exposure.