Photography has striven for innovation and technical advancement ever since Niépce captured that blurry image of his estate in Burgundy around 1826. Heliography, daguerreotype, emulsion plates, dry plates, polaroid, color, digital has pushed forward the way we experience, remember and understand our environment for almost 200 years. Among the current cutting-edge technologies is the so called 360-degree photography, which happens to be our passion and profession.

What is a 360-degree panorama?

A 360-degree photo (or a 360-degree panorama, a VR photo, etc.) is a controllable panoramic image that surrounds the original point from which the shot was taken. Its characteristic feature is the ability to turn around and look at the surrounding environment, achieved through a combination of software and a number of panoramic photos. Thus, it gives the user a sense of presence, of personally being at the pictured place in contrast to conventional photo and video, where the point of view is outside of the image. It makes 360-degree panoramas so cool, beautiful and fun.

Where can 360-degree panoramas be used?

The first VR image file format was introduced by Apple in 1995 but it took almost 20 years before the 360-degree panoramas found their way into the mainstream. Currently they are a popular feature of services like Google Maps Street View and are extensively used on social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube. Of course, you can easily embed 360-degree images on your web site or blog, which will give an added value to your customers or fans.

What are the advantages of 360-degree panoramas?

As we already said, the most distinctive characteristic of 360-degree panoramas compared to ordinary photos is the effect of presence. This makes them extremely useful in the real estate sector, where virtual viewings are becoming more and more popular. Virtual tours open up new possibilities for marketing of cafés, restaurants and hotels and can be a great support for promoting tourist destination. They are also invaluable in exposing museum collections, exhibitions and all sorts of cultural and natural heritage. Last but not least distance learning can benefit greatly from using 360-degree panoramas, making educational resources accessible to various disadvantaged groups.

Have a look at our stunning panoramas and get inspiration for your own projects!