Shooting Panoramas

I have been experimenting with stitching panoramas for quite some time. This is accomplished by taking 5-10 images in sequence, overlapping by about 20% on each image. Although some people insist that special equipment is necessary (panoramic tripod head, etc.), it is possible to get excellent results by handholding the camera. You do need manual exposure and manual focus to get consistent pictures. Here is a photo shot from the suites in the pit area of the Homestead Miami Speedway before the final race of the 2004 NASCAR season. I stitched the images together in Photoshop, then used Layers to create a color version and a black & white version. I put the black & white version on top, then "erased" parts of the black & white version so the cars would show through in color.