From the observation deck of the needle, I did a quick experiment: creating a 360-degree panorama for later stitching. Visibility was good (for Seattle) but overcast. Adjusted my zoom to get a good vertical angle of view, then experimentally determined that 12 paces resulted in optimum horizonal overlap. This resulted in 10 handheld shots around the circle. 10 minutes later, this shot would have not been possible due to dramaticly reduced visbility.  To view, drag the little blue rectangle in the tiny strip at the top or pan and zoom in the main image area.

Filed under: Photography, Travel