Methods and apparatus are disclosed for guiding a camera user to take an appropriate set of component photographs to be stitched into a stitched panoramic photograph of a scene. In one example embodiment, the camera constructs and displays a video mosaic while the user sweeps the field of view of the camera over the scene. The camera computes the number and locations of a set of component photographs that will tile the scene, and then guides the user to sweep field of view of the camera over the scene a second time, visiting each component photograph location. A high-resolution component photograph may be taken at each location. Optionally, the camera gathers information from frames used to construct the video mosaic and uses the information to select settings for focus, exposure, or both to be used during the taking of the component photographs.