Tuesday
Feb082011
New Planet Of Discovery
February 8, 2011 * * * * * Posted by: Puna 
The one thing I love about getting older is that when we learn something, we KNOW we're learning it. The joy of discovery is mixed with the appreciation for the journey of discovery. The combination makes it the whole process deeply satisfying to us women of a certain age.
It would be easy to say there's nothing new under the sun. We've seen it all.
Or have we?
I think that's why our hobbies are so important to us. They bring us joy and that joy cultivates the learning experience. It is how I felt when I came across this article in Photojojo. I thought, I wonder if I can do that?
The answer is yes and I did an entire series on my blog using this "planet" technique here, and here, and here. It was a lot of fun and as I stated in one of my posts, I wasn't trying to create works of art. I just wanted to revel in the joy of discovery.
Here's how you too can make your own planet in Photoshop.
The best photo to use is a landscape panorama.
1. Crop the photo so that it is perfectly horizontal.
2. Crop the ends so that the heights of the both ends of the photo match.
3. Change the image size so that the height and width are the same. Turn off the constraints on the image tool so that you get a perfect square. It will look greatly distorted. don't worry.
4. Rotate the image 180 degrees.
5. Go to Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates.
6. Choose Rectangular to Polar.
7. Rotate your photo to 180 degrees or until you find a orientation.
8. Now edit until your heart desires!
Above is the Capital Building in Washington DC. Looks like it's at the top of the world doesn't it? I'm sure some of our legislators think so.
Well how about you? Got any fun favorite editing techniques to share? Please do so that we can all join in the joy of discovery!
Reader Comments (18)
That is so darn-tootin' cool, Puna. I will just have to try it one of these days. It always amazes me what people will come up with next. For digital photography, it feels like the sky is the limit...and makes me wonder what our grandchildren will be playing around with 25 years from now. Thanks for sharing this fun experiment. You'll be the first to know if I can get it to work on one of my own images. :) In your image above, it looks like the capitol is sitting on your camera lens.
I came across Microsoft Research 2009 to make nice collages. Worth a try if you have a 365-project, to make monthly collages.
So simple..and such a cool effect! You know I've been waiting all week to hear about this..don't you??? Yes - and it's so true. The pleasure - now - is always in the 'process' of learning..the 'joy' of discovering something new.
Terrific!
I had fun doing it too, see here to share it with you:
http://chuijbregts.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/sydneypolar.jpg
I made one more, which is better I think, sharper too:
http://chuijbregts.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/hongkongplanetlog1.jpg
thanks for this fun project Puna!!! You made my day!!!
@ Marcie, I gave it a try after reading... if you have time: DO IT!!!
@Chantal - Wow! Sydney Australia at the top of the world! I love it! You second link didn't work - please link it again. This is so much fun!
who's to say it isn't a work of art? thank you for sharing the lesson and for reminding me/us that the joy of discovery is soul food.
How fun! Guess I'll have to add this to my ever-growing photographic "to-do list."
What a brilliant idea to share knowledge this way Puna!!! Your planets turned out really cool!
Too fun! I'll have to give this a try when I get home tonight. Learning something new, whether it is photography related or not, is always fun. Check out www.creatlive.com if you like to learn via video - live classes are free or you can buy and download the videos of the classes.
wow, that is so cool. i love your white house shot.thanks for sharing the how-to with us!
This is way cool. I have to try that out - I always love to learn new things, not only in Photoshop! Thank you so much.
thanks for reminding me of this one. If you happen to have Photoshop Cs5 you can use the content aware function and blend things where the ends come together so that it virtually seamless. In any case it is great fun. I don't have anything up that uses this process but have a bunch of other stuff on flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/texbrandt/sets/72157617570762546/
If you are in the mood to just create an abstract in photoshop open a new blank canvas of any size select the gradient tool and set the mode to difference select your gradient or make one and start playing.
so cool!!! thanks for sharing
very cool - i will give it a go! i am just enjoying the delights of my new iPhone and the camera 'apps' that i've downloaded; lovely old vintage cameras and then an 8mm old style movie maker...great (and endless) fun :)
This is fun! Will have to try it. Had a look at your works and they are fantastic. Thanks a lot for sharing :)
thanks for this tip. i just got back from the Grand Canyon and wish i had known about it then - i might have paid more attention to the type of images i took to work with.