PLANET PROCESS

DIRECTIONS: TAKE YOUR PHOTOS IN A WIDE-OPEN SPACE (FIELD, PARKING LOT, ETC.)  THE CLOSER YOU ARE TO BUILDINGS/TREES/ETC., THE HARDER IT WILL BE FOR YOU TO PATCH/FIX THE EMPTY PARTS OF THE PLANET. 
DO NOT PHOTOGRAPH INDOORS UNLESS YOU WANT A MASSIVE CHALLENGE THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TIME TO PATCH/FIX.

STEP 1

Select/Highlight the appropriate images in the content window in Bridge.

STEP 2

With all appropriate images selected in Bridge, go to TOOLS + PHOTOSHOP + PHOTOMERGE.

This will begin the process of stitching together all the photos.

STEP 3

Make sure “Blend Images Together” is checked.

Make sure you can see .jpg files listed in the “Source Files” column.  Click “OK.”

STEP 4

If you have correctly overlapped the taking of the photos, Photoshop will be able to create the panorama. If you have not photographed correctly, the resulted image will be fragmented.

A.    Once the blending process is complete, you should have a left-to-right panorama like this:

B. Flatten all the layers in the Layers palette.

C.  Now, crop each side to the point where they will line-up when joined together:

STEP 5

“SQUARE” the image (IMAGE + IMAGE SIZE + make the dimensions square)

This will distort the image like this:

STEP 6

Flip the image 180° upside-down (IMAGE + IMAGE ROTATION + 180°)

      

STEP 7

Create the planet. (FILTER + DISTORT + POLAR COORDINATES)

      

STEP 8

Now that your planet is created, the patching can begin.

Use tools (CLONE STAMP, CUT/PASTE from texture images, etc.) to cover empty areas, extend sky/ground to the edges of the composition, etc.

For TRANSFORMING and “curving” elements, use the “WARP” function to bend elements together.

(EDIT + TRANSFORM + WARP)

PROJECT #15: STEREOGRAPHIC PLANET

DIRECTIONS.

Bring back (next class) THREE BATCHES of photographs for THREE DIFFERENT stereographic planet assemblages. 

Note: each must be in a distinctly different place/setting...and nothing indoors.

**Do not photograph indoors.

THINK: Imagine you are standing at the exact center of this sphere. You need to pivot your head and camera to take slightly overlapping images so that you have a photo of each of the areas in the grid.

LINKS:
CLICK HERE for directions how to do this project in both Photoshop & Gimp.
A BUNCH of links about stereographic planets. CLICK HERE.
Panoplanet. CLICK HERE.
A Flickr page with photos. CLICK HERE.
Create your own planets photo pool. CLICK HERE.
Wee Photos CLICK HERE.
Little planets by Clement Celma.

EXAMPLES:

PROJECT #14: DISTORTED FACES

DIRECTIONS:
Make 15+ images that have your subject matter - a person's face - distorted in some way (through water, reflection, a material...)

IDEAS:
In a reflective surface...through glass...in a cracked mirror...in the surface of cutlery...through plastic wrap...through a  vessel filled (or partly filled) with water...in that vessel, a different color water...through frosted glass....through beveled glass...partly obscured by the distortion/partly not...etc. Beyond the face of someone, think outside the box: CLICK HERE for a photographer who does this with still life. 

Note for through glass: Get close enough to the glass/vessel so that IF the glass/vessel is held by someone their fingers/hand is NOT visible. 

We will crop some of the images so that the final image looks something like these images:

 

Images by Z. Payne

THROUGH WATER IN A GLASS:

 

OTHER IDEAS:

   

EC: FOUND FACES

DIRECTIONS. Observe the world around you for the next two days. Make photographs of hidden 'faces.' Bring to next class. Each photo will earn one point of extra credit. 

This is an exercise in observation and seeing. It is a bit silly, yes, but that never hurt anyone.
More importantly, it will exercise your 'eye,' and allow you to practice noticing the world around you.
The photos might be macro, wider perspective, or anywhere in between.

NOTE: take time to focus your photos correctly.