MINI WORLD TUTORIAL:
This is the basic how to-There are alot of different ways to do this but this is by far the easiest and will get you started: IN PHOTOSHOP
START W/ A PANORAMIC IMAGE
RESIZE TO A SQUARE IMAGE (be sure to uncheck that constraint box)
ROTATE IMAGE 180 DEGREES
MAKE SURE IMAGE IS IN 8 BIT MODE
GO TO FILTER>DISTORT>POLAR CO-ORDINATES,(be sure rectangle to polar option is selected)
CLEAN-UP YOUR LINES AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO YOUR NEW SKY!!
TRY A FEW DIFFERENT ONES TILL YOU GET A KEEPER!!
Lance has provided another option:
Start with 7 Unstitched images - 6 all around and 1 straight upwards
Load all into PTGUI - link : http://www.ptgui.com/
select align - stitches them all and smooth exposure differences
choose create top down spherical panorama
Patch middle in P.S.
MINI WORLDS WILL BE AN UPCOMING THEME
Below is a link to Lance's homepage where you can see his display of Mini Worlds (They are AWESOME!)-This page was my inspiration for the theme!! It should be fun-feel free to post any that you create in the meantime to get feedback on them before the contest week!!
They are fun - If you have a look at the link Denise posted (Great way to get started) you will see that the city planets have a swirly middle and the other example you have to do some clean up work at the end.
Here's a hint - you are trying to create a 360 x 180 degree panorama (SPHERICAL PANORMA) everything you see all around you in all directions.
Here's one more hint - manual exposure.
Looking forward to the theme week Denise !!! If anyone has any questions send me a PM. Been doing these for a while and they can be great fun - I have been meaning to do a IR one for ages - just getting the time is the problem. (I work 15+ hour days for about the first 8 months of the Year - then get lots of time off :) )
Mini World Tutorial-An upcoming THEME!!
