A ‘mini-planet’ photograph offers us a different perspective and invites us to dream, whilst sparking our imagination. These images often transport us to a somewhat surreal and magical world. ‘Mini-planet’
images are often original artistic creations.
But what exactly is a mini-planet photo?
There are many ways to transform an image into a mini-planet photograph. The process always begins with a horizontal panoramic image, which is then converted into a sphere (or spherical projection).
Now that we have mentioned panoramic photography, we also need to define what a horizontal panoramic image is. To put it simply, it is a photograph where the longest side is at least 1.5 times longer than the height.
The panorama can be a full 360° view or a partial view of 180° or less. Generally, photographers specialising in ‘mini-planet’ photography will create their panoramas by stitching images together.
In this case, the camera is mounted on a tripod fitted with a specialised ball head. The individual images are taken vertically to maximise the image size.
The panoramic image is then stitched together using software.
When a panoramic photograph spans 360° and the image has been captured without any parallax effect, it becomes fairly easy to transform it into a mini-planet photograph, for example by using a filter in Photoshop.
However, if the photograph does not span 360 degrees, it will need to be adjusted to avoid any misalignment or abrupt changes in colour or light when transforming it into a mini-planet photograph. This is where Photoshop proves invaluable. Using a blend layer, you must replicate a section of the left-hand side of the image onto the right-hand side, or vice versa. Ultimately, you will have a small section on the left and right that is identical.
How to capture the perfect mini-planet photo?
Various programmes allow you to create mini-planet images from panoramic photographs.
Personally, I carry out this part in Photoshop.
The steps to follow are as follows.
• Distort the image to create a square.
• Rotate the image by 180°.
• Apply the Distort > Polar Coordinates filter.
• Rotate the image a further 180°.
• To soften the edges, I outline the subject with the Elliptical Marquee Tool. Once the area is selected, invert the selection and then apply a high-intensity Gaussian blur.
• To create an inverted mini-planet effect (where the sky is in the centre of the image and the ground surrounds the sky), you can skip the second step and not rotate the photo by 180°.
Next, to ensure my mini-planet image is perfect and has a professional finish, I make the final adjustments – colour balance, contrast, lighting, etc. – in the photography software Lightroom.
Discover the works available in fine art finishes
The Imaginary Planets are available in several professional finishes: Fine Art prints, Chromaluxe, Diachrome or other media depending on the artwork. Each print is produced as a limited edition, signed, numbered and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
To follow the journey from the initial shot to my artistic work, discover the creation of the Imaginary Planets. You can also browse my photographic works, view my landscapes of Walloon Brabant or consult the formats and presentations.