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How to: Create your own planet in Photoshop

Elena Santos

Elena Santos

  • Updated:

If you’re tired of this planet, why don’t you go and create your own? Unfortunately you won’t be able to live on it, but at least you’ll have fun while trying out this Photoshop tutorial and seeing what the Polar Coordinates filter is capable of… Are you ready? Then follow these simple steps and create your very own personal planet in Photoshop.

1. The first thing you’ll need is a panoramic image. The best ones are those with very little detail both in the bottom area (asphalt, water, land) and in the upper area (ideally, blue sky). Also, try to use a panorama where the right and left borders fit as neatly as possible. I’ll use this New York City skyline.

Create your own planet in Photoshop

2. Go to Image > Image size and resize the photo to a perfect square. Uncheck the “Constrain proportions” option and apply to Height the same value shown in Width.

Create your own planet in Photoshop

3. Now go to Image > Rotate canvas and rotate it 180º. Don’t worry if it all looks odd, you’re doing a great job!

Create your own planet in Photoshop

4. Finally go to Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates and apply the filter at 100%, making sure the “Rectangular to polar” option is checked.

Create your own planet in Photoshop

5. Your planet is almost ready! Rotate it to your liking, clean the sky a bit, make the border transition a bit smoother, apply some color, contrast and brightness corrections if necessary…

Create your own planet in Photoshop

6. …and this is the final result.

Create your own planet in Photoshop

Elena Santos

Elena Santos

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