TINY PLANET
Digital Photography: Places Unit
Mr. Gonzalez, Tehachapi High School
Goal: To create a different kind of landscape photograph, one that distorts reality in interesting
and surprising ways, and learn new Photoshop tools.
Assignment: You’ll be distorting images in Photoshop, and then using editing tools to turn it
into a small world.
Project steps:
1. Create your Tiny Planet
- In Photoshop, go to Image > Image Size. In the dialogue box, uncheck Scale Styles and
Constrain Proportions.
- Make the Image into a Square by typing the same values into the width and height boxes.
- Flip the image vertically (Image > Rotate Canvas > Flip Canvas Vertical).
- Now go to Filters > Distort > Polar Coordinates. Check Rectangular to Polar.
- If your image doesn’t like up, either re-shoot or go back to the beginning and make
adjustments.
Filing:
- File in your “Places” file, in a subfolder called “Planet.”
- One final image is required.
- Project abbreviation: Planet. Label your best picture SS.
- Your photograph may be either in black and white or color, and must be JPEG
- Website project PDF required.
Vocabulary:
Distortion: To change the way something looks — sometimes deforming or stretching an
object or figure out of its normal shape to exaggerate its features — making it
more interesting or meaningful.
Panorama: Making a wide, unbroken view of an entire surrounding area. A picture or series of
pictures representing a horizontally continuous scene.
Evaluation:
Projects will be graded on project guidelines, technical skills, creativity, and effort.