Bend with Polar Coordinates Combine this filter with edits to create surreal worlds Achieve an incredible effect using the Polar Coordinates filter, adjustment layers and colour corrections. It is a simple and fast effect that is easy to achieve using some basic techniques and tools in Photoshop. This technique offers countless possibilities of composition, so feel free to exploit it to its full creative extent.
RADIAL BLUR Use Radial Blur (Filter>Blur>Radial Blur) to add a touch of motion in a circle around the image.
SPHERIZE Go to Filter>Distort>Spherize to bring more focus on the subject and make the composition feel more globe-like.
“It is a simple and fast effect that is easy to achieve using some basic techniques”
Round things out
Adjustments
Finish the composition
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Create a 230mm x 310mm file, 300ppi. Open ‘pex_132983_ocean.jpg’. Go to Image>Image Size, (uncheck Constrain Proportions) and resize to 3000x3000px. Go to Filter>Distort>Polar Coordinates, select Rectangular to Polar. Drag the image to your file.
Duplicate the layer once (Cmd/Ctrl+J) and rotate it 60° counter-clockwise, create a layer mask and paint over the line to remove it. Duplicate again, increase the size, create a layer mask and hide the middle parts. Create a Curves adjustment layer, move the line down.
Add some adjustment layers to the water, like Colour Balance and Brightness/ Contrast. Insert ‘pex_241044_man.jpg’ in the centre and remove unnecessary parts. Add adjustment layers for the man; Colour Balance, Brightness/Contrast, Curves and Levels.
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