Little Planets are a great way to show the entire view from a mountaintop, in a fun and beautiful way.
I still remember the first time I saw this technique used, I was amazed at the full
360 degree view.
It creates an impossible viewpoint with everything visible but the photographer.
In any small sector of the image the distortion is slight, but taken as a whole there couldn't be any more distortion.
They are created by stitching a series of photos together to create a long panorama.
Then bend the panorama around on itself to create a circle, using Photoshop.
Finally, fill in the hole in the middle with a straight down shot - this is how I can choose to stay out of the photo if I like.
The use of specialist software such as ptGUI and photoshop makes the stitching and warping easier. It is still very tricky to bring out the detail of the landscape and control the distortion to the perfect level. Trying to plan a composition is often the most difficult part as you have to visualise exactly how you want it to look. I’ve waited years in some cases to get the right light and conditions. Getting the exposure right is also a nightmare as some shots are into black shadow, and others are directly into the sun. Some are taken with a dSLR, others with a cheap compact. Athough it can be done quickly, it usually take 10- 15hrs of processing to get a result I am happy with.
