Hoya Orb

Day 228: It's been a while since I made an Orb. This is a fun bit of post-processing which is easy to effect with almost any halfway decent graphics software. A certain degree of artistry is involved, but not enough to be intimidating, even for folks who have just graduated from Windows Paint. You'll want to have an assortment of images to play with, if only to learn how to position your subject to get the best results. Flower photos are a great place to begin.

The first action you will take is to "promote the background layer" (Layers menu). Once this is done, crop the image into a square. Do this by changing the settings for "canvas size" (not "image size"). Let's say we're working with a 4320 x 3240 pixel image. Set the canvas size to 3000 x 3000 to give yourself a little "wiggle room." Now because you've promoted the background layer, you'll be able to slide your image around until you have your flower fairly well centered (centering is not a requirement, but until you get used to making Orbs, you'll get a higher percentage of attractive results). Once you have your flower in a good position, "merge" the layers (Layers menu). If you look at the image information at this point, it will tell you that you have an image measuring 3000 x 3000. Save the file.

Here comes the tricky part! Follow the directions exactly, because if you mix up Step 1 and Step 3, the results won't be an Orb. In the Effects menu of your photo processing software, select "Polar Coordinates." It may be a sub-menu under "Distortion" or something with a similar name. I use PaintShopPro, but other software should use similar terms.

READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY!

1) Convert POLAR to rectangle.
2) Flip the image top to bottom.
3) Convert RECTANGLE to polar.

The most common error in creating an Orb is to start with Rectangle to POLAR because most photo processing software lists it first. You must convert POLAR to rectangle in Step 1, or the Orb will not work out right.

Orbs remind me of those wonderful glass paperweights. Make yourself a whole collection, because this version won't ever need to be dusted!