Earth, my dearest, oh believe me, you no longer need your springtimes to win me over…Unspeakably, I have belonged to you, from the flush.
– Rainer Maria Rilk
FOCUS: Digital Art
Happy Earth Day! Remember to take a moment today to step outside and simply appreciate this amazing planet that we call home.
Beth Poe :: FreeForm 
This is just stunning!
Thank you, Kate!
I love this ! Did you do this in Photoshop?
Thank you! Yes, I did use Photoshop to create this. Please see my response to Nora’s Photos for an explanation :).
This is too cool ! I’d be interested in knowing how you accomplished this if you are willing to share – thanx
Thank you so much! Yes, I used the Polar Coordinates filter in Photoshop to create this. There is a simple tutorial for how to use the PC filter here: http://photo.tutsplus.com/articles/using-polar-coordinates-to-turn-landscapes-into-planets-and-more/. Also, Leanne Cole Photography has posted a tutorial here: http://leannecolephotography.com/2012/10/01/making-the-world-go-around-tutorial/.
My specific technique expanded on these tutorials by choosing a ‘portrait’ style photo (of a single tulip), creating 6 ‘mirror’ images of the photo and then stitching them all together into a large panorama image. From there, I simply continued with the steps outlined in the tutorials by creating a ‘square’ image, flipping vertically, and then applying the PC filter. The difference between my technique and the ones described in the tutorials, is that stitching so many mirror images together results in more of a kaleidoscope rather than a ‘planet’ effect.
Have fun!