Birth of a thunderstorm 13-7-12 Guassian Blur background

Thankyou Laura !

I am addicted to them !! I have hundreds ...

Very happy to share. Yes Photoshop.. but can be done in many other programmes.

Here is my copy/paste "How To" I wrote

This is done in Adobe Photoshop Elements I use a much older v.6 version...(but also v.10) but this will get you to the right places at least ! Also... yes.. it works for any photograph but not every photo comes out how you would like. Also... you may need to re crop several times before you get the part and look you want..... and sometimes.. it just plain doesnt look special and then... just try a different photo !!

This will get you started.... I have experimented a lot more and done more things. Really the limit it your imagination and patience !

I make graphics .. thats what I do... and you can end up with multiple layers ! I think I had 7 with the sunset circle ! Some of the graphics I make (not just the circles) , I can have 40 or 50 layers... so.... !!! It does become addictive though.... be warned !

To make a circle:

Upload a picture in Photoshop.

Crop it to square.

Go to filters>>distort>>Polar Coordinates>>choose Polar to Rectangular>>OK

Go to Image>>rotate>>180°

Go back to filters>>distort>>Polar Coordinates>>choose Rectangular to Polar>> OK.

Circle should be complete.

When you have made some of them you will see in time which part of a picture is the best for a circle, you have to experiment.

To take it one step further and use your own background

Duplicate your file

Once it has done that, use Cookie Cutter Tool as a circle to cut out the sphere on the Duplicate.

Choose your background photo and make it the same size as the square or resize it to get the part of it you want to use

And using it go to

Filter>> Texture>> Craquelure>> Apply (OR use ANY texture/effect you want Gaussian Blur works nicely as well!))

(You may have to resize the effects)

Now drop the duplicate cut out Sphere onto the original file (just resize it a fraction to allow some space all around it )

Apply "Soft Edge"

Save as a jpg.

You should be able to do this in other software too....

I will Ipmail it to you as well !