What is a Tiny Planet and how is it made? The first step to making a Tiny Planet is to photograph a panorama. To do this you could use a traditional camera and slowly and carefully rotate 360 degrees, being careful to keep the camera steady and overlapping each shot. Using the Photosynth app (a powerful tool for capturing and viewing the world in 3D) makes thisprocess much easier as it automatically takes each shot as you rotate and stops shooting when you get to the last shot.

Once you have the panorama it’s time to turn it into a Tiny Planet. Using the app by the same name, I selected my picture and clicked on the tiny planet icon at the bottom of the screen and watched and waited while it processed. It took about 30 seconds and there it was! My first Tiny Planet!
(I had the option of choosing Tiny Tube, which inverts the process, making the image look like it is being sucked into itself...also a cool effect, sort of like down the rabbit hole.)
Getting ready for the new school year, I have practiced making Tiny Planets and found that the Photosynth app is really awesome for this project, but that the Tiny Planet app doesn’t create the best image every time and that it would be better for my students to use the Photosynth app for their panorama and then import that image into Photoshop. Once in Photoshop the students can follow the directions I found on Photojojo http://tinyurl.com/yasjnr5
I am really excited to introduce this to my students and then to students around the world. How exciting to see the images produced by students in Asia, New Zealand, London and small towns like my own! Show me yours!
If you are interested in participating in this adventure, look for more info on Art Ed 2.0 or email me at kfontes2@gmail.com
The tiny planet shown above is from Miami beach