The Belly Button Tutorial!

[Julie Kenward]

Okay, for those of you who are ready to take a step out of the box, here's the 'how-to' on the making of "The Belly Button" floral or, as I like to call it, the zinnia zooooom! I'll be using Photoshop CS3 but I am pretty sure you can do all this in PS Elements as well.

(A big thanks to Fabs for helping me figure out how to do this tutorial! You rock, Fabs!!!)

Okay, so we start out with our SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) image:

 

[Julie Kenward]

STEP ONE: After making a duplicate of your original image (because we all know you never work on your original file, right?) you decide on a crop. I used a square 7"x7" to get this:

 

[Julie Kenward]

STEP TWO:

Now select the center area of the flower. I used the quick selection tool in CS3 but the magic lasso would work well in PS Elements.

After you get the center selected, go up to the top tool bar and choose "Select/Inverse" so that everything BUT the center of the image will get "zoomed."

 

[Julie Kenward]

STEP THREE:

After you have the selection chosen and inversed, go to the filter part of the toolbar and choose 'filter/blur/radial blur."

Under blur method, choose "zoom" and then move the top slider to the middle to get an idea of how the final image will look. If this is too much blur or not enough blur, click on 'edit/undo' on the toolbar and try again!

 

[Julie Kenward]

STEP FOUR:

Now, deselect the image area ('Select/Deselect' or 'Ctrl D'). This should get rid of all the marching ants. Now, if you want to play with the center of the flower reselect the same area again ('Select/Reselect' - but make sure only the center is selected and not the outer edge. If the outer edge is also selected, go to 'Select/Inverse' again and it should revert back to just the center being selected.

Now go to the toolbar and click on Filter/Distort/Pinch. Move the sliders around about halfway and see if you like it. Do more or less or none at all - totally up to you!

 

[Dan Brown]

Great Julie, thanks!! Dan Brown

 

[Julie Kenward]

STEP FIVE:

Now make any final adjustments to your image. Use levels, curves, or the 'Adjustments' section in PS Elements to get the image just the way you want it. Add sharpening if you think it needs it but be careful because of the blur factor!

Finally, save the image and there you have it... your own "Belly Button" Floral!

 

[carole wiley]

Jammin' thanks for sharing this, your stuff is amazing.

 

[Alfred Forns]

Great tutorial Jules !!! Much appreciated !!!

 

[Alberto Oria]

Nice, Julie, I am going to try it right now

 

[Joanna Trescott]

Jules: Thank you for all your effort in putting this tutorial together. This site rocks! It's like I am in school every day! I hope to have something for you to view soon using this technique.

 

[Julie Kenward]

Alberto and Joanna, be sure to share! I can't wait to see what you both come up with.

 

[Maxis Gamez]

Very cool Julie,

You should post the final image nice and big!!

 

[Julie Kenward]

Thanks Maxis. You can find the full version down from the tutorial a bit at this thread:

http://www.birdphotographers.net/forums/showthread.php?t=17937