Using Photoshop CC to Prepare a Panosphere for Display on Okolo.com

Back in February, I posted an article how I use Okolo.com to display a panosphere. Okolo stitches the uploaded images into a 360-degree panorama or panosphere. In this post, I expand a bit on the earlier one. Okolo does not accept RAW images, which I prefer to take when using its panorama shooting modes. It only accepts JPEG images, and they can only be 5 Mb in size. So other software must be used to edit the RAW images, and then convert and resize them.

This post illustrates my workflow for preparing the 34 RAW images my DJI Mavic Pro takes using Photoshop CC. It goes no to outline the steps to upload them to Okolo.com to create and display the panosphere. I have detailed the steps in the PDF file that is linked below.

The workflow I describe here uses PS CC Action that does the necessary steps to convert and resize each image automatically. It is a simple action, and for the purposes of this post, I have not covered how to write it.

Finally, this can also be done in Photoshop Elements. I will probably write another post soon to better illustrate how to do it with the capabilities that are in Elements. Stay tuned.

If you found this tutorial to be helpful, please star-rate and Like it. And of course, any and all comments are welcome.

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Using the New Hub and Auto Creations in Photoshop Elements 2019

Have you ever taken a series of photos and videos at an event of some sort and would like to quickly and effortlessly turn a few of them into a an interesting presentation? But you are fresh out of ideas, and maybe time.

Maybe what Adobe has added into the newest release of Elements is just what you need. PSE 2019 now comes with a new home screen or Hub, where you must start if you want to go to the Organizer, Photo Editor, or Premiere Elements, if you have it installed. Included in the Hub is Auto Creations. Built into the Hub is a new feature in PSE 2019, Auto Creations.

To give you a brief overview of the new Hub and what Auto Creations are all about, I have added a new YouTube video. You can find it at the link below.

PSE 2019’s New Hub and Auto Creations Video

As I describe in the video, you have the option to turn Auto Creations off, but not the Hub. This is Adobe’s version of Auto Creations, and I will expect it to improve and evolve in future releases. 

That’s all for now. Until next time,

Happy Holidays! 

Loading and Using Luminosity Masks in PSE 2019

A couple of months ago, I posted a tutorial on how to play back the sample Actions that have been a part of PSE for some time. A few years ago, Adobe made playing Actions easier, but they still can only be run. The Actions must be written by Photoshop in such a way as to use only those commands available internally in PSE or ones that are accessible by the user.

There are scores of Actions available online that can be loaded and played within PSE. In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to load and install a very creative set of actions by Tony Kuiper that make it very easy to apply Luminosity Masks in PSE for advanced photo editing. If you have been following photo editing topics, currently one of the most popular is using Luminosity Masks Now you can use this advanced technique from within PSE.

Below is the link to my PDF file of the tutorial that you can easily download or print. By the way, there is a lot of additional tutorials and other information available on Tony Kuiper’s website.

Loading and Using Luminosity Masks Actions

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial and found it helpful. If so, please Like  it, give it a Star Rating and Share with others who may also find it helpful.

Until next time.

Facebook No Longer Supports Direct Uploads From Photoshop Elements

Since the first of August, Facebook does not allow you to upload pictures directly from desktop photo editing programs such as Photoshop Elements. Photoshop Elements could previously upload photos to Facebook from its Organizer, by clicking on Share > Facebook, as illustrated in the figure below.

 

 Since August 1^st, when you do that, you are greeted with the error message below.

Clicking on Continue, the following message appears.

 

This change affects only desktop applications. Uploading photos and videos from smartphones and tablets are not affected by this new restriction.

Click on the link below to learn more about this change by Facebook. It is unclear whether Facebook will once again be available from Elements in the future.

Learn More

So, for the foreseeable future, you will need to do it directly from Facebook, navigating to the physical location on your computer where the photo is located.  My general approach is to export the photo to a special folder on my desktop, and then direct Facebook to that location. I clean out the folder periodically, since once the photo is uploaded, I no longer need a copy in this special folder.  

Until next time...

 

Using Actions in Photoshop Elements 2018

One of the capabilities the Photo Editor has had for a long time is the ability to play Photoshop Actions.

An Action is similar to a macro in Excel or Word that will complete a series of steps or commands automatically, once started from a single click of the mouse. Using Actions can greatly increase the speed of performing tasks that take multiple steps and are something  you do repeatedly while editing a photo.

However, Elements cannot write Actions. The Action must be created using Photoshop CC, and then saved. Additionally, the Action cannot contain any commands that are not in PSE, or used by it internally.

The link below is to an AppTip Sheet that provides an introduction to using Actions in PSE 2018. The process is similar to earlier versions. It used to be a Guided Edit in an earlier version of PSE.

In my next post I will cover how to download, install, and run an Action written by a third party, of which there are hundreds of free ones online.

Until next time…

Elements XXL – Powerful Photoshop Elements Plug-in

Here is an interesting and powerful plug-in for Photoshop Elements.

Have you tried either of these plug-ins? Let me know what you think, ok.

Until next time.

Create Unique Tiny Planet Image Using Photoshop Elements

Tiny Planet images have become quite popular on phot sharing sites and in social media sites, such as Facebook. To create a Tiny Planet image, you generally must start with a spherical or 360-degree panorama. Using drone or special 360-degree cameras make it easy to take and stitch the individual photos together.

This AppTip Sheet describes how to create a Tiny Planet image using Photoshop Elements. It begins with a 360-degree panorama shot with a Mavic Pro or similar drone and previously projected with a program such as okolo.com. There are many programs and websites that can produce Tiny Planets. However, using PSE to create it allows you to produce a high resolution image, and also allows you to the image.

Click on the figure above to display or print the PDF of the AppTip Sheet.

If you found it helpful and interesting don’t hesitate to Like or Share it below.

Until next time…