Recursion Alert: View this image through red-cyan glasses to see how to take a 3D photo, in 3D.
3D photography has been around for almost as long as regular photography. But the 1950s brought the fad of 3D horror movies, starting with Bwana Devil (1952) and House of Wax (1953). Many of these were so bad that 3D soon became an embarrassment. Even 50 years later, 3D still hasn’t shaken its reputation as a cheap gimmick that causes headaches — which is a shame, because the medium can produce compelling images worthy of contemplation.
Photograph by Bill Coderre
It’s time for a 3D renaissance. In the last few years, computers have made it simple to produce color 3D images in just a few minutes. All it takes is a digital camera, some free software, and a pair of red-cyan glasses. I’ll explain how to do this, and also suggest some camera projects that can make taking 3D pictures even easier.
If you don’t have red-cyan glasses, you can find some at a comics shop, attached to any Ray Zone title. Or, you can buy them from American Paper Optics (see page 145, “Further References”).
Grab your digital camera, and head outside. Find a scene with a fun variety of distances to focus on. The closest objects should be at least 5 feet away, and perfectly still. Also, make sure that everything in the scene will be in sharp focus. Sunny conditions will help your depth of field.
Ready? Hold the camera to your eye, and lean very slightly to the left. Snap a picture. Lean very slightly to the right, and snap another picture. That’s your basic “stereo shuffle” right there.
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