# Fun with 3d \[photography\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 14, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711 "2006-04-14T21:18:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/1 "2006-04-14T21:18:33Z")
The technique is simple… Take a picture of a scene, move slightly to the left or right, take the same picture. This idea occured to me on my short hike up to bradda head at Port Erin (IOM) today. Here is my feeble attempt. [![](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/lobley/3d_bradda_head.jpg) ](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/lobley/3d_bradda_head.jpg) (If you don’t already know, the trick is to go cross-eyed and try to merge the two images in your vision. I find it’s best to focus on the tower. Also tilt your head left or right until everything is level) ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/2 "2006-04-14T21:53:31Z")
Pretty cool, but I had to change the resolution to 700x235 before I could get the images to merge. Have you experimented with making it 3D glasses compatible? Just tint one image red and the other blue, then overlay them. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/3 "2006-04-14T22:01:40Z")
> [@Electronic Chaos](#): > > Pretty cool, but I had to change the resolution to 700x235 before I could get the images to merge. Have you experimented with making it 3D glasses compatible? Just tint one image red and the other blue, then overlay them. I couldn’t merge them unless I physically moved my head towards or away from the monitor. There seems to be a short limit to how crossed my eyes can go. I might try your suggestion… However in my experience 3d specs (red/blue) are usually only available in magazines that have a 3d article/feature…i.e. very rarely. Are 3d specs available elsewhere? ---
**Author:** ![Electronic\_Chaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/4 "2006-04-14T22:10:53Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > I might try your suggestion… However in my experience 3d specs (red/blue) are usually only available in magazines that have a 3d article/feature…i.e. very rarely. Are 3d specs available elsewhere? You might be able to find them online somewhere. I’m currently searching my house for blue and red sharpies that I can color some plastic wrap with. ---
**Author:** ![Ludy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Ludy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludy)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/5 "2006-04-14T22:16:14Z")
lighting gel swatchbooks from Lee or Rosco will have many different shades to make your 3-d specks. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/6 "2006-04-14T22:24:33Z")
Not bad, but I don’t think you got the order right for a “cross eyed” 3-d picture. Crossing your eyes means your right eye looks at the left picture, and vice versa. The order is correct for the other technique (looking past the screen), but this only works if the pictures are smaller and closer, maybe 2" apart at most. It does work if you resize it. ---
**Author:** ![TimeWinder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@TimeWinder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TimeWinder)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2006, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/7 "2006-04-15T14:41:28Z")
3D anaglyph glasses are available [here](http://store.rainbowsymphonystore.com/3dglasses.html) . You can get software that will merge two images into an image suitable for viewing with them (for Windows) [here](http://www.stereoeye.jp/software/index_e.html) . I’ve used these with good results, but otherwise am not particularly endorsing them. The software, in particular, could use a little User Interface work, but it’s easy enough to figure out. There is a definite learning curve to getting the photos right. It would seem that you always want to move the camera by about the separation of a human eye, but in fact it seems to work a lot better if you increase the distance significantly as the objects you’re photographing get farther away. By the time you’re doing distant landscapes, you’ll be 2-3 feet apart. Also, the “twist” of the camera is seriously important – both images have to be taken in (as close as possible) the same direction. I put a yardstick or ruler against the back of the camera as a guide, hold the guide ruler down, and “slide” the camera along it to take the second picture. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/8 "2006-04-16T04:07:17Z")
Perhaps you’d like to try it using [Jigglevision](http://www.well.com/user/jimg/stereo/stereo_list.html)? I’ve done this myself with decent results, but the guy in the link has special hardware, and is really very good at it, so I’m not posting mine. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/9 "2006-04-16T17:38:51Z")
What you need is a [stereoscope](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereoscope). They’re around $40 or so on eBay. The image on the left needs to be nudged down a few pixels, and in order for it to work cross-eyed, the two images need to be switched. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/10 "2006-04-17T02:01:21Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > The technique is simple… Take a picture of a scene, move slightly to the left or right, take the same picture. Buy or build a camera mount to maintain alignment and control the amount of shift, and be consistent in direction of shift. > [@](#): > > This idea occured to me on my short hike up to bradda head at Port Erin (IOM) today. Just proves there is nothing new under the sun. Stereo photagraphy was first practiced shortly after the invention of photography. > [@](#): > > Here is my feeble attempt. > [http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/lobley/3d\_bradda\_head.jpg](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v98/lobley/3d_bradda_head.jpg) Nice photos. > [@](#): > > (If you don’t already know, the trick is to go cross-eyed and try to merge the two images in your vision. I find it’s best to focus on the tower. Also tilt your head left or right until everything is level) Please take the time to print the photos so tilting the head to view is unnecessary. Take the other tips to heart. Your public library should have some books on the subject. You take good photos per your web page. Perfect your stereo techniques for great stereographs! ---
**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/11 "2006-04-17T03:00:28Z")
I got a steroscope for Xmas (old school kind, not viewmaster)-- I should try printing some of these out. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fun-with-3d-photography/352711/12 "2006-04-17T04:44:25Z")
I did a few of these a couple of years ago. They’re fun!