Stereo Photography
Viewing 3D Images



      Below are some examples of stereo images that I have taken.  Remember, if you are using the naked eye method of viewing (crossed-eye version) then you need to select the "Crossed View" version of the image (explained further down the page).  If you have a parallel viewing device then you need to select the "Parallel View" version of the image.

Preview
Image
Viewing
Type
Preview
Image
Viewing
Type
Various items on my kitchen table.  [This was my first attempt at stereo photography.]
Crossed View

Parallel View
A downtown intersection taken from the third floor of a parking garage.
Crossed View

Parallel View
A hallway on the 7th floor of a Federal Courthouse.
Crossed View

Parallel View
A downtown sidewalk lined with bare trees.
Crossed View

Parallel View
A gallery of 3-D photos taken at Hoover Dam.
GALLERY:

Hoover Dam
A row of boats in Dana Point harbor.
Crossed View

Parallel View
A gallery of 3-D photos taken at Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii.
GALLERY:

Volcanoes NP
A gallery of 3-D photos taken in San Francisco, CA.
GALLERY:

San Francisco
Ronnie at the SkyWalk at Grand Canyon West.
Crossed View

Parallel View
My tripod set up and ready to take photos of the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC. (See my section on Time Lapse Photos for the results of those shots!)
Crossed View

Parallel View
My messy workshop/garage.
Crossed View

Parallel View
The Arizona desert near Hoover Dam.
Crossed View

Parallel View
The Arizona desert near Hoover Dam.
Crossed View

Parallel View
The Arizona desert near Hoover Dam.
Crossed View

Parallel View
Various 3D shots looking up or down through stairways.
GALLERY:

Stairways
Various 3D shots of aircraft.
GALLERY:

Aircraft
Various 3D shots taken in a hotel lobby and hallway.
GALLERY:

Hotel

      If you enjoyed the 3-D photos above, then maybe you'd also like to watch a 3-D animation?  The following was created by my brother, Chris.  Enjoy!



      Background
      My brother, Chris , and I began talking about how to make 3-D images in January 2007.  He had experimented with this before but it was totally new to me.  Since then this topic has generated much discussion between he and I, and among many of my friends.  Once you view these stereo images it's almost difficult to go back to viewing "plain old" 2-D photos again.

      Making The Photos
      The concept is simply to take two photos of your subject.  Your photos need to be taken from positions that are slightly apart from each other (to the left and right) to replicate the view from each of your eyes.  This can be accomplished using either one or two cameras.  The photos can also be taken with either film or digital cameras.
      I started by using one digital camera.  For that initial photo I simply placed different items (a box of cereal, a can of soup, etc.) all over my kitchen table at different distances from the camera.  I stood a few feet back from the end of the table and took two photos.  After I took the first photo, then I moved the camera three or four inches to the right and took the second.  I took these two shots without a tripod and I still achieved the desired 3-D effect, but using a tripod would definitely be a plus in many circumstances.

My two 35mm cameras attached to each other.       My two 35mm cameras attached to each other.

      The best method of creating these stereo images, however, is to use two cameras simultaneously.  The left camera takes the photos for your left eye, and the right camera takes the photos for your right eye. but that doesn't matter.  What is important is to align the lenses so that they are at the same height -- the two photos need to be parallel.  The easiest way to do this is to rotate the cameras so that the bottoms are pointing toward each other.  Then you can use the screw holes that are already there for tripod mounting as places to attach your mounts.  Attach a metal (or wood) base to each camera that extends beyond the width of the camera.  Then line up the two cameras so that the lenses are at the same height.  Now attach the two brackets from each camera to each other.  I did that using just nuts and bolts.  Attaching two cameras in this way will give you a fixed distance between the lenses (mine are 3" apart).

Metal brackets used to attach my two 35mm cameras attached to each other.       Metal brackets used to attach my two 35mm cameras attached to each other.

      The last step in making these stereo images is to ensure that you trigger the cameras at the same time.  There are several ways to do this.  Obviously, the more movement there is in your subject then the more critical it is to have the two shutters work simultaneously.  You can buy very expensive electronic devices to control the shutters of dual camera set-ups for both digital and film cameras.  I chose simply to use two remote shutter release cables.  I added a small strip of wood to the ends of the pair of cables so that I have one trigger to activate both cameras.  This works very well and it only cost me about $20.

Two remote shutter release cables joined together to trigger two cameras at the same time.       Two remote shutter release cables joined together to trigger two cameras at the same time.


      Viewing The Photos
      There are two ways to view these stereo images: with a viewing device or with the naked eyes.  To do either will require a little work.  If you have a viewing device, great!  These come in many forms.  I use a dual slide viewer which hold two 35mm slides at a time.  The slide taken with the left camera goes into the left side of the viewer, the slide from the right camera goes on the right.  In this viewer each of your eyes will only see ONE image.  That is what creates the illusion of depth and gives you the 3-D image.  This is similar to a child's Viewmaster toy -- you remember those, right?  Those viewers used a cardboard disk to hold seven pairs of photos and displayed one pair of stereo images at a time.  Your left eye saw one image and your right eye saw the other one.  Those were 3-D images!  Anyway, those will help you view your own images but will not help you to see any images on my -- or any other -- website.

The classic children's toy: Viewmaster 3d slide viewer.       The classic children's toy: Viewmaster 3d slide viewer.
My slide viewer (model: LuxView 2X2X2) for viewing two slides independently with each eye.       My slide viewer (model: LuxView 2X2X2) for viewing two slides independently with each eye.       My slide viewer (model: LuxView 2X2X2) for viewing two slides independently with each eye.

      So, another way to view these stereo images is to use a viewer that attaches to your computer monitor.  This viewer allows you look at a pair of images on your computer screen and it isolates the images for you (one for each eye).  This requires that the images be displayed in parallel form -- that is, the left image on the left and the right image on the right.

Slide viewer for viewing two slides independently with each eye.       Slide viewer for viewing two slides independently with each eye.

      But what if you don't have any viewing devices at all?  Well, then you will use your naked eyes and use the crossed method.  For this method (which will sound crazy but, trust me, it works!) to work, the two images need to be displayed on alternate sides: that is, the left image on the right and the right image on the left.  Now, to view these you need to look at the center of the pair of images and then cross your eyes.  Yes, I said cross your eyes.  For me, this works best and easiest if my eyes are about two feet from the images.  Start by staring at the center of the two images and then crossing your eyes.  Eventually, a third image will appear in between the original two.  Once you can recognize that a third image is completely present, then focus on that center image.  THAT is the 3-D stereo image!  Once your eyes get locked onto that 3-D image, you can move around in the image and the effect of depth will make you feel like you are right there and can actually touch the objects.  It may be difficult at first to master this cross-eyed viewing technique, but stay with it.  The results are very much worth the effort.  If you are having trouble, try varying the distance between your eyes and the screen.  Some people may find it easier to be closer to the screen, some farther -- you should try both until you find what works for you.  Good luck!



Return to Photo Main Page
Return to WoodCop Home Page
© 2008 WoodCop Creations