I’m honored to be among those selected to have their 3D photos reprinted in Brian May’s new book “Stereoscopy is Good for You”, featuring a wide variety of artists & their unique views of the world… all in 3D of course! Another fine publication from his team across the pond at the London Stereoscopic Company (the book is also available here on Amazon).
The photo of mine they chose to include was taken in an old abandoned power plant near Portland, Maine… interesting to note that it only ‘stood out’ once I removed all of the color.
After two years of technical trial runs & problem-solving on my part, and many years in the making by its creators, Promising People is up & running at last! We are currently in full production on our first series of VR videos, which I am filming in the VR180 format with the Z-Cam K1 Pro camera. It’s a high-quality 3D stereo capture device that allows us to ‘see’ things the way they appear in the real world, or at least very close to it, in a VR headset.
The main problems to overcome are motion & proximity… we can avoid any camera motion so that viewers won’t feel ill, but must still shoot within arm’s reach (due to the nature of the material), which is closer than any recommended 3D shooting distance, even with a pair of close-focusing 180-degree lenses! Fortunately I’ve come up with ways of handling this in post-production so that it doesn’t result in any significant eyestrain. As seen in the photo below, we can even preview our shots live on set in VR & 3D using the Oculus Quest 2.
At day’s end, the level of technology intensifies when I begin scanning items used in our production, such as this wrench… I’m using a FARO Scan Arm to turn it into a model which the team at Unity can use. Also using my skills gained from the useful Universe courses on Unity and VR world-building! Of course, all this high-tech fun comes at the expense of things I’d normally do, like participate in this year’s online virtual National Stereoscopic Association convention, the 3D-Con. Last year I gave two workshops & also presented two 3D stereo theater shows, but all that time & energy must temporarily take a backseat to a new career, which I’m sure will provide me with many 3D topics of interest for conventions yet to come!
UPDATE: As of August 16th, we are now officially a two-camera shoot, thanks to the long-overdue 2nd K1 Pro finally arriving… better late than never! Having two angles on shots that could use it is certainly very flexible, but I have to watch out for seeing the other camera in each one’s 200-degree-wide shot. Some cropping & masking will be done later to cover up.
Get your copy of the generously-sized and beautifully-printed “Macrophant 3D” book while they last… for info, thumbnails of the images, and ordering go to http://macrophant3d.com. Use promo code 25 for $25 per book, shipping included, delivered in the USA. Outside the continental US, purchase for $20 per book & email Barry at barry@3ddigitalphoto.com to find best shipping options for you. My sincerest thanks go out to him for getting me involved in this wonderful project; I enjoyed producing the finest quality “McManaglyphs” I have ever created, and in Barry’s opinion it’s his best stereo book yet… that’s high 3D praise indeed!
That’s correct… the greatest surrealist painter of all time created many stereoscopic works of art, intending for them to be viewed in 3D! Join me for this episode of my recurring “Life is 3D” segment to see what I’ve uncovered in my search for ALL of Dalí’s 3D paintings!
Part 2 of my 3D slideshow featuring these works will be shown & narrated live during the New York Stereoscopic Association’s weekly virtual meeting, this Saturday 4/03/2021.
I’ve been working on a project for a client that requires our actor / performer to wear a VR180 camera, so that we can record a first-person perspective designed to be played back in a VR headset (like Oculus Quest). Since all the action is performed within arm’s reach, the normal interocular spacing (distance between the lenses) of off-the-shelf VR180 cameras is just too wide, resulting in some discomfort when viewing. So I need to get the lenses closer together, but how to do that? The answer: mount two cameras next to each other, and use the two inner-most lens’ images! In this case, I used 2 Insta360 EVOs, seen in the “NEW” photo (the “OLD” image shows my previous version, a single Kandao Qoocam). Of course, then I had to figure out how to ‘fool’ the software into thinking that both signals actually came from the same camera, and some alignment has to be done in Adobe Premiere, but this will allow us to shoot close-up 3D 180 video that is actually comfortable to view in Virtual Reality!
This promises to be a unique item in the world of tablets and 3D… the LUME PAD Lightfield tablet (by Leia Inc) offers the user an immersive, glasses-free 3D experience! One cool thing is that their new display tech also allows your 2D apps & content to look as good as if they were on a 2D-only device, something which wasn’t possible with LCD displays before.
For the past 2 years I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my original Looking Glass Display, which lets me view my 3D stereo photography in holographic form. Think Princess Leia in Star Wars – “help me Looking Glass, you’re our only hope” for a personal hologram! Hard to describe how realistic the effect is, but it’s like being able to look around the sides of an object or scene. Really offers a new way to look at your photographs, even ones you’ve seen countless times. Not just still images, but you can shoot & view Lightfield / Lightrail movies too, and enjoy a whole range of 3D apps & experiences, some of which are even interactive. Well, get ready for this… their newest invention could easily bring holography to everyone!
Great news is the fact that now anyone with a new iPhone, or similar depth-map capable (‘portrait mode’) phone or tablet, can almost instantly see their photos in holographic 3D on this device; no extra steps necessary. You no longer even have to make a depth map first!
The new Looking Glass “Portrait” will be available in spring of 2021; reserve yours at nearly 30% off list price via Kickstarter for $249 (normal price is $349). Learn more & order it HERE
Barry Rothstein has kindly invited me to collaborate with him on his newest (and fifth) book of Phantograms… “Macrophant 3D” will contain over 60 macro stereo 3D images, featuring amazing close-up views of plants, flowers and insects, all in life-like Three Dimensions! And witness the debut of the “McManaglyph” in printed form, letting the viewer enjoy a full-color anaglyph image without the usual headache-inducing ‘retinal rivalry’ caused by the process
Enjoy these two examples from the book! Order & learn more here www.macrophant3d.com
Wanna learn about all things involving stereo 3D & Virtual Reality? Then you’ve come to the right place… and you don’t even have to leave home! The National Stereoscopic Association has been working hard to include online versions of almost all of the experiences you’d have in person at one of our annual conventions. I’m giving a workshop on 2D Conversions and have two shows in the 3D Theater, so register here and enjoy the show! (logo by Rob Ellis)
My exhibit of 3D images is now on display at the Orlando downtown public library! Enter another dimension as you put on your 3D glasses and stroll amongst the 24 works of art, being absorbed by each one for a different “you are there” experience. You too can own a fantastic piece of 3D art right now! Visit the 3D SHOP, or contact me for any specific options or other 3D services at jim@lifeis3d.com
