A Post By: Neil Creek

Neil Creek is a regular contributor to DPS (and is a 3D photography nut), authoring Photography 101 (to be continued soon). Please visit his blog, and check out his prints for sale on the Fine Art Photo Blog.

“I’m just going to do everything in 3D now. I’m going to shoot my daughter’s birthday party in 3D.” – James Cameron.

A revolution in photography and videography is coming. The 50’s cliche of the 3D movie and nostalgic childhood 3D viewers like the Viewmaster were ideas ahead of their time. Pretty soon 3D will be everywhere. Thousands of US cinemas are being upgraded to show new 3D movies, new computer display technology is bringing 3D without glasses to the desktop, and a growing enthusiastic community is breathing new life into time-honored 3D photography techniques.

If you haven’t experimented with 3D photography yet, now’s the time.

Anyone with a camera can take 3D photos, and with a bit of practice, most people can learn to see the 3D effect on their monitors without special glasses. I’ve collected here a few examples of some of the cool stuff that photographers are doing with 3D photography today. I hope these images will entertain and inspire you to explore the third dimension in your photography, and put you ahead of the new wave of 3D imagery which will soon flood our culture.

All of the images below are presented in “crossed eye” format, and can be viewed by most people without any equipment or assistance.

To learn how to see crosseye 3D images, I have a step by step guide for you to read.

WARNING: It’s important to state right up front, that there is a small potential risk to your health with this 3D viewing technique. The risk is very small, but I must cover myself. If you have any known problems with your eye muscles, I recommend that you do not attempt this technique. If you experience any light-headedness, headaches or other symptoms, STOP IMMEDIATELY and rest your eyes. Everyone will likely experience some slight eye fatigue when learning this technique, so it is very important to rest your eyes regularly, and only look at 3D images for short periods of time. Even once you have perfected the technique, do not over-exert your eyes. You have been warned. If you attempt to learn this technique, you agree not to hold me responsible for any ill fortune that befalls you as a result.

UPDATE: here’s a few more

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Pretty cool isn’t it? As you can see from these outstanding examples, 3D photography is very versatile and has huge creative possibilities. The best part is that you don’t need special or expensive equipment to make 3D photos. I wrote a post on my blog that shows how you can make 3D photos with any camera and free software. I highly encourage all photographers to give it a try, and get involved with the active and creative 3D communities online.

Right now, I’m running a 3D photography project on my blog, called 3D For Everyone. Using the simple single-camera 3D photography skills, I want participants to take a cool 3D photo and submit it to the project. Thanks to my sponsor for the project, Loreo – makers of the 3D Lens in a Cap – every participant will receive for free a new Pixi 3D viewer for seeing 3D photos on your monitor without using special eye tricks. The overall winner, as selected by a panel of judges, will be given their own 3D Lens in a Cap. The due date for the project is the 26th of May, so hurry and visit the project page.

3D Photography is back, and this time around everyone can get involved, so don’t get left behind!

3D Photography Links

Neil promises that his next post will continue with the Photography 101 series, and is grateful for everyone’s patience. Lesson 4 will cover Aperture and Stops. If you would like to read more of Neil’s work, you can visit his photo blog. If you would like to buy any prints of his work, he is part of the Fine Art PhotoBlog with six talented photographers. The Fine Art PhotoBlog is recruiting new members right now as well!