Sterio Pictures

Stereo Pictures

We have two eyes which are spaced about three inches apart so each eye sees a slightly different viewpoint which allows us to appreciate the 3 dimensional shape of the objects we are looking at. Usually when we take a photograph only one picture is taken which means that it can only be seen in two dimensions. If we want to see the true life qualities of a picture we must take two photographs, one for each eye, moving the camera three inches or so in between.

To appreciate the 3D effect you must look at the left picture with your left eye and the right picture with your right eye. To do this let your eyes relax so that they position themselves for distance viewing then gradually focus onto the picture. It can be quite tricky at first.

This picture shows our original PIC programmer module with a serial port adaptor fitted. When this is viewed in stereo the increase in clarity is amazing, but you may find it easier to start with the pictures of Colchester further down on this page.
This is the same circuit photographed from the usual viewpoint. It is quite difficult to take close up stereo pictures using one camera. It is best to mount the camera on a tripod and move the tripod a few inches between the frames, turning the camera slightly to keep the same area in view.
This picture taken in Castle Park Colchester has little interest until the 3 dimensional qualities are seen. When seen in just 2 dimensions the trees blend together and the true qualities of the picture are lost.
This picture taken further down in the same area is uninspiring until seen in 3D. If you are not able to adjust your eyes to view these pictures use a piece of cardboard about 18 inches long by 6 inches wide to split the screen into two areas so that each eye can only see one image. Place the short edge of the cardboard mid way between the pictures and bring your nose up to the other edge.
For this picture I have exaggerated the 3D effect by moving much more than the distance between two eyes. Notice that even the houses in the background have a significant 3D effect. This picture has a problem which often crops up when one camera is used to take the stereo photographs. The people in the picture have moved in between the two frames. In this picture it is not too important. I also had this problem with the first picture on this page and in that case I needed to cut and paste the images to cover up the main problem area.
This picture of St Botolphs Priory in Colchester has great depth when viewed in 3 dimensions. Study the stone work in 2 dimensions first, then change over to stereo vision and the difference is dramatic.
This was taken across the Rhein in Germany. I moved much more than 3 inches to exaggerate the 3D effect.
Germany almost at the Austrian border. If you feel strange looking at the clouds this is because they have moved in between the two frames.

Some time ago I did a search on the web for stereo pictures and came across an interesting stereo pair of a most delightful female. The author of the site has chosen to use a very odd method of looking at stereo photographs - the picture for the left eye is on the right and the picture for the right eye is on the left. The idea is to look at the pictures with crossed eyes. I tried very hard and failed to get my eyes into the correct mode yet I have no difficulty viewing with my usual method where I just need to relax my eyes to get them into the correct position. I saved the pictures then used my photo editing software to swap the pictures into the correct position. I also adjusted the pair so that the centres are closer together.

That allowed me to view this perfect female in true stereo and another interesting point arose. The pictures did not feel quite right. The stereo detail somehow seems to be inadequate. Then I read the authors notes. He has not used two cameras which I consider to be essential for any object that is not absolutely fixed. Marlene has remained almost perfectly still in between the two photographs but there has been some very slight movement.