Stereo with your SLR!!!

[P3D Dr. George A. Themelis <fj834@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lately I have been using my SLR a lot for 3D.  Most of the things that 
move are caused by humans or the wind.  There are millions of things 
that do not move (or move very slowly) that can be shot in 3D.  You can 
do 3D art or science with a single camera.  Here are a few ideas:

- Tabletops (this is a HUGE group of extremely interesting pictures 
  that can make you laugh or cry... the possibilities are endless... 
  imagination is the limiting factor here)

- Close-ups (I have taken pictures of many household items, most 
  of which are in the kitchen... amazing variety and detail in 3d)

- Flowers (wonderful 3d photography in the home and the field)

- Architectural (an entire building with a wide angle lens or a 
  small detail with a long lens)

- Hyperstereos of clouds (yes, plenty of those while traveling on 
  a plane and, once, in a car!)

- Hand-held Normal/Hyper of landscapes (on your own or on a 
  moving vehicle)

- Tripod and slide bar outdoors (pictures of cars and more on a 
  windless day)

- Portraits?  Yes, I have seen a few portraits from single cameras.  
  You must have a cooperative subject (my hyperkinetic children to 
  not apply) but it can be done with a small base too!

- Microscopy (attach your SLR to a microscope, etc., that will 
  record the 3D image)

- Astronomical (attach your SLR to a telescope to record sequential 
  stereos of comets, eclipses, etc.)

- Slide Duplication (SLR to the rescue for improving existing 3D images)

- Copying 3D images (like Polaroid SEM stereo images or antique stereo 
  cards; yes, that's a stereo application too!)

There are more... This was only to get a taste of the possibilities.  
Why worry about synchronizing two cameras when in many cases just one 
will do it?  The biggest advantage of *one* camera for stereo is that 
there is no issue of matching lenses (!) and it is very flexible, 
especially in terms of stereo base.

George Themelis


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