P3D Dr. T on starosta site philosophy

[boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Boris Starosta)]

Thank you, Dr. T, for your extensive comments:

>My advice to Boris is to go beyond "ortho" and explore ALL faces
>of the stereo experience.

I do provide an extensive explanation on my site as to why I prefer
orthoscopic views.  To me, orthoscopic viewing is the logical end of stereo
photography.  That does not mean I cannot enjoy creative non-orthoscopic or
non-realistic stereo imagery.  A visit to my digital stereo page
_starosta.com/stereo.html_ would amply illustrate this point.

Indeed, I have enjoyed some great hyperstereos by Neil Steller (and others)
in recent folios I've received.  But many hypers don't look right, because
I think the photographer is not getting the camera spacing just right
(either too close together - giving a flat image, or two far apart, giving
liliputism(sp?)).  So my guess is that hypers are a real art, and chances
are, that if you are not very experienced (I certainly am not), it is a hit
and miss on getting good hyperstereos.  (And I am suspicious of the use of
those formulae that are so often posted.  I am breaking all of those rules
with my stereography.  It follows that it takes more than just a formulaic
calculation to set a good i/o spacing for a given hyper, based on what is
in the scene.)

My theoretical ruminations aside, my experience has been that if I show
close-ups to my friends and aquaintances, I almost always get that "Wow!"
response we all love so dear.  Lakshmi, who modelled my jewelry pages, has
produced almost 100% "Wows."  I have shot more distant subjects (although
for obvious reasons I am not showing them), and the "Wows" are much less
frequent.

>It is interesting that the inexpensive Pinsharp viewer is dictating
>what lenses he uses in his stereo cameras.  I would go the other way
>around:  Use what lenses I have available and then worry how to view
>the images.  ...

You must mean that you would use what lenses are most suitable to the
subject at hand.

>I think it is very restrictive to ONLY use 50 mm lenses in a twin
>rig.  Also, how does Boris gets his 65 mm lens' spacing with the
>bottom-to-bottom twin SLR rig?

Yes, I am limiting myself - but for what I feel are good reasons.
Remember, I am trying to popularize stereo - something I feel will be even
more rewarding to me than just shooting images that I alone can appreciate.
So I give many slides away with viewers (to friends and family).  Ideally,
I would love to give away a custom 40-80mm zoom achromatic viewer for all
of those different focal length shots - but I would love to drive a
Maserati, as well.  I am limiting myself to the 50mm standard not only for
ortho reasons, but also because it is a _standard_ for which an affordable
quality viewer is available.

Another thought: you say that it is restrictive to limit oneself to 50mm
lenses.  Do you feel this restriction is apparent in any of the photographs
that I have posted on my site?  (In other words, which photos could have
been shot better using other focal lengths).

Also, my rig has a 70mm spacing, which is "about 65mm.".  See the picture
on the site.

I don't begrudge the criticism at all, and I am enjoying my opportunity to
reply.

Yours,

Boris Starosta




Boris Starosta

usa 804 979 3930

boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx
http://www.starosta.com
http://www.starosta.com/3dshowcase

"A lifetime can be well spent correcting and improving
one's own faults without bothering about others."
- Edward Weston

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