P3D Computer Graphics, artistry and photography

["H a r o l d B a i z e" <baize@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Response to some comments on computer graphics and using other's
work...

Ron Fredrickson wrote:

>I perhaps should have clarified this by saying that it was from
>a Mandelbrot image (fractal if you prefer) but definitely not made
>by the maker, only manipulated.
>Is that considered OK?

Well, yes that is a different situation. The creative part in this
instance was largely the stereo adaptation so I stand corrected. Still
it is not difficult to create your own variations on Mandelbrots--
so why use someone else's?

If you visit the "Internet Ray Tracing Competition" page you
will get a better sense of my point about the ease of using other's
computer graphic work and rendering in stereo. There are many
great images there, you can download the original data files and
render them in stereo, but to enter that in competition would
clearly be plagiarism.

http://www.irtc.org/stills/1998-02-28/view.html

Ray Zone wrote

>Is the (stereo)photographer to take greater credit
>for the beauty of that which they have trapped because they have
>efficiently trapped it in light by pushing a shutter button?  How does that
>take artistic precedent over a 3-D conversion?  Both art forms are taking
>that which pre-existed the cameraman or 3-D artist and utilize a form of
>(secondary) refashioning for a binocular display.

Good point Ray. Sometimes good photography is just luck, but that is
rarely the case with computer graphics. Let me clarify though, I was
talking about the case of someone rendering a computer graphics file
that someone else created and merely shifting the virtual camera.
I didn't mean to cast dispersion on the art and craft of stereo
conversion, of which you are a recognized master. There is clearly
a great deal of skill and art involved in a good stereo conversion
of pre-existing flat material. However, the artist that performs the
conversion usually is very explicit about her or his contribution.

And Dr. says:
>And I ask:  How did the judges know who and how was the image
>created?

Right you are George. Judges don't know the particulars of how
images were created, they are just asked to evaluate the image
itself. It is a separate issue of ethics and credit. There are
already certain standards for entering works in competition. You
can't enter someone else's photograph. In computer imaging you
should not use an image (composition) created by someone else,
and simply rendered in stereo (which is different from a stereo
conversion of other flat images). Again, as noted, a fractal is
a special case.

I urge everyone to check out the images at the IRTC site. It
would be worth your time to download POV-Ray and some of the
image files and render them in stereo for your own enjoyment!

Harolddd.


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