P3D The Judge cometh, for Depth (was good 2D = good 3D?)

[boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Boris Starosta)]

Friends,

Although I've said that I shoot for depth, that is not strictly true.  I
shoot for stereoscopic interest.  Some subjects with very little depth can
have stereoscopic interest.  Again, look at:

http://www.starosta.com/3dshowcase/iabstract.html

At the bottom of the page, I point out an interesting feature in what is an
otherwise quite flat subject, the flat plane of CDs.  It is the reflections
and diffractions off of the surface of the CDs that is spatially
interesting.

Another example would be a photograph of a flat plane of freshly fallen
snow, with sunlight sparkling on the surface.  Here is an effect that
cannot be well captured in 2D, and yet it is not a spatial feature.  The
glittering snow comes from the two different viewpoints, and the disparate
distribution of reflections coming from the millions of snow flakes.  This
quality, among others, is what makes jewelry and precious stones / metals
such an interesting stereo subject.  Same for mineral samples.  For an
example of this look at the c/u images on:

http://www.starosta.com/3dshowcase/igem3.html

Moving on to another matter...

It is true that I am a relative novice to stereo photography... indeed, to
photography in general.  For this reason, at least, I was not about to
reveal my status as a selector for the upcoming Potomac and Chesapeake
exhibitions (the other reason would be: to keep Dr.T quaking in his
boots!).  But now that Andrea Blair has blown my cover, I guess that's
good, because it may now reduce the number of flat entries into that
exhibition from this group - which will improve my enjoyment of it!

Although I was unsure of my qualifications, receiving the offer from the
Potomac Society of Stereo Photographers was an honor I could not pass up.
I look forward to my work as a selector for two reasons: 1. I'll finally
get to see what I'm up against in these exhibitions (I am a very
competitive person, in case no one noticed), and 2. I get to make a more
direct contribution in bringing this medium of stereo photography "up to
date" (or at least, up to the 1970s - more on that below).

Many months ago, there was discussion on this list on the state of stereo
photography in PSA as an art form, and how that state was being
set/influenced by the background/experience/age/etc. of the selectors in
PSA exhibitions.  (to find this discussion, search for "the gold" in P3D
archives above 2500)  Some disparaging remarks were heard from persons here
and there - True Starving Artists (tm), no doubt - but the upshot of the
thread was, if you are dissatisfied, YOU BE THE JUDGE!  In other words, get
out there and do some selecting yourself.

Little did I know then that such an opportunity would present itself to me
so soon!

Now, I don't want anybody to get the impression that I'm somehow
dissatisfied with my own results in competitions, and that I blame the
current crop of selectors.  No, no, no.  I cannot be dissatisfied until I
see what actually comes into these exhibitions...

However, I am not afraid to state that my IMPRESSION so far, based as it is
on incomplete information, is that the PSA exhibitions tend to reward
basically rather old-fashioned, non-experimental photography.  Here's one
little bit that contributes to this, my impression:  the PSA stereo image
of the year for 1997.

My comment here will be based on my memory of this image, as I did not keep
the PSA magazine in which I saw it (I do have all of the Stereo Worlds for
the last year, but I'm not sure it is in any of them).  This was a stereo
image of a bird perched on some branches.  It was printed (in the magazine)
in B+W (it may have been color originally).  It was technically well done,
as far as I could tell.  Depth was good and controlled, the branches added
stereoscopic interest, the bird was in focus, etc.  But when I first saw
this picture, and the caption identifying the honor that it had earned, I
thought it was a joke!  Only after continued study, did I realize that this
indeed was the PSA image of the year!

With all due respect to the great effort that no doubt went into the
creation of this stereograph, and to the photographer, who may very well be
reading these words (and if so, I apologize - no offense intended), this
picture looked as if it was shot sometime in the 1950s.  The fact that it
was printed in B+W probably contributed to this effect, but there was
something else about the picture that really dated it.  I swear, to me it
looked like it came straight from a 1950s postcard!

Just based on this one image - that it won top honors from among all of the
award winners in PSA exhibitions in 1997 - I hope I will be forgiven if I
am therefore under the impression that the state of the art, at least in
the PSA stereo division, is about 40 years behind the times.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I am cutting edge.  My own sensibilities
in photography are definitely not in the 90's.  One of the reasons that I
never pursued photography (until last year), was that I felt the medium as
currently practised was beyond me - as an illustrator by nature, I do not
feel that I could contribute to the heavily manipulated and surreal
photography which is all the rage today (although I do like some of it).
But if my contribution to the state of the art can nudge the PSA stereo
division at least a little bit towards, say, the 1970s, the era of my
youth, then I feel I will have accomplished something!

Now I better shut up, before I disqualify myself from the "selecting" by
giving away so much of my preferences!



Boris Starosta            boris@xxxxxxxxxxxx
                          http://www.starosta.com
usa 804 979 3930          http://www.starosta.com/3dshowcase



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