P3D Re: PSSP talk: Barriers to Entry (Pt. 2)

[Larry Berlin <lberlin@xxxxxxxxx>]

>Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 
>From: "Dr. George A. Themelis" <DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>..............


>
>Boris went to the extreme to say that the 1/30 rule discourages 
>people from shooting close ups with a Realist.  Ha!  The 1/30 was
>never discussed in connection with the Realist.  Only with single
>cameras in hyper and hypo stereos.  The Realist can focus down to
>2.5 ft.  There were (in the 50s) close-up mounts to mount these
>close ups.  The only warning was to limit the background when 
>shooting close-ups.  The rules were very well laid out...

****  The 1/30 may not have been discussed in connection with the Realist,
but it easily could have been. Maybe for Boris it was at some past time. AND
it's very clear that the *rules* affect fixed base stereo cameras! The
nubmer based rules don't have the flexible feel of real life situations. A
beginner who is trying to understand a complex situation can often
misinterpret simplified rules, which could lead to a fear of exploration.


>..................  Most 
>people think that stereo should imitate the eyes.  As the eyes toe-in, 
>they think they ***should*** toe-in the camera.  

****  Along the trail of discovery that leads into the land of stereoscopic
delights, there is the self observation that leads to the above conclusion.
There are a few hidden factors that aren't seen at first, and this is a
natural progression of discovery which is apparently a needful one for most
people.


>Can you imagine what
>will happen if you toe-in to an extreme in a close up?  It can be
>really bad.  

*****  This is precisely the point for beginners. Imagine, try and learn!
What do you think it will look like? What does it look like in reality? Why
does it seem so weird? What's going on here? If you skip this discovery and
simply provide a *rule*, the beginner hasn't been helped.



>So this "recommendation" says that the correct way to
>do it is to not toe-in *if you can*.  No one is going to jail for 
>toeing-in!!!

****  You can call it a recommendation if you like, but you have to admit
that sometimes this has been expressed as if hard as granite, which may fall
on the head of a toe-in practitioner...

I think the quickly negative response about toe-in derives from the
foundational nature of this factor in the stereo  learning process. It's a
typical ultra newbie question. As such it shows an interest in self
observation which is something to be encouraged.


>....................
>*His* approach is the simple, easy, and convenient approach to the
>medium.  Yeah, sure!  Go and tell the "novices" that they need
>two SLRs back to back and slide film to get started in stereo.  
>See what they will say...

****  Despite the fact that I know Boris works with that system, I didn't
see him espouse that method for beginners. I think he's just eliciting
thought...


>
>Amateurs want to take pictures of vacation and family, not nudes.

******  Huh???!!!!!!!  Ask around at your local high school and see if
amateur photographers there would prefer taking pictures of family or
nudes....  I think nudes will win! The facts may dictate that they end up
taking family pictures, but that's not necessarily the same as what they
wanted. I think many a photographer of the mundane has been inspired at
least in part by dreams of photographing the nude.


>..................
>OK, this is Boris' approach.  How about my approach which was/is shared 
>by thousands of stereo enthusiasts???  You want to talk about "novices"?
>I got my first camera at the age of 28.  Never owned a camera (2d, not
>stereo) before in my life!  Saw a picture of a Realist in a Reel 3-D
>catalog.  Got one for under $100 in a garage sale at the age of 29.  
>With no instructions I figured how to use it (I am a genius, I know!) 
>and how to mount my own slides (I had never used slide film before!) 
>from supplies that Reel 3-D offers.  Have been happy ever since.  I have 
>had at least a dozen people follow these steps.  All success stories.

****  Outside of P3D and the circles of folk *in the know*, the Realist
camera is hard to find. One rarely finds one at yard sales or flea markets
anymore. I've NEVER seen one at such places. I know lots of people who would
give up at the first mention of mounting slides. (never mind that they are
geniuses too)

I've been pleasantly surprised by the numbers of people showing up in stereo
circles today who got their start by being inspired by some 3D image and on
their own started taping single use cameras together... Those are success
stories!

I'm thankful for the diversity within the medium. I hope it stays that way
and at the same time becomes something that is easier to work with and
enjoy. I don't think that is any sort of a contradiction.


Larry Berlin

Email: lberlin@xxxxxxxxx
http://www.sonic.net/~lberlin/
http://3dzine.simplenet.com/


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