P3D Dear Teri - Part IV

[George Themelis <gthemelis@xxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Teri,

If you have followed my recommendations you should be out now
taking stereo pictures with your digital camera, between pizza
deliveries.  It is so easy!  

Sometimes when my car is rolling slowly between red lights, I am
thinking of mounting my camera to the side window to take
pictures with the rolling of the car giving me the shift (no
slide bar).  Many of us like to take advantage of "moving
platforms"  (like a rolling car, a boat, plane, etc.) to take
stereo pairs with a single camera.  Hyperstereos, of course. 
These can be spectacular!

I must admit I often drive and eat pizza, or take stereo
pictures or view stereo slides.  I have not tried mounting yet. 
Life is too short to waste driving, but it can be even shorter
if you are not careful while driving!  So please ignore me and
keep BOTH eyes on the road!!!

The next natural step after the shoot-shift-shoot is to get a
stereo camera that will give you two pictures in one exposure. 
Why do you even need this?  You will soon realize that if
something moves between your two exposures then this something
sticks out in the stereo pair and it is usually disturbing. 
There are many things that can move, leaves, traffic, people...
It would be virtually impossible to make people stay still in a
sequential exposure.  That's where the stereo camera comes
handy.  (And this can even be two regular cameras connected
together.)

The next question is "what format"?  Ahhh... this format again! 
Like the DOS and MAC computer battles, we have to worry about
formats too.  You know why?  Because of this viewing issue. 
Most 2d photographers are not worried about format, but we are. 
There are Realist slides, 2x2 slides, View-Master slides,
Holmes' prints, View-Magic prints, anaglyph prints, and more! 
The problem is this:  If I send you a Realist format slide and
you don't have a Realist format viewer, you cannot view my
slide.  So I need to send you a viewer too.

Some people work with slides others with prints, some use 35mm
camera equipment, others medium format and others digital. 
Small groups of image exchanges are formed, based on the viewing
format.  Hopefully, we can all live together with mutual respect
but let me tell you this:  You have not seen stereo at its best
until you've seen a medium format stereo slide in a good viewer
(or so I hear! :-))

And then there is always the question of money.  How much money
should you spend in your newfound stereo hobby?  I'll tell you
this:  Lots of people are paying lots of money for minute
improvements (yes, I am guilty too!)  But very little money can
get you an amazing new experience.  Going from 2d to 3d is the
big step and requires very little money.   So go for it!

Most probably you are tired of my monologue.  I am tired too. 
So let me wrap things up by telling you that I have been in this
list for 5 years now and I have made many good friends.  We
might appear controversiAL (he, he, he!) at times, too
technical, arrogant, smart asses, rude, too quick to judge, too
short or too lengthy to reply, etc., but we all have this
something special, our love for 3d that keeps us going.  We feel
like a special group.  We have a big gathering once a year and
hug each other and have beers together.  It's been a great ride.

Stick with us and there is a lot to be learned!

George Themelis



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George Themelis (DrT-3d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
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