2009.10.03. - Slight change in contest rules: instead of noting me with entries you can simply post your entries to this forum thread: [link]

2009.10.17. - I uploaded a tutorial on taking stereo photos to youtube, and I found a cool tutorial about turning drawings and paintings into stereoscopic images.

2009.10.22. - As a lot of people had problems converting their images to anaglyph, or didn't have the source images of anaglyphs, we decided not to require both: posting either of the two is a valid entry!

You may have realized, that lately I didn't upload many new deviations. That is due to the fact, that I'm writing my PhD thesis, so for a few months I won't be as active as I used to be!

I received my first DD last month! Thank you for all the s and comments, and thanks for `Helewidis for featuring it It is also on show at Soulard Art Market as part of the "SPOKED!" bike themed art exhibition.

I decided to upload my panoramas to 360Cities from now on, and I will link their viewer from descriptions. You can check out my 360Cities profile here: [link]

I also bought an ND400 filter... it's really cool for long exposure photography. I love what it does to waterfalls and the sea. Those of you thinking about buying one: be aware that they are not manufactured any more, so be sure to grab the last few that remains in stores.

A few days ago I let my honey take a few photos of me - something I don not normally allow anyone - and I pretty much like the result. She successfully convinced me, that I can look good on the other side of the lens too... XD Check out the pictures:

3D imagery (also called stereoscopy) is a very old technology, but - apart from the few 3D IMAX movies, RealD movies, and Mars imagery released by NASA - it hasn't been a wide spread technology when it comes to art and entertainment. It's very hard to find stereo cameras on the market and they are pretty low quality and expensive. In the next few years this is about to change, as Fuji has already announced their first digital 3d compact camera for the consumer market. BUT it is fairly easy to make 3D imagery without a special camera (see the F.A.Q. section bellow) so here is the challenge for YOU:

RULE #1: DO NOT FREAK OUT if you don't understand any of the words below, or you don't know how to do any of them! They are all described in the F.A.Q. section, and tutorials are linked. It's really simple, and it's really worth to understand, as you'll have a lot of fun while creating imagery for this contest! I PROMISE! Oh... and the prices are pretty cool too! It will bring a lot of exposure to the winners.

Create any kind of 3D image (i.e. a stereoscopic pair of images) This can be either a pair of photos or one of your digital 3D scenes re-rendered as a pair of images, or even a pair of vexel drawing. So basically all kind of visual media accepted, as long as the result is a quality 3D image.

Upload it as a red-cyan anaglyph, cross view, free view or mirror eye view!

Post your entry to the forum thread behind this link (Please use thumbs if possible. To find the thumb codes simply open the deviation page, and look for it on the right side. The top of the right side begins with "Details" and as you go down you'll find "Share". It's a very useful part of the page, and you'll find thumb codes there as well!)

You can have as many entries as you wish, but only one of them may place.

10th of December, 2009

Please link the contest announcement news article in the description of your entries.

To get an idea of what we are expecting check out the images below:



And about the prices.

1st Place: 1 year subscription from =rdevill
2st Place: 3 month subscription from *knifeofdreams
3st Place: 1 month subscription from =rdevill

Best quality entries (up to 20) will be exhibited for 3 weeks at Teto Galeria, Budapest and at Diabolus ArtSpace on Second Life.
_{Teto Galeria is a gallery located near the center of Budapest, and ran by a foundation. The building also serves as a public gathering place, so the exhibition will be seen by a lot of people. Diabolus ArtSpace is one of the most prominent galleries on Secont Life, and also a frequently visited forum for artists, and admirers.}.
Features from: =BloodPromiser *TaNgeriNegreeN1986 =AmorphisDoom *knifeofdreams and =rdevill.
Runners up will receive a feature of their entry in my journal.

Please donate a price if you can!

Judges will be *knifeofdreams, =rdevill, and on behalf of Atrspace Diabolus: Velazquez Bonetto

Deadline: 10. December

You can check out the entries here

F.A.Q.
How does 3D imagery work?
First you have to understand why you have a sense of depth while looking at the outside world. When you travel on a train the trees closer to the rails seem to relatively "move faster" comparing to the ones that are far. Similarly if you try to shut your left eye, than you open open it up and close your right eye, it will look as if closer object have moved relative to object that are further. Our brain uses this information to find out the distance of objects, giving us a sense of depth. Classic 3D photography tries to mimic this effect by providing the two eyes with two separate photos, that were taken with two cameras located next to each other. This is called a stereoscopic pair of images. You can mimic this effect with one camera too!

I have only one camera! How do I create 3D images with it?
Video tutorial on taking stereo photos
You don't need anything fancy. You can record the two pictures using one camera. However, one limitation of using a single camera is that you are restricted to subjects that don't move between the two shots. Simply take one image, take a small step to your right, and take a second image. Try to keep the camera in the same level while taking the two photos, and if possible use Manual mode. Locking auto focus after the first image can also help getting better result, but it's absolutely not necessary. For more detailed description read Getting Started with 3D Photography by Terry Wilson or How to Take 3D Photos

I can borrow a second camera! How do I create 3D images with them?
Video tutorial on taking stereo photos
First of all make sure that the camera you borrow, is identical to your own. In case of SLRs also make sure to use identical lenses on them. After that you can just set up the cameras on two separate tripods, and press the shutter releases at once, or use a remote to fire the two cameras simultaneously. Sounds very simple, isn't it? It's still a good idea to check out these resources: Getting Started with 3D Photography by Terry Wilson or How to Take 3D Photos

I'm a 3D digital artist! How do I get started?
It's even simpler for you! All you have to do, is to duplicate the camera, and move it a bit to the right. Render the image for both views, and there it is. For a more detailed description read the stereo tutorial for Bryce. If you are using any other 3D software, it should be easy to adapt the technique described there.

I'm a painter or I want to convert images to 3D by hand! How do I get started?
There is a [link]"cool tutorial for you behind this link

I'm a vexel artist! How do I get started?
Well... I didn't find any good tutorials for that, but I'm sure you can work it out. All you have to do is to create a vexel image, and when ready export the image as jpg. Than try to shift some of the objects to the right (onyl horizontally). The further you want an object to appear, the more you have to move it. Probably it won't be perfect for the first time, but after a few rounds of trial and error it should be fine. (If anyone makes a nice tutorial for this, I'll link it )

What is a red-cyan anaglyph?
It's a technique for viewing 3D images without expensive polarized dual projectors like the ones they use in 3D cinemas, and in 3DIMAX theaters. The image for the left eye is colored red, and the one for the right is cyan. To view such images you'll need red-cyan anaglyph glasses like the ones on the left. If you'd like to know more check out the Wikipedia article on anaglyps.

I don't have anaglyph glasses! Where do I get them?
You can either make your own from easy to buy materials, or order one online for as cheap as $2 for 2 pairs of glasses. Also you can go to any comic book shop, and ask for any 3D comic book that comes with anaglyph glasses.

How do I make an anaglyph from a pair of stereoscopic images?
There are very nice tutorials on the web for doing that in Photo Shop or in GIMP. Follow the links! Or you can use the PhotoShop action created by *knifeofdreams

Is there any other way to view 3D images?
Yes! Plenty! For example you can use the mirror eye technique!

Can I view 3D images in color?
Yes! For example you can use the mirror eye technique!

Tips
Try to look for scenes with lot of "layers", and detailed patterns. For example trees in the woods, or buildings in a city.

When you create an anaglyph, it's a good idea to first desature the images. Color anaglyphs may look a bit closer to real color, but you'll have more sense of depth with monocrome anaglyphs.

To make sure you are up to date, watch my journal during the contest. After the contest you can unwatch me if you prefer, and during the contest I don't plan to upload any other journals, apart from contest updates!

Sometimes I get really angry when people start to say things like "Global warming is just propaganda..." or like "humans can't have an effect on global climate" or "there is a natural period of global warming and cooling every few hundred years, it's all natural"! Well... it must be nice to be so sure that YOU are not killing the world unintentionally, and I hate to break it to you, BUT...

Oh... let me first tell you how this whole thing came up! There is a lovely little village I visited last month with *knifeofdreams in Austria, called Heiligenblut. This village has a strong tourism since the early 1900s, when a car road (!!!CAR ROAD in 1901!!!) was built through the surrounding hills, with it's highest point reaching 2,500m (aprox. 8,000 ft) above sea level. An enormous project compared to the technologies available at that time. The first parts of the road were opened in the first decade of the 20th century, but it wasn't until 1935 that the entire road was operational. The Grossglockner Hochalpenstrasse (as it is called today) is one of the most beautiful car roads, with spectacular views along it's whole length. So if you are too lazy or weak to climb a mountain, but you'd like to look down from some of the highest mountains of Europe: that's definitely a place to go!

It also has a branch road that leads to Franz Josefs Höhe, where the visitor may find a parking place (very convenient), a museum, a view of the Pasterze (an enormous glacier) and the Grossglockner (with it's 3798m height, it is the highest point of Austria) and the beginning of a lovely walk trail (called Gamsgruben Weg) that is designed for a regular couch potato. And that's where the sad part of the story begins... Originally - in 1900 - Gamsgruben Weg was right next to the glacier Pasterze, now it is about 200 meters above it. The enormous glacier that once filled the valley is getting smaller, and smaller, slowly diminishing. When I was a kid we used to go there a lot, and in my memories I keep an image of the Pasterze that involves white ice filling up most of the place between the hills around, a majestic river of ice ending in an enormous 20-30 meters high freezing cold wall of blue. All of that is gone, and what remains is a layer of ice covered by stones and dirt at the bottom of the valley that once was the place of Pasterze for thousands of years... it seems that our beloved Pasterze has only a few decades before disappearing completely.

And what it all has to do with humans? Well... as the emission rates increased all of the glaciers - including the Pasterze - started to decrease at a pace proportional to the amount of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere. In 1960 a funicular railway was built from Franz Josefs Höhe reaching down to the glacier as it was already a few minutes walk down. Today the funicular is still operational, but only reaches about 3rd the way down to the glacier, rendering it pretty much useless... Along the trail down there are signs commemorating the glacier's position in every 5 years, indicating a terrifying future for it. First we walked few meters between signs, but the difference between the sign for 2000 and 2005 was pretty horrifying.

About 10 years ago I took a 3D photo of Pasterze, and this year I replicated the exact same image. It's not as shocking as actually standing there, and seeing it with your own eye, but still worth comparing the images:



So next time you hear some smart a** bitch about the global warming campaign... tell him to go to Heiligenblut, and walk down from Franz Josefs Höhe to Pasterze... For the rest of you: let's hope that the measures taken against the global warming are enough to let our kids see some of the ice that remains. In the meantime be sure to visit Heiligenblut, as it is a beautiful place!

By the way, I took tons of photos in the Grossglockner area, and so did *knifeofdreams so stay tuned for beautiful landscapes Until I can find time to edit my photos, check out the ones *knifeofdreams already uploaded:

So we are back again with a best of ThumbShare forum feature! Cool right? Somehow I felt that with all these big-big features the best of the bests gets a bit lost between the lots of other features. So from now on I will pick a few deviants whose post were more impressive, than of the rest.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE NEXT FEATURE: click here and post to the forum thread that appears I'll do my best to feature as many talented photographers as I can

I'm officially closing this kind of features in my journal.