Red/Cyan glasses must be used to appreciate the full stereo 3D effect.
Anaglyphs are a cool way to look at the world.
There was a time, when an anaglyph image was produced with two different black and white images. One was printed red and the other was printed cyan with inks on paper. The glasses, acting as filters, allowed the colors to be either blocked or seen by the right or left eye.
“anaglyph – Photography – A stereoscopic photograph with the two images superimposed and printed in different colors, producing a stereo effect when the photograph is viewed through correspondingly colored filters.” Apple Dictionary
Early anaglyphs were produced with inks and dot patterns associated with printmaking. In most case, the printed images were a bit on the dull side and it was difficult to see all the details. This was in part due to the way in which they were graphically produced.
Yet, there was something about them that I found intriguing. I found them to be fascinating, but avoided them because they seemed too complicated to create.
To make a stereo pair is almost as easy as shooting two separate shots at two slightly different cameras positions. After that, you need to put them together in a way that makes it possible to view them in stereo. I have written a number of posts about how to make them over the past few years. If you are really interested, I cover the topic in more detail in my book Rethinking Digital Photography as a chapter topic. BTW, the book also comes with a pair of 3D glasses.
Why do I like anaglyphs?
I like them because they are amazing things to look at. The beauty of modern color anaglyphs is the shockingly realistic appearance of depth and detail that can be seen once you put on a proper pair of stereo glasses. I say proper pair, because there are different kinds of 3d glasses required depending on the type of anaglyph being viewed.
The stereo image is meant to be viewed according to the method used to create the final output. Red/Cyan is only one way to produce an anaglyph. There is also blue/amber, red/green, etc. You need red/cyan glasses to see a red/cyan anaglyph, blue/amber to see the results of a blue amber image and so forth.
Another reason I like anaglyphs is that the image is viewable at any size and at any distance, either in its entirety or in part.
NOTICE of Copyright: THIS POSTING AS WELL AS ALL PHOTOGRAPHS, GALLERY IMAGES, AND ILLUSTRATIONS ARE COPYRIGHT © JOHN NEEL AND ARE NOT TO BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT FROM THE WRITER, THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR lensgarden.com. THE IDEAS EXPRESSED ARE THE PROPERTY OF THE PHOTOGRAPHER AND THE AUTHOR.
