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How to Make 3d Photos

With a pair of red-blue 3-D glasses (available here) , a digital camera, as well as some photo editing software, you too can make your very own three-dimensional photographs (anaglyphs)! Popularized by spectacular shots from the NASA Mars rovers in 2004, these images portray depth with surprising accuracy.

1. Find an interesting subject to photograph. Your subject should be able to sit still (fidgety kids need not apply), as well as it should contain some depth. Your buddy in front of a bare white wall will look as boring in 3-D as he or she does normally. Consider close-ups of detailed things. You will probably want to set your camera to macro mode - the symbol is typically a flower.
2. Your subject needs to be able to sit still because you will be taking two "as-identical-as-possible" photos: one for the left-eye view as well as one for the right. A tripod might be nice, but it certainly isn't necessary. Take the first photo, then move the camera about 2 inches (the distance between your eyes) to the right as well as try to retake the photo to be as identical to the last one as possible.
3. Copy the two images to your computer. Open in whatever photo editing program you prefer.
4. Convert the first (left) image to grayscale (yes, you are discarding color information).
5. Convert the second (right) image to grayscale, then reconvert it back to RGB. It should still appear gray.
6. Still working on your second image, change your program to a mode that controls color channels. Select just the Red channel.
7. Back on the first image, select all, then copy. Return to the second image as well as paste.
8. Set your program to display all color channels (RGB), but leave only the red channel selected (as before). Displaying is probably indicated by a little eye icon. You should now see a grayscale image with red as well as blue halos.
9. Move the red layer around with the mouse or arrow keys so that the two line up, minimizing the halos.
10. Examine the photo while wearing your red-blue glasses (red over the left eye). You can change the natural focal point of the photo by readjusting the red layer's alignment. Eliminate the halos around an object in your photo to make it the focal point.
11. If it is just not working for you, try looking through the glasses backward (red over the right eye). When you have something you like, crop off the red as well as blue edges of the photo as well as save it. A well done 3-D photo should look mostly gray with small shadows of red as well as blue.

• A common mistake is to move more than 2 inches in step 2.

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Added: Thu Feb 02 2006

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