When you view 3d images in a viewer or with 3D glasses the optics of the viewer (or glasses) allow the left eye to see only the image intended for the left eye and the right only the image intended for it. With freeviewing both left and right images are always visible so you need to learn to point each eye at the correct image.
There are two methods of viewing for these images – the first is called Parallel viewing:
In parallel viewing the image for the left eye is on the left and the image for the right eye is on the right. You stare into the screen so that your eyes are aimed (more or less) parallel. As you stare into the screen you will get double vision as each eye sees the L & R images separately. When you are staring in at the right distance the middle two images will overlap and become 3d. The outer two images will remain and will still be 2d.
The second method is cross-viewing:
In cross eye viewing the image for the left eye is on the right and the image for the right eye is on the left. You stare at a point about 1/2 way to the screen so that your eye’s gaze is crossing at the half way point. Thus the left eye sees the correct image which is on the right. As you cross your eyes the image will go double. When your eyes are crossed the correct amount the middle images will overlap and be in 3d. The two outer images will remain and will be in 2d. [Source - go here for additional help viewing these images.]
On to the images! Click each image for a full size view and be sure to tell us what you think in the comments. Finally, many thanks to Denashi who suggested this list in the forums.
10. Fluorite
Photo by Terry Wilson
9. Mountains
Photo by Chip Stephan
8. English Cathedral
7. Lake Palanskoye
6. Countryside
Photo by Liceo Piovesan
5. Mount St Helens
4. Clouds
Photo by Terry Wilson
3. Lisbon, Portugal
Photo by Vasco Pires
2. Aerial View
Photo by Volkan Yuksel
1. Boston, USA
Photo by Wei O’Connell
All images are copyright (c) their respective owners
the tree works best for me
i think the reason they all work easy for me is because my eyes naturally cross when I focus a little to long on anything. So much so that I can force them to do it without strain. Normal eye muscles are not supposed to work against each other so it is harder for them to understand what you are making them do, and they fight it. You probably get the middle picture to come up but the second you have it and you try to see the image your eyes automatically refocus themselves and you don’t get the chance. It is the chewing gum while walking, you can’t force you muscles and see the picture at the same time.
It is actually a very good thing
I’ve tried so much my head hurts. Still can’t do it. It starts to…then snaps back. I’ll try again later.
It’s really easy to make these, you know. Just shoot one picture, lean to the right about four inches (10 cm) and shoot the next. Put you images side by side. Works every time and is so easy. If you want to exaggerate the 3D effect just move over more than 4 inches.
jocbsboss: thanks for telling us how – I would really love to have a go at it
If you are serious about trying it here are a couple of hints:
1.) High contrast lighting makes it easier to see the effect, on-camera flash makes it more difficult.
2.) Match the corner of your shot. Make note of what is in the corner of the first shot (top, bottom, doesn’t matter) and make sure that it is the same in your second shot.
jocsboss: I definitely am – thanks for the tips. Is there some special software to help with it?
Nah, I use Photoshop but I don’t think you need anything that powerful. I just create a new document twice as big as one picture and drag them both into it.
Couple more tips – shoot vertically (note most of the images here) and try not to use too wide angle of a lens.
If you think about it for a sec there really is no secret. You are just trying to duplicate what your eyes see, which is why you take your images about 4 inches apart. that is about the space between your eyes. So you are essentially taking a left eye image and a right eye image.
Another hint for beginners looking at these stereo pairs is to put a flat divider vertically and perpendicular to their face between their eyes. You can use anything; piece of cardboard, your hands, roadkill, whatever
jocsboss: I have a 50mm lens and a wide angle lens – do you think that a 50mm would give too much bokeh to make it suitable?
Jamie: If you are using 35mm film a 50mm lens is near perfect. I’m not real sure if it would give too much bokeh, but then that’s something that I’ve not had a lot of experience with
To make easier to se 3D cros eyes pictures I developed a the schematic diagram uploaded in the panoramio site http://www.panoramio.com/photo/827056 you can use it with the picture http://www.panoramio.com/photo/826745 . This one is easier to se because the diferent color of the shirt help to do.
YEEEEESSSS! I FINALLY SEE THE COUNTRYSIDE AFTER LIKE 20 MINS OF STARING!
Liceo: thanks for that – very very helpful! And congratulations on image 6 – it is stunning! Stereo or not, you have a great eye for an incredible picture.
Travis: it feels great when you finally see them eh?
This is a good list, though photos number 10, 4 and 5 are in paralell view, the others are in crooss eyed view. Photo nº5 is very difficult to see
lol if my kids walked in right now they would think i was on glue…lol i will persevere, am almost getting it…
woah! now that was cool
So where are the top ten jfrater stereo images? You’ve had just about a month. We’re all waiting with bated breath.
Please correct that Number 1 image by Wei O’Connell is not from Boston. It is from Chicago Millennium Park. Most of these images are from Panoramio
http://www.panoramio.com/tags/3d/
Cheers, Volkan
this is really cool!
can i use some of these on ebaums?
this one is pretty good too
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1887001
I absolutly cannot get the Mt. Saint Helens one!
That was so much fun! Unfortunately I can no longer see straight.
˙sʇɹnɥ pɐǝɥ ʎɯ
˙ʞɔnnnnɟ ˙ƃuoɹʍ ʎlqıɹɹoɥ ǝuoƃ sɐɥ ƃuıɥʇǝɯos
I don’t get it, i can’t do it, what am i actually supposed to see here?
Cool, the dust on my monitor looks 3D.
im screwed then,i only got one eye!!!!
Argh. Nearly had it. My eyes keep fading back to normal.
Good List, but Vasco’s (#74) right about 10, 4, and 5. You have to use the “magic eye” method to see those properly. Number 9 is Mt Watkins at Mirror Lake in Yosemite National Park, CA.
The cloud one is pretty good… a lot of them are kind of flawed, though… as if they were just practice.
argh, cant really say i enjoy this list:P it rather *****es me off. lol
only way to cross my eyes is to look at my nose. =_=
i might as well have had one eye like andy, wouldnt make a difference here.
yeah… it looks like they got a lot of them backwards… the stuff that ought to be in the background is showing up in the front and vice-versa.
@infallibleange : The ones appears to be in reverse dept (including mine the #2) are meant to be observed with Cross-Eyed technique. When you look at these kind of stereo view images with parallel viewing technique, they will appear in reversed depth order as you are mentioning. Cheers from Chicago, Volkan
Oh. I do not know how to do the cross-eyed technique then. I thought the two (parallel and cross-eyed) were the same technique with the same results, but just a different process of achieving it. Like a Magic-Eye.
I wasn’t aware that there were more than one effect…
Hey… I’m in Chicago as well!
The cross eyed one works best for me. I know a kid in my school who could raw these and they looked all 3d and what not. There’s a bit of a trick to it, but when you get it, it’s really cool. Not to mention your eyes feel really weird. haha
Oh no! My eyes are stuck in crossward fasion and I’m entering into the matrix!
hhhheeeelllppp.
spiraling into the vortex…if only I can straighten my line of vision.
nope.
good bye cruel world.
only got it to work a couple times
but number one is amaze if you get it to work…
woooo
PLEASE POST MORE OF THESE
Boo – I can’t see these things because I see images separately and my poor brain won’t put the two together. I can see things through 3d lenses tho.
Heheh, I have a slightly independent eyesetting anyway, so these leapt out beautifully for me. I spent some time looking for the little glitches – bits that hadn’t been quite properly transposed… (Tip: if you can do the double-image 3d thing, you can now use this to cheat at “spot the difference puzzles” – look carefully, and the “differences” will sort of flash, as one eye registers it, and the other doesn’t.
I LUV THESE IMAGES!!
(> ^_^)>
DO POST MORE
A PART 2!
wow, thats amazing! lol, and once i get my eyes focused just right, its kinda hard to get out of. i love the portugal one. it looks like an enterence, be through your computer.
headache….
7. Lake Palanskoye
I was worried at first cause I can’t do magic eyes but I got them to work after a while and they are really cool!
this gave me quite a headache and when i tried the crosseyed one, i found one eye was trying harder than the other… after about 10 seconds i felt like i just wanted to go to sleep or rest my eyes ahahah
Wow, this is amazing! I love the clouds! gave me a headache though
o..k i wish i could do these but i can’t i am a retard and i don’t think my eyes are that…um….good
Blind in one eye, it totally sucks
I feel like punching my monitor after this… I do not get how you guys are able to make this stupid thing work.
This the like the coolest thing ever. I can see 3D without glasses. I also found that once you had the 3D image, it worked like a microscope or telescope. I had to move my head forwards and backwards to make it focus.
Seriously though, I’ve learned a new skill.
This sort of thing is easier to see in 3D if you make an animated GIF of the two images flashing quickly.
I only see half off the pictures
hEY THIS WAS
pURE dELIGHT
cAN tHERE mAY bE mORE oF tHEM.
Tip: If you’ve ever heard of the magic eye books its the same technique
plus you know when u cross your eyes and your view doubles and moves away from each other, well do that until the images above link and then relax your eyes on the new 3d image you’ve created (dont literally relax your eyes as in going back to normal vision)
Heyyy! I tried to look at these several months ago, and couldn’t do it. Today, I was able to do it immediately.
These are pretty awesome; if you still can’t do it, just go back to it later. =)
ahhh these are amazing! do another one of these!
I am rubbish at doing these; I can never do Magic Eye pictures either
I love the idea though!
UGH! head aches!!