LF stereo photography -- anyone tried it?

[chris jordan]

Hi guys, I'm wondering about the possibility of doing some LF stereo photography, and making large high-resolution left and right-side prints, one for each eye. Mirrors or prisms would have to be used so the viewer's eyes wouldn't have to do too many gymnastics to see the prints properly. If this could be accomplished, I think viewer could be treated to an astonishingly vivid 3-D viewing experience.

Does anyone know whether this has been tried, or whose experience I might be able to benefit from so I'm not inventing the process from scratch?

Cheers to all,

~cj

[dsphotog]

Yes, do a Google search for David Lee stereo photo.
He designed a LF stereo viewer,called Hyper-view, sold by Berezin Stereo. Look at the link below, it includes instuctions by Dave.
http://www.berezin.com/3d/Hyperview.htm
I've seen exhibits using the viewer...Hyper cool!!
We are pals from waaay back, his work is superb.
Send me a pm if you want to discuss further
David Silva
Modesto, Ca

[Wayne Lambert]

In the 1970's and 1980's Harold E. Malde of the U. S. Geological Survey, Denver, was making stereopairs of terrestrial subjects on 4x5 Ektachrome with a Sinar monorail camera. He used the shift mechanism, first making one exposure with the front and back standards shifted all the way to the left, then the second exposure with the standards shifted all the way to the right. As I recall this movement provided 3-4 inches of stereo separation, perhaps slightly more. He viewed the stereo pairs on a light table with a mirror stereoscope (the standard instrument for viewing aerial photographs). The effect of seeing the 4x5 Ektachromes in stereo was absolutely stunning; you didn't want to stop looking. I suppose it was literally the next-best- thing to being there. (Much more impressive than Viewmaster!) In addition to providing a qualitative pictorial effect, the stereopairs allowed him to calculate height, width, etc., of topographic features using photogrammetric techniques. I believe these stereopairs are archived in the USGS Photo Library in Denver. At that time Malde was doing repeat photography to monitor landscape change in the Southwest U. S. I was fortunate to be able to assist him in the field occasionally. I believe he also instructed Mark Klett at Arizona State University on the stero technique; you might contact Mark for details.

I suppose one could make mammoth stereoprints and use some kind of mammoth stereoscope to view them. Sounds like a large and interesting project.
Wayne Lambert

[Wayne Lambert]

I should also mention that for increased stereo separation you can construct, or perhaps buy, a tripod-mounted stereobar with a sliding tripod screw. For more stereo separation when you don't have a tripod you can use a simple standing technique. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then put most of your weight on your left leg. Make the first photograph. Then shift your weight to your right leg. Make the second photograph. In the process of shifting your weight from left leg to right leg your head moves laterally providing about 5-6 inches of stereo separation. I used to use this technique with a 35mm SLR and Kodachrome if I wanted a quick-and-dirty stereo record of a scene.
For extreme stereo effect you can move the camera many feet left to right along a base line. The foreground, of course, will be nonsensical, but with this technique even distant mountain ranges will appear in 3D.

[Diane Maher]

I have a frame splitter for my 5x7 back on my Century No. 7 studio camera. I tried it with some still lifes and it was pretty cool. It's not quite stereo however.

[chris jordan]

Hi guys, thanks a ton-- that gives me a good start. David Lee's website is a fountain of info.

[Jim Noel]

Original stereo cards were made with a camera with a splitter so this is an old process. If the final prints are mounted on the correct size they can be viewed with an old style stereopticon.

[Scott Schroeder]

It was definitely done with the older processes.
You can even get a camera built for you.
I know Star Camera makes them, and I'm sure some of the other wet plate camera makers could set you up.

[Nathan Potter]

This has been done for years in aerial photography in 8 X 8 to 10 X 10 format. I did this for Navy intelligence (an oxymoron?) in the middle east. When properly calibrated for subject heights a flying spot connected to a micrometer on the stereo viewer can be used to accurately measure the height of objects on the ground. But much more sophisticated techniques are used now. What I used to do is history.

Nate Potter, Austin TX.

[chris jordan]

Nathan, can you tell me what you know about the viewing devices? Configuration, size, etc.? It sounds just like what I'm hoping to make.