With love and gratitude, this book is dedicated to Bill Mance and to my late father-inlaw, Theodore W.

Mance, as well as to my mother-in-law, Mary Louise Mance.

Theodore W. Mance
October 23, 1929 ~ April 23, 2009

This book contains

several examples of anaglyphic photography which I
created on my home computer using a series of two photographs for each subject. I took
these using an ordinary Cyber-shot Sony digital camera without any special 3D lens
attachments. I employed the cha-cha method of creating these sets of photos in order
to demonstrate that anyone can make anaglyph photographs without having to buy
expensive equipment.
So, what is this "cha-cha" technique you may ask? Is it some form of martial
arts? Is it a far-Eastern "mind-over-matter" type of meditation. Nope. Just ask your
grandparents or watch "Dances with the Stars" on TV and you'll get the idea. This handheld camera photographic technique, "cha-cha", is named after the old Cuban dance
rhythm form, "cha-cha-cha", but without the extra "cha" of course -- move left (snap a
photo), then move right (snap a photo). Examine the three photos above and on the next
page. If you alternately close each eye, while wearing your 3D anaglyph (red/cyan)
glasses, you'll notice the left/right photos from each set are combined in the middle photo
[the enlarged one].
For the purpose of this discussion, just think of the subject of your 3D photo as the
letter "B". Take the first photo slightly to the left of "B" where the letter "A" might appear
in your mind. Next, move from "B" (or middle position) slightly to the right (or "C"
position) and take your second photo. There you have it: two photographs of the same
subject, but each slightly off center from the middle position. "Cha-Cha!!!" Can't you just
feel your feet dancing to the beat while you are doing this? A good formula is: Left/right
shift of 1/60th of the distance -- i.e., move one inch left (take shot), then one inch right
(take shot) when subject is at sixty inches (or five feet away) from the camera. Also,
remember to adjust that ratio for closer or longer shots.

If you think about it, you do this all of the time with your own eyes. In that case,
your brain combines two separate images seen by your two eyes and creates the
perception of a three dimensional image with depth from everything you see around you
which has length, width and height. It is actually just a matter of overlapping
perspectives fusing into a unified image by way of our binocular vision.
A simple demonstration of that would be to just hold a pencil at arm's length in
front of you, then look at it alternately with either your left or right eye closed. You will
notice the pencil appears either to the right or the left of any object behind it -depending upon which eye is closed. 3D photographic techniques can recreate this effect
using normally two dimensional images -- like photographs and even movies. The trick is
to use two shots of the same image slightly offset to the left and slightly offset to the
right of one another, then combine them into one image. In a way, by using this method
you are giving your normally one-eyed, two dimensional image capturing camera an extra
point-of-view or perspective. The next step is when your stereo-processing program, like
a brain, merges these two images together so they can be viewed in 3D -- with the use of
anaglyphic glasses or some other stereo-viewing device, of course.
Naturally, all of this then brings up the inevitable questions concerning what kind of
stereo image processing program to use. There are many stereo image processing
programs, both commercial and freeware, in computer stores and on the internet, which
can be purchased or downloaded for free. I personally enjoy an enormously versatile
freeware program called StereoPhoto Maker [tm] created by Masuji Suto -- which (at the
time of this writing) can still be downloaded free of charge on Muttyan's Home Page at
http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/index.html.
I might also add that the above freeware program allows you to create true color
stereographic cards (the kind you place into Argus/Loreo and/or Holmes viewers), as well
as a host of other 3D effects and methods. I can't recommend this fantastic freeware
program enough. I've used it, off and on, for years whenever the 3D photo-bug bites me.
Besides, anything that can help stir up the creative juices of artists, of any age, anywhere
in the world, has got to be a good thing. Right? And hey, what the heck, the price is right
too. You can't beat free.
So, that's all there is for me to add -- for now. Just remember, half the fun of learning
something new is finding some of the answers yourself and discovering your own unique
capabilities without always being spoon-fed information. Who knows, you might even

create some really remarkable photographic techniques of your very own along the way
on that journey towards discovery.
As I've mentioned earlier, at the beginning of this exposition, the following pages are
just a few of my own examples. I might point out that slight "ghosting", also known as
cross-talk, (that is, faint double images surrounding extreme pop-ups, as well as
peripheral objects, in anaglyph photography) is still frequently a problem that many
anaglyph photographers have to deal with (especially with the ten to one
compression/resolution reduction ratio often encountered in creating an e-book) -- but, as
with any form of art, there are sometimes unavoidable aesthetic compromises which
have to be made. This is especially true when teaching by example. In art, as in life, we
regularly learn more by following the detours of our own frequent mishaps and mistakes.
Creativity is never a straight line and, more often than not, neither is the path to
knowledge of any sort.
In parting, I wish to convey one very important piece of advice to all current and
prospective artists -- never fall in love with anything you produce. Always focus an
unwavering critical eye on whatever you do. It is the only way to evolve your talent as an
artist. Personally, if I did not believe I still have much room to grow in that regard I'd
certainly be limiting myself towards further improvement. Just remember, every teacher
who is worthy of that honorable title is also a student for life as well.
Now, get out your camera and let's make some art!
"Bud" E. Lewis Evans
M.A. (Studio Art)

PS - Don't forget to put on your Red/Cyan Anaglyph Viewing Glasses. Some are under
a dollar on the internet; also available at most comic book and toy stores. Personally, I
prefer the paper frames with red/cyan gel film lens - red and blue hard lens are often too
dark and cause too much ghosting for my taste. Also, please remember that these
images were reduced from high resolution photographs (at over 285 megabytes in size
collectively to approximately less than 10 megabytes in total) so that they might fit into
the condensed e-book format -- consequently some minor ghosting is inevitable. In
addition, you might consider changing your background in your e-reader to black with
white text while viewing this e-book as it will substantially enhance your 3D viewing
experience.

The photo above shows an example of the type of anaglyph red/cyan gel film 3D glasses
that I prefer. The thinner film allows more light in. From my experience, I found them to
also decrease the amount of "ghosting" or cross-talk.

To make a "pop up" anaglyph, position your camera slightly above the subject of your
photograph, but not directly overhead. Think of the hands of a clock set at 2 o'clock -that should be your position in relationship to the object you are photographing. This is
similar to three-point perspective in mechanical drawing. It is also called a "bird's eye
view" when photographing buildings and tall objects from above -- usually in an aerial
shot. Make sure the subject appears to telescope dramatically down to a narrowing
vanishing point. If you can mentally draw an invisible "V" boundary around your subject
then you are doing it right. These make the best "pop up" 3D photos.

You can also use "PhotoShop (tm)" or one of many other PC graphics art programs to
create backgrounds for selected portions of your pictures for interesting effects as well.
You are only as limited as your imagination as an artist.

For a "pop up" effect, position the camera slightly above the subject. The same holds
true with portrait shots.

This "3D-ish" image was created without a 3D camera (utilizing just a single photo of
me from my high school yearbook). Two copies of the same photo are just layered on top
of one another and slightly out of register using StereoPhoto Maker [tm] created by
Masuji Suto. Of course, this is not a true "in the round" stereographic 3D image like the
images preceding this, but, nevertheless, it is a fun and creative thing you can do with
existing photos. (Note: a neutral background works best when layering existing photos)

This Halloween photo above was taken with a Fuji Finepix Real 3D double aperture
camera -- as were the following Halloween 2012 photos.

In contrast, the photo above of my computer mouse was taken with a single aperture
Sony Cyber-Shot digital camera. You can use your existing digital camera without having
to invest in a more expensive model and still get great results if, with a little practice, you
do it correctly. It's really not that difficult at all.

The pair of glasses, in photo above, were taken with a single aperture camera in two
shots and then recombined for a stereoscopic effect.

Beautiful 3D anaglyph photographs can be taken with any ordinary single aperture
digital camera. There is slight cross-talk or "ghosting" (double images) visible on the
foreground subject in this example as it attempts to create a receding depth-of-field
(observe the flower in the background) as well a "pop-up" from the foreground image
(note the left hand).

This is a close up of the same Clematis flower from the previous shot. The left side of
this image advances towards the viewer while the right side recedes in space creating a
sense of depth to the picture. Never photograph something straight on or flat against a
background. Utilizing acute or sharp angles are best for "pop ups" as well as for "depthof-field" photos. This is a very important point when creating a 3D photographic image.

Photo taken with a single aperture digital camera.

I took the photo above of a Clematis with a "Fuji-Film Finepix 3D [tm]" dual aperture
stereoscopic digital camera. For the sake of comparison and contrast, please note that all
of my anaglyph photographs (unless listed otherwise) on the following pages were taken
with a single aperture "Sony Cyber-Shot [tm]" digital camera using the "cha-cha" method.
My purpose for contrasting the two devices is simply to demonstrate that anyone with a
single aperture regular digital camera can achieve similar 3D effects comparable to using
a dual aperture camera specifically designed for 3D photos. (Note: The "floating frame"
was added to provide additional depth. This option is available in the freeware program
called "StereoPhoto Maker [tm]" created by Masuji Suto)

This photo was taken with a single aperture conventional digital camera.

A garden or a city park is a great place to find inspirational subject matter. With the
notable exception of the color red, most other colors pick up quite well in anaglyph

photography -- especially blues, greens, yellows and even some purples.

Simple frames help draw attention and focus to your subject and 3D images.

The flower buds (being the closest image in the foreground) capture the 3D "pop up"

effect quite well.

Observe the flower petal on the far right bottom in the above photo. If you
alternately close one eye and then the other while wearing your 3D glasses you will
notice the petal disappearing in red left lens. Be careful not to crop your subject matter
when framing the two photos to be combined. This can cause "ghosting" in that portion of
your 3D photograph.

Even floral photographs can be impressive black and white anaglyphs when it
emphasizes texture and form over dependency on color for dramatic effect.

The color green does tend to be the hue least affected and altered by filtering in
red/cyan anaglyph photography. Grass and leafy vegetation appear the most natural
because of this chromatic bias. Even though there is slight "ghosting" in the photo above
(which is nowhere apparent in the print version, but only due to the massive compression
necessary for e-book conversion) one can still see that where monochromic (single color)
compositions of non-flowering plants are used (although blue, purple and yellow flowers
do often photograph well), the results can be most satisfactory.
[You can view several more examples of this on the following pages]

This photo of Bobby, our Corgi, was taken using a double aperture camera (two
photos taken simultaneously) for a stereoscopic image. Compare this to my other single
aperture camera photos using the "cha cha" method.

Sometimes framing can strengthen your 3D photo.

There is one distinct advantage regarding double aperture 3D photography. Since pets
(as well as children) tend to fidget a lot, a dual aperture camera requires less patience in
capturing a good shot. Although, other examples below show that it can be done.

Another double aperture camera photo -- that is,

two photos were taken
simultaneously for this stereoscopic image. In contrast, the photos of the Corgi following
this one were taken using only a single aperture digital camera.

Example: Use of single aperture digital camera (two photos taken separately before
combining each offset photo together) employing the "cha cha" method for stereoscopic
anaglyph photography. Note the depth of field in the picture above.

Close-up shot using a single aperture conventional digital camera. The following pet
pictures also were taken using a single aperture camera.

Fish-eye effect applied in post production.

Putti, the family cat. Single aperture photographic study using the "cha cha" offset
technique to produce this 3D photo, as well as the following feline anaglyphs.

Taking two rapid off-set shots are possible outdoors, or in good lighting indoors, when
using a single aperture camera. Just be aware though that if you are using a flash it takes
time to recharge and indoor/outdoor shooting can become problematic -- this holds
especially true when photographing people, pets, sporting events, or any other moving
object using a conventional camera to create paired stereoscopic images while the
subject is in motion. In that particular case, a double aperture camera would have the
edge as both off-set images are captured simultaneously with no time lag in between
when objects are in motion and, likewise, because only a single flash (when needed) is
fired for the two pictures. Still-life studies do not present a problem in that regard and
work very well with a single aperture camera -- even when using a flash indoors or
outdoors.
[...see the following examples]

The photographs above are examples where a dual aperture lens camera would be
necessary in order to capture the 3D stop-motion effect of running water.

In contrast, still-life compositions do not require dual aperture cameras when the
subject is not in motion. Interesting anaglyphs created from the combination of two
slightly offset shots taken with a single aperture camera can be very easily done.

Remember, different "layers" in your photo help to produce a better 3D effect in depth.
Find a scene with a distinct foreground, middle-ground and background in order to exploit
this characteristic feature in 3D photography.

Outside photos highlighting middle-ground and distant objects tend to create more of
a "windowed" depth-of-field effect in 3D anaglyph photography.

When photographing 3D outside, finding lengthy objects (sidewalks, streets, fences,

hedge rows, etc.) that telescope away from you tend to accentuate a greater depth-offield.

When photographing
3D indoors, finding lengthy objects (table and bar tops, appliances, rectangular objects,
sofas, doors ajar. etc,) that advance forward into the picture plane while simultaneously
telescoping away from you also tend to create a greater depth-of-field.

Three point perspective (i.e. three sides, or planes, viewable at once) in your
composition from an overhead "bird's eye" point-of-view can often create an exceptionally
dramatic "pop up" effect.

Selective focus on the closest objects in your composition brings about a more subtle
3D effect.

Spherical and oblique objects (photographed from slightly above) make very good "pop
up" 3D photos as well.

When photographing your subject up-close, do not move (offset) your right and left
shots too far apart. Remember the rule about a Left/right shift of 1/60th of the
distance -- i.e., move one inch left (take shot), then one inch right (take shot) when
subject is at sixty inches (or five feet away) from the camera. In the case of a macro or
close shot, just do the math. For example, between shots just move your camera a
fraction of an inch when taking your two photographs of very close objects in the macro
setting.

The color red does not pick up very well in anaglyph photography. This is because
you are using two distinct colors (red and cyan) to differentiate two separate images
which, in turn, are recombined into one 3D image in your brain after you put on your
anaglyph glasses. While natural blue and green colors pick up well, red does not and,
where red occurs, it will often appear as green in your anaglyph composition.

Photographs with a great amount of red in the central area of the composition
(example: the bowl of tomatoes depicted in the photo above) often look better if they are
converted into black and white images because of the red to green color shift necessary
in order to create the 3D effect of color anaglyph imagery.

Observe how the colors yellow, blue and green do survive the anaglyph photographic
conversion process (when red/cyan glasses are used) -- whereas the color red does not.

As I stated earlier, decorative frames can often put more "punch" into your "pop up"
compositions.

In order to create a "pop up" anaglyph photograph that really grabs your attention,
there might sometimes be a slight trade-off between aesthetics and effects. Too much
red/cyan separation can cause "ghosts" to materialize -- that is, unsightly and head-ache
inducing double images may appear on your composition. Take off your glasses now and
look at the slight color separation on the image above. Less color separation equals less
"pop up" effects which, in turn, equals less "ghosting" or cross-talk as well. Now check out
the same photo on the next page.

Again, take off your anaglyph glasses and look at the more extreme red (right side)
and cyan (left side) color separation on the flower in the foreground. There is a greater
3D "pop up" effect, but also slightly more "ghosting" along the edges. This problem can
sometimes be mitigated using the "ghost reduction" application in your anaglyph creator
program. The free anaglyph program to which I referred in my introduction to this book
has that application. Using either the "half color" or the "Dubois" setting can also prove
useful in reducing these pesky phantoms.
[Special Note: At the risk of being redundant, I can't emphasis enough that "crosstalk" or "ghosting" is greatly amplified when compressing anaglyph photographs or
reducing size and resolution -- such is the case regarding several examples in this e-book
where some of the photos were condensed as much as ninety percent, or more, as a
matter of practical necessity in order to fit into the smaller e-book format. In my print
version of this book it was not as much as an issue and less apparent. Just remember,
more compression and reduced resolution often equals more image corruption -- that is
especially true of anaglyphic photography. Therefore, I would strongly suggest keeping
your original anaglyph photographs saved in their original high resolution format if you
can.]

This is an example of an anaglyph photograph which has lost a lot of resolution

because of image reduction. Cross-talk is not as much of an issue here (it's not that
strong a "pop up" image), but where there is any highly detailed or textured subject
matter, reduction is anathema to the overall quality because of compression. Keep your
compositions simple, with little texturing and a consistent surface area, if you plan on
reducing your anaglyphs by much. Close-up shots could survive the conversion into a
smaller format with less obvious image corruption (as seen in some of my earlier
examples), if you wish to share your reduced anaglyphs with friends via smart phones,
compact e-readers, and other small screen viewing devices.

Floating frames are an interesting way to highlight anaglyph photos that have a lot of
depth-of-field to them -- thus creating a kind of shadow-box effect which amplifies that
depth-of-field illusion.
The central subject of the photograph above, the butter tub, recedes into space
whereas the primary area of attention (the butter knife) advances towards the viewer.
The experience is like looking through a window. If you move your head side to side
(while viewing this example with your 3D glasses on), you can perceive the background
shifting as well.

In contrast, flat frame shapes often help to emphasis various "pop up" anaglyph
photographic effects.

This example of a glass display case (above) shows the top half of the display case
leaning forward (the shot was taken from a top down angle) which created the 3D "pop
up" effect in this anaglyph. Just think of perspective drawing. If you place a solid box on a
table top you can draw it as a simple square (if you view it directly head-on, flat and
parallel to the forward facing plane) or you can draw it with two planes or even three
planes (or sides) visible, as a cube, just by simply shifting your point-of-view
(perspective) from side to side, up and down, or with both direction combined in order to
experience the cube effect (slightly off center to the side and above the forward facing
plane).
A cube has six sides, but we can only see three sides at a time (depending upon the
angle of our view), but no more than that -- hence our ability to perceive length, height

and width. Add to that the binocular placement of our eyes, the two slightly different
perspective angles provided by our overlapping vision, and we have depth perception as
well. So, it only stands to reason that the most successful "pop up" 3D anaglyph
photographs would be those which take advantage of that "cube effect" or three point
perspective.

Compare this double aperture camera shot to the photo in the next example. Two
photos taken simultaneously versus two photos taken separately, slightly set apart, will
create a similar stereoscopic effect every time if done correctly.

In contrast, to the last example, this photo was taken using a single aperture camera
(two photos taken separately) using the "cha cha" method for stereoscopic anaglyph
photography. Both examples (previous photo and this one) have a comparable "pop up"
3D effect.

Anaglyph 3D photo taken with a dual aperture digital camera.

Anaglyph 3D photo taken with a single aperture digital camera.

In conclusion, to summarize what was previously explained in the introduction to this

book. Click on and enlarge the following photos. They will instruct you again on how to
make a successful anaglyph photograph after you are finished taking your pictures using
the "cha, cha" method which I also described to you earlier. For the purpose of this
demonstration, I used a freeware program called StereoPhoto Maker [tm] created by
Masuji Suto -- which (at the time of this writing) can still be downloaded free of charge on
Muttyan's Home Page at http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/index.html.
If you later, down the road, get a stereoscopic camera, you can still use these
methods in order to make impressive anaglyphs. Instead of loading left and right images
separately, you just load a single "MPO" file as a stereo image and the program will split
it into two separate offset images. Make sure you designate it as an anaglyph in the
stereo format section when you open it.
Please review the next photos and text.

By the way, the two images above (at the far top) were taken with a single aperture
digital camera in order to make the following single anaglyph photo. No fancy dual
aperture camera needed. Just use your existing digital camera and you can get great
results using the "cha cha" method described in the introduction.
A quick recap: move to the left -- snap your photo, then move right and take your
next picture. Left/right shift of 1/60th of the distance between photos in relationship to
how far the subject is from your camera -- i.e., move one inch left (take shot), then one
inch right (take shot) when subject is at sixty inches (or five feet away) from the camera.
Also, remember to adjust that ratio for closer or longer shots greater than or less than
five feet.

Ta-da!!! And here is the finished anaglyph (see above). That is all there is to it. But,
by all means, be creative and try different things. Framing, color manipulations,
combining different images, adding text, taking a two dimensional photo (even art work)
and layering it to make it pop out -- those are just a few of the things you can teach
yourself to do while exploring all the wonderful possibilities that lay waiting to be
explored in the realm of your imagination.

[Itzy]

~ Bio in Brief ~
"Bud" E. Lewis Evans is an artist and a freelance writer who resides in Kansas City,
Kansas. He holds a M.A. in Studio Art from the University of Missouri at Kansas City
(1992), also a B.A. in both Studio Art and in English (with Honors) from Avila University
(1986). He has participated in numerous regional group art shows and solo gallery
exhibitions of his paintings and bronze sculpture over the years. Mr. Evans also taught
creative writing and art classes in serigraphy during his career. At the time of producing
this book, 3D photography had become his latest creative obsession.

"Bud" E. Lewis Evans ~

home page: http://bud2000.blogspot.com
and at http://evansartwork.wix.com/gallery

Acknowledgements:
Incidental background mouse-pad image art on cover and in several shots are from:
"The Penguins of Madagascar" TM & 2009 DreamWorks Animation L.L.C.
StereoPhoto Maker [tm] created by Masuji Suto -- may be found on Muttyan's Home
Page at http://stereo.jpn.org/eng/index.html