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Believe it or not, 3-D photography has existed
for over 150 years.
In 1838 Professor Charles Wheatstone established
that humans perceive depth when the brain combines two slightly different
images. Each eye, separated by about two and a half inches, sees things
with a slightly different aspect. This discrepancy, Wheatstone believed,
allows us to see the world in three dimensions.
At almost the same time, Mr. Fox Talbot invented
the process of putting pictures on paper through the action of light.
To prove his theory, Wheatstone invented an instrument he called the stereoscope
to view paired images, known as stereographs. Within fifty years of that
moment, stereo photography grew to become one of the most popular forms
of entertainment, becoming as widespread as TV is today. In the 1890’s
nearly every home owned a stereoscope.
The popularity of stereo photography declined rapidly after the introduction
of the Kodak Brownie camera in 1900.
Within another fifty years however, 3-D became
an entertainment mania again. The invention of Kodachrome color film along
with the introduction of the Realist stereo camera fueled a renewed interest
in personal, color 3-D photography, while everything from Viewmaster discs,
comic books, and a variety of movies were all produced in 3-D during the
1950’s.
In the 1960’s it was arrival of the Kodak
Instamatic camera, along with the color Polaroid, which quelled interest
in 3-D photography.
In recent years 3-D has started growing once again.
With IMAX movies becoming a popular form of entertainment, media publications
such as Sport Illustrated and TV Guide have used 3-D to drive reader interest.
Spy Kids 3-D is the first popular anaglyph format movie produced in over
twenty years.
The widespread adoption of personal computers,
digital cameras and desktop photo printers has now removed any obstacles
to stereo 3-D photography in the home or office. With the introduction
of Photo3-D, now anyone who can operate a digital camera can take their
own, eye-popping 3-D photos.
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