Hey kids, stereo photography is out of this world!!

In 2006 the Interactive Museum in Middletown, NY, will sponsor another stereo photograhy workshop for children. The workshop will explore methods for making stereo digital images. This workshop is part of an ongoing series of activities in stereovisuals that started in 2004.

On January 3, 2004, the day that the Mars Rover, Spirit, landed its stereo photographic equipment on the surface of the red planet, a group of eleven children, ages 10 through 14 here on Earth, were learning how to make stereo cameras and to take stereo photos for themselves.

Sponsored by the Interactive Museum of Middletown, New York, the workshop met at Orange County Community College in Middletown..

A second stereo photography workshop was held on July 17 and 24, 2004,at the college.

The Stereo Photography Workshops conducted by artist Virginia A. Moore and stereo photographer Stuart Stiles have been funded by grants from the New York State Council on the Arts' Decentralization Program administered by Arts Community Grants of Orange County, with additional funding by The Interactive Museum.

While the children were arriving at the first workshop, a variety of stereo viewers were on the desks, around the room for them to explore. As soon as all were present, artist/photographer Virginia Moore explained how she shows monocular depth when she uses a single lens camera.

Next, an empty double window stereo slide mounting frame was given to everyone. Holding the frame at arm's length, members of the workshop used one eye to look through the right opening of the frame.

A few simple exercises, such as this, gave everyone both monocular and binocular experiences of seeing in depth.

What if two cameras were to be used together… like looking through a pair of binoculars? In 2006 a workshop, sponsored by the Interactive Museum, will explore methods for making stereo digital images.

To show what would happen, two digital cameras were mounted on a bar, much like the camera that our space explorers included on the Mars Rovers. Each participant came to the tripod, as another participant sat for a portrait. When all had had a turn at pressing both shutters simultaneously, and all had had their portraits taken, a stereo pair of images was processed into a stereo view on a notebook computer.

The practice session yielded both experience in using a twinned camera and a set of portraits of the participants.

Now it was time to assemble cameras, so that a stereo photo expedition could be completed before the end of the first session.

The second day of the workshop involved the building of a stereoscope. The folding 3d Book Viewer allowed for low cost and easy assembly. Each participant made a viewer to keep. These viewers work with antique cards, as well as with the participant's personal stereo photographs. We were intending to make continued experience with stereo photography as easy as possible.

Once the viewers were assembled, the prints of their stereo photographs were distributed to the children. They would learn the challenges of producing stereo pairs from the sets of prints that were taken by their dual camera twin rig.

A technique was needed for aligning prints on a stereo card.

Here is what was done.. One print was taped, at the bottom, to a plastic ruler that was flat on the table. The second print of the scene was held to the left, so that the bottom edges of the two prints aligned at the same level.

The stereo viewer was held in the other hand, so that the children saw with each eye the print on the corresponding side of the viewer. If the photos did not look right, the loose print was moved to the right of the taped print. Once more the view was examined with the stereo viewer.

The children watched the prints come to view in depth, as they moved the prints into position for stereo viewing. Once they saw the stereo effect, the two prints were taped to the ruler. The assembled pair was fastened on a larger sheet of paper by means of double-faced photo tape. The ruler was removed, and another pair of images could be aligned, by repeating the process.

No problems!! Their assembled cards worked pretty well, however each pair was scanned, run through the free software "Stereo Image Maker" in order to make the prints ready for public display. A single image containing each stereo pair was printed for display in the Science, Math, Art, and Technology ( SMArtT Links) interactive exhibition for children of all ages, at the college January 20 through February 29, 2004. The participants' original work was bound in a notebook for the exhibit. In addition to presenting the stereo to be easy for public viewing, the exhibit was primarily the work of the children themselves.


Here are some samples of the work of the eight new stereo photographers. The portrait of each photographer is followed by a stereo photograph taken by that photographer

A Gallery of Stereo Photographs

Hannah:

Jessica:

Josh:

Madeline:

Melissa:

Mike:

Nick:

and Roni:

At the second workshop under the grant, July 17 and 24, 2004, in addition to the twin rig camera, a stereo slide-bar for a single camera will also be built. With the slide bar, the children will be able to use close-up photography techniques to shoot stereos of some of the abundant plants in the college gardens. This slide bar stereo was taken by Mike, as a preview for the activity for the second workshop.

Did the children really learn about stereo photography? From commentsoverheard during the exhibit, be assured that those who brought their friends and families to see their works were able to give good explanations of what they had done and why they needed two photos. They were clear that the two photos were not identical.

Those viewing the gallery of stereo photos in the exhibit, were extended these words of welcome:

"All of the photos in this 3D gallery are the first stereoscopic works of children, ages 10 through 14, who participated in a two-day workshop, January 3 and 10, 2004, here at Orange County Community College.

Each new stereo photographer in this group deserves our highest praises. How many of their age-mates have ever done what they have done by creating such 3D photos as these?

In this group, we may have someone who will design the next generation of digital stereo cameras, digital stereoscopic viewers, or large 3d screens for home movies. We may have someone who will explore outer space, beyond Mars, and inner molecular structures by producing full depth images. No matter what the participants in this exhibit do in the future, they have already taken a significant step in their learning by exploring how to make their own 3d photographs.

Thank you for taking the time to study their stereo views of this beautiful campus."