Add some “High Impact” to your 3D Stereo Images

As you learned in 3D Stereo Magic, image enhancing frames and twists are easy to create and add to your stereos. Now, here are some even more powerful ways to give your stereo images “ZING!”

Learn how to build virtual windows, such as used in the cover stereogram, Hot Rod. The use of virtual windows will free you forever from window violation problems.

This book, similar to the 3D Stereo Magic book, but covering entirely new ground, will carry you to new levels of image enhancement and manipulation. Everyone who sees your stereos will be saying,

“How’d they do that?”

This unique tutorial hits the ground running with a clear, concise, never before seen explanation of the relationship between window violations and window penetrations.  Then the various types of window penetrations and manipulations that can be used to cure and avoid window violations are explored. The immensely powerful concept of the virtual window is introduced and explained in easy to understand terms. No math formulas or complex drawings or mumbo-jumbo; just simple concepts you can use and combine to produce the most powerful stereos you can imagine. The possibilities are limitless.

Throughout the book you are introduced to an array of easy to understand and apply techniques. You can quickly use these to modify and enhance your own images to make them “Pop” and show up with “Zing.” (Those are technical terms for “WOW!”)

“This is so simple! Everyone should be doing it.”

This easy to follow text will quickly give you mastery of image extraction, ghost reduction in anaglyphs, window violation elimination, virtual frames, forward floating frames, and much, much more.  Topics include:

• Construction of combined stereo images with extracted images and new backgrounds
• Virtual stereo windows and frames
• Understand window violations and make them work for you
• HDR (High Dynamic Range) extended light range photography for stereo
• HF (Helicon Focus) expanded depth of field
• Photoshop stereo image enhancement techniques, trick & tips
• How to construct startlingly clear “cutout” stereos
• Converting 2D to 3D with StereoPhoto Maker
• Powerful ghost reduction techniques such as;
• Forward floating frames
• Frame manipulations
• Color tuning with ChromaTune-3D™

HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography allows you to capture detail in the most deeply shadowed areas of a scene while preserving detail in the highlights (see the Chair in Doorway ):

The technique of capturing HDR stereo images is explained, including how to process the images to create color balanced stereo pairs.

HF (Helicon Focus) uses special software to extend the depth of field during photography.

The use of ChromaTune-3D™ software is explained to create bright, color tuned anaglyphs with good contrast and free of color rivalries.

If you ever even considered converting 2D images to 3D, now is the time to give it a try with a newly developed and super fast method using the free software, SPM (SterePhoto Maker). This quick and easy technique is explained in step-by-step detail.

You will have a complete toolbox of simple, easy to apply techniques that you can use to quickly modify and enhance your own images. Every trick and technique is explained, step-by-step, in easy to understand terms.

You Can Turn Mediocre Images into Startling Successes
and Good Stereos can Become Great Stereos

You will learn how to eliminate messy and distracting window violations while you graphically enhance your stereograms.

The cutout technique of creating the almost surrealistic and “diorama-like” images, such as the Gold Mine (below) is covered in detail.

Gold Mine, Cutout Frame, parallel view

An image editor, such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Gimp (freeware) is required for many of the techniques discussed. Several techniques, such as HDR, HF, or ChromaTune-3D™ may require relatively inexpensive software.

Note: This book does not duplicate the information in 3D Stereo Magic, and it is not necessary to read 3D Stereo Magic (although you may want to later:) in order to use the concepts, tips, and techniques presented in Super Stereo 3D.

Super Stereo 3D Table of Contents

Introduction                                                    

A Short History of Flap Frames                   

Conventions                               

   Window Penetrations            

Window Penetration Defined
Window Violation Defined
Fig: Sancho Panza with Window Violation
Fig: Sancho Panza, No Window Violation
Through-The-Window Effect Defined
            Fig: Sailboat, Simple Projection TTW
Types of Through-The-Window effects

   Through-the-Window            

Why Use Through-the-Window Effects?
Fig: Wagon Bones
How Window Penetrations Occur
Fig: Peccary Skull TTW
Through-The-Window effects
Fig: Peccary Skull, No TTW

3   Virtual Stereo Windows and Frames     

Creating a Virtual Window and Frame
Fig: Kangaroo, Angled Virtual Frame (Tilted Back)
Fig: Layers Palette
Fig: Engine 191, Virtual Frame
So? What’s the Point?
Fig: Engine 191, Simple Penetration (TTW)
Modifying the Virtual Window
Fig: Engine 191, Virtual Frame Altered (OOF)
Fig: Flintlock, TTW and OOF (out-of-frame)

4   Floating Frames                                      

What are Floating Frames?
Why Use a Floating Frame?
Floating Frame Theory
Making a Floating Frame with Photoshop
The One Additional Step
Fig: Engine 191, Virtual Frame Forward
Making a Floating Frame with SPM
Making a Floating Frame with ChromaTune

5   Cutout Frames                                         

Cutout Frame, Theory
Fig: Gold Mine, Cutout Frame Manipulation
Cutout Frame, Procedure with Photoshop
Fig: Drawing the Cutout on the Right View
Fig: Drawing the Cutout on the Left View

6   Interactive Stereos                                  
                                   
Fig: Hypercube

7   Special Effects                                         
                 
Using Intentional Rivalries
Fig: Star Trek, Quark – © Mike Ihde

8   Frame Manipulation Programs               

Flap Frames and Warped Frames
StereoMasken
Floating Windows or Frames
                  StereoPhoto Maker
                        3D Gugle Pro

9  Composite Stereograms                                   

Fig: Mountain Goat Escape

10  High Dynamic Range (HDR)                  

The Basic HDR Shooting Technique
Fig: Chair in Doorway, HDR
Setting Exposure
Fig: Arrastra (Ore Grinder), HDR
Processing
Fig: X-Tree, HDR image
Limitations
Fig: San Xavier Arch, HDR Image
Processing
Other HDR Software

11  Stereogram Enhancement                     

Improving Depth of Field
Anaglyph Color Tuning

12  2D to 3D Conversion Software              

StereoPaint a 3D Conversion
Acquiring the SPM Program
Learning to Use SPM

13  2D to 3D Conversion With SPM             

Loading the Original Image
Shift the Images to Create Depth
Using the Clone Brush
Final Steps
Additional Tips
Comments
Summary of Steps

14  Photoshop Special Effects                    

Improving Sky
Fig: San Xavier Mission, original version
Darkening A Sky
Fig: San Xavier Mission with darkened sky
Fig: Layers palette, combined file with gradient
Replacing A Sky
Fig: Longhorn Grill, Amado, Arizona
Remove the Old Sky
Extraction Tips
Resizing the New Sky
Install the New Sky
Adjusting the Offset of the New Sky
Skewing the New Sky
Changing the Tonal Range
Fig: Longhorn Grill with New Sky and Flap Frame
The Combined File and the Layers Palette
Fig: Longhorn Grill, New Sky Palette

15  Presentation Frames                     

Fig: Manatees, Opera Stage Format
The Opera Stage Template
Fig: Template
Fig: Layers Palette 1
Create the Image Mask Area
Fig: Image Mask Added
Fig: Layers Palette 2
Adding the Depth Bars
Fig: Depth Bars Added
Fig: Layers Palette 2
Inserting the Image
Activate the Mask
Fig: Layers Palette 4

16  Combined Stereo Files                 
Advantages
Example of a Combined File
Fig: Bear Layers Palette
Fig: Bear Stereogram

17  A Flap Frame Example                  
Fig: Moose with WV
Fig: Moose with Cut Lines Marked
Fig: Moose, Polygon Folded

18  Making the Hot Rod Stereo          
            Removing the Background
Fig: Original
Fig: Hot Rod, First Try
Fig: Hot Rod, Second Try
Fig: Hot Rod, Final

Stereo Photography Glossary                       

An image editor, such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Paint Shop Pro, Gimp (freeware) is required for many of the techniques discussed. Several techniques, such as HDR, HF, or ChromaTune-3D™ may require relatively inexpensive software.

Note: This book does not duplicate the information in 3D Stereo Magic, and it is not necessary to read 3D Stereo Magic (although you may want to later:) in order to use the concepts, tips, and techniques presented in Super Stereo 3D.