3D photography has been around a heck of a lot longer that most people might think. Three dimensional stereoscopic images were produced using dual lens cameras not long after the invention of the camera itself. As with every other aspect of photography, computers are rapidly changing things.

A new technique called photometric stereo can product a three dimensional image (as shown above) using only a single camera viewpoint. The trick is that three (or more) distinct light sources provide different shading, or modeling, of the subject. The multiple light sources flash almost instantly and the multiple images are captured digitally. Software can then reference the position of the light sources against the shadows on the face of an individual and create a perfect 3D image.

Pretty cool stuff. I also recently saw a similar 3D result created by projecting a grid off lines on a subject’s face. Software again analyzed the distortion of the grid and rendered a perfect 3D photo.

Aside from the cool factor there are a lot of practical applications where the 3D photos come in handy, such as passports and higher level security.

Read more:
Discover.com
Stereoscopic Photography at Amazon

Apple is currently running a profile of Lauren Greenfield in thier Pro section. Good read for fans of Greenfield’s photography. I’ve watched her work for a while, but missed that she had been working on a documentary for HBO. Thin is her first full-length documentary and deals with the issue of eating disorders. It seems to be a pretty logical progression to Greenfield photography which has long chronicled the issues of young women in America’s modern culture. The movie premiered last fall at Sundance. Few good links below.

• Thin
• Girl Culture
• Fast Forward: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hollywood
• Apple’s Aperture