Here are some tips for successful 3D photography. Remember, you're creating an illusion of three dimensions, and there are some restrictions on the techniques you can use to pull it off.

3D photograph has a long and insteresting history, going back to the nineteenth century, when Sir Charles Wheatstone created the first stereoscope.  Most upper and middle class Victorian households had a stereo viewer, and 3D photocards of exotic lands and nature were very popular.  When the 3D movie craze of the early 1950s came along, there were around 100 models of home stereo cameras on the market; the Stereo Realist and Kodak models are still popular among photographers and are available on eBay.  These are film cameras; the world is probably ready for a moderately priced digital model. I used to use a Nimslo, which used a special processing method to create prints with special lenticular lenses that required no glasses (much like the novelty 3D post cards).

On the following page are some tips I've found useful over the years.

I had a great time yesterday on the photowalk Robert Scoble organized at the California State Railway Museum.  I have a great love of classic trains and California history, so this has always been one of my favorite museums. 

I shot some 3D photos; you can view them here or on Flickr.

Dimensional (3D) photography is a simple process, at least in theory.  You provide a separate image of the same scene for each eye, slightly out of phase.  Of course to do it right, it takes a good amount of photographic skill, an understanding of the psychological and mathematical principles involved, and some fairly precision hardware.

But, in a true do-it-yourself fashion, you can get everything you need to create your own 3D photos for a modest investment. Here's how...