When I was in India last year, I did a bit of experimenting with stereoscopy.
Stereoscopy is a technique for creating 3D images. By taking one photograph of a subject, then moving position very slightly to the left or right, and taking a second photograph of the same subject, you end up with a stereoscopic pair of pictures. This pair replicates the two slightly horizontally displaced versions of the world seen by each of your eyes. All you need to do then is place the two photographs side by side, and cross your eyes so that one eye is looking at one image, and the other eye is looking at the other one. Your brain then combines and interprets the two images in the way it normally does, to reproduce a 3D perception of the subject.
I used to play about with this technique when I was younger, and visiting some of the forts and ruins of India, I realised they might be particularly good for stereoscopy. I’ve just got around to editing the photos into pairs, so here they are.
To view the 3D images, try to cross your eyes / focus on a point closer than the screen, until the two images overlap and combine into one.
Click on the images for larger versions.
Ruins of a Jain temple in Kumbhalgarh Fort
The Kumbha Mahal at Kumbhalgarh Fort
The ruins of another Kumbha Mahal at Chittaurgarh Fort
Another view of the Kumbha Mahal at Chittaurgarh Fort (this is my favourite)
The Great Stupa at Sanchi
Some little stupas at Sanchi
Panorama of Orchha
(There is some imperfection/noise in the 3D image due to movement of people and vehicles at the bottom between photographs – try to ignore it.)
Detail of Chaturbhuj Temple and other temples of Orchha
Ruins in the jungle at Orchha
Hiran Minar (Deer Tower) at Fatehpur Sikri
Ghats and temples on the waterfront at Varanasi
Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath
The Residency, Lucknow