Shake Shack

Just a reminder that I am still taking submissions for the 3D world tour. So grab your camera and go out and create some stereographic images! Also, if you have friends outside the U.S.A. please forward them a link to this post. Thanks.


I took this one hand-held. Here's my technique:

1. Stand with your feet planted at shoulders width.
2. Put all of your weight on your left foot. Use the dot or cross-hairs in your viewfinder to focus on something small and specific (in this instance I placed the focusing dot on the center of the S in SHACK). Snap the picture.
3. Now carefully put all your weight on your right foot. Keep your cross-hairs, or focusing dot, on that same focal point (the S in this photo). Snap the picture.
4. Look at your camera and flip back and forth between your two shots. If you have done it correctly, you should see a 3D effect (the foreground and background will move, but the point you focused on should stay the same). It takes some practice to perfect the technique, but with a little care you can master it. Good thing digital film is cheap, eh? It is very difficult to line things up perfectly in camera. Usually I have to bring the files into Photoshop to line them up correctly.

Tips: The goal is to take two photos that are similar in every way, but taken about 4-6 inches apart. Carefully shifting your weight from one foot to the other works well, but here are a couple other techniques. Try holding your camera against a railing. This provides stability, insures no vertical movement, and allows you to move it exactly 4-6" horizontally. Also, try shooting two photos in rapid succession from the deck of a boat, or from the window of a moving car or train.