An Anaglyph Nightmare?

Hi All,

Anaglyph is a method of viewing specially prepared 3-D images with colored glasses. Per David Kuntz, "... it uses the color filters to selectively allow each eye to only see the image intended for it ...," but it is an imperfect approach.

Most typically an anaglyph is made from a stereo pair by combining the red channel of a left eye image with the green and blue channels of a right eye image. The biggest problem to viewing anaglyph images comes from "retinal rivalry", which typically arises when there's a significant amount of red and its variants (i.e. orange, pink) in the image, or combinations of green and blue close to cyan.

To demonstrate this to yourself, put on your 3-D glasses and look at any bright red object. Through the right eye - cyan lens and it looks black. Through the left eye - red lens it looks to be a light gray. With both eyes open it seems as if the red object is flashing, which to almost anyone is annoying, and takes away any pleasure of the 3-D effect.

There are work-arounds, and my friend and colleague Jim McManus has made a study of them, to the point that he produces what have been described as "McManaglyphs" to accomodate the color challenges, and still come out with a pleasantly viewable anaglyph image. Have a look at this one and see what you think. Clearly the color doesn't come though well, but the 3-D does.

I'm happy to say that Jim is partnering with me on "Macrophant 3D", our the new book of macro phantograms, and has been creating the anaglyphs for it. I'd hoped to have the book out in early November, but at this point it's looking to be more like mid December. There's no point in rushing it, we're looking to put out a excellent book than anyone with two functioning eyes will enjoy.

The big news this week was that our president finally gotten himself caught up by the big super-spreader events he so loves to create and revel in. Schadenfreude is a clever German word meaning "pleasure derived by someone from another person's misfortune." While I wish death on no one, I somehow can't deny myself a smirk for the irony that he, whose long and continued failure to responsibly deal with this virus, and in doing so has hastened thousands of needless deaths and cost us so many jobs, should now suffer through it. One might hope it gives him and his supporters pause to consider the dangers of this virus to themselves and to everyone else.

The election is soon upon us. Please make your plans and VOTE!

Barry Rothstein

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