3D Stereo 360° (Works 2012/2015)

Virtual Reality equipment is required for use

HMD - Head mounted display for the virtual reality is needed

Between 2012 and 2015, I embarked on one of the most demanding and exciting projects of my career: experimental recording of 3D Stereo 360° panoramas. This was a period when VR technology was not yet part of everyday life, when VR headsets were a rarity, and when most of the processes for recording, processing, and displaying had to be developed from scratch. That is exactly why this project was so special to me – it was a journey into the unknown, exploring the boundaries of technology and testing my own persistence.

How I understand 3D Stereo photography

Stereoscopic photography has always attracted me because it mimics the way we see the world. Our eyes are slightly apart, so each captures a slightly different view. When these two images merge in the brain, a sense of depth is created. In stereoscopic photography, I replicate this by taking two almost identical photographs, each from the perspective of one eye. When viewed through an appropriate device, the impression of three-dimensionality is awakened.

This is basic 3D. But I was interested in more. I wanted to go beyond classic stereoscopy and create something that places the viewer not just in front of a scene, but in the center of the space.

Why 3D Stereo 360° is a breakthrough

3D Stereo 360° is a breakthrough because it combines two demanding techniques: stereoscopic photography and a full spherical panorama. This means I do not capture just two shifted images, but the entire surroundings in a stereo pair. The viewer can look in all directions – up, down, left, right – and maintain a sense of depth at all times.

In the years 2012–2015, this technique was still in its infancy. Software was limited, hardware even more so, so I had to invent many things along the way. Each panorama was the result of precise planning, technical ingenuity, and patient processing.

The most demanding challenge: Škocjan Caves Regional Park

Of all the locations I documented, the Škocjan Caves Regional Park was the toughest challenge. Caves are an extremely demanding environment for any kind of photography, let alone for 3D Stereo 360°.

In them, I faced:

• almost total darkness,
• extreme contrasts,
• humidity threatening the equipment,
• dripping water that could ruin a shot,
• limited movement,
• dangerous or inaccessible perspectives,
• and spaces so vast they are difficult to capture even in a classic panorama.

Nevertheless, in eight months of intensive work, I managed to create a complete 3D Stereo 360° archive of the Škocjan Caves. In such an environment, any error in geometry or lighting could ruin the stereo effect, so it was necessary to work with extreme precision.

How display methods have changed

When I started, methods for displaying 3D content were quite limited. In the past, we used:

• simple anaglyph glasses with red and blue filters,
• polarized glasses,
• active shutter glasses,
• stereoscopic monitors,
• dual projections.

Only the arrival of HMD – Head Mounted Display devices raised stereoscopy to a new level. When I first saw my 3D Stereo 360° panoramas in VR headsets, I knew this was what I had been working for. VR headsets allow the viewer to not just see depth, but to experience space. This is what transforms stereoscopy from a photograph into an experience.

The 3D Stereo 360° project is important to me for several reasons. Technically, it was pioneering, and culturally it is valuable because it documents Slovenian natural and cultural heritage in a spatial form. This project has become a time capsule, combining technology, space, and my personal vision.

author: Boštjan Burger