almont green 3D photograph view

Almont's fascination with 3D started when he was twelve years old and his sixth grade teacher encouraged him to write a paper about lasers and holograms which were featured in a National Geographic magazine. The concept of a laser hologram captured his young imagination and he spent a considerable amount of time writing that paper and being proud of his A++ grade. Sixteen years later, while working in Boston for Pro Audio pioneer, dbx, he received a real-world indoctrination into 3D.

Oddly, it came about because of the dbx digital audio system that recorded digital audio in video form and worked with laser video disc (the hot new media at that time). He met with people from Disney in Anaheim, California, about using the dbx system with their new 3D Captain EO show starring Michael Jackson and produced by George Lucas. They bought many dbx systems, but more importantly, he learned a great deal about 3D and how it worked. His early interest was rekindled.

After leaving dbx he started his own company to focus on laserdisc recording services, utilizing the knowledge gained at Disney to put together a 3D system with two laserdisc recorder/players synchronized with software he wrote to control them. He convinced a local A/V rental company to let him experiment with two GE Talaria projectors and a silver screen. The project worked, creating a 3D video image just like the Disney system, which used film. While this did not become a business at the time, the knowledge gained was immeasurable.

The next major influence on the shaping of Almont’s 3D experience occurred at the MIT Museum hologram exhibit. He first saw a three-dimensional image in full color - without wearing glasses or looking through a special viewing device. He was blown away because he thought it was a full color hologram - something impossible. He didn't realize that it was NOT a hologram until he started looking into what he is doing now, using an autostereoscopic lens array.

It's funny, the most recent inspiration to learn more about lensed autostereoscopic solutions came from his long time friend and now business partner Jim Dow, who has an extensive background in the printing industry, and from his long time friend and now business partner Richard Frank who, for years, told Green: "...3D is always going to be viewed as gimmicky as long as it requires those goofy glasses".

After all these years, Almont discovered and perfected the technique he uses today to make a photograph to be seen with both eyes. With a regular photograph, both eyes see exactly the same image. But that's not the way things are seen in real life. In real life each eye sees a slightly different perspective.

Human eyes are spaced approximately two and a half inches apart. This spacing means that we see slightly more information to the left of what we are looking at with the left eye and slightly more information to the right of what we are looking at with the right eye. As objects get closer to us, our eyes have to cross to keep something in focus as it gets closer and closer.

A photograph for two eyes must be able to present different images to each eye to mimic the way we see things naturally. But it is even more complicated than that. When we see things up close, we don't really see things far away. Our brain ignores what's in the distance because it is out of focus, and a phenomenon Almont calls "transgressed parallax" occurs. Therefore, each shot he takes must be mathematically correct in terms of separation, amount of parallax, focus and perspective. This is in addition to the traditional photographic details of lighting, exposure, shutter speed and so on. It is quite complex!

Taking the photo, with all those details, is only half the process. The multiple images taken with his customized camera system must then be brought into a powerful computer system for manipulation and processing. The images have to be color balanced, scaled, rotated, masked and assembled into a perfect array that presents the image exactly as it existed in front of the camera lenses. The images must be calibrated and interlaced for printing onto a special lens array. The lens array makes it possible to present different images to each eye without the need for special glasses or viewing device. The number of images and how they are aligned must be processed for the size of print and viewing distance.

But it is ALL about the pictures…

All this hard work and advanced technology is behind the scenes. Now people everywhere can enjoy the most lifelike photographs possible. When you look at an autostereoscopic HDR Almont Green 3D photograph, you see exactly what he saw when he took the photo – in three-dimensional reality.

Career milestones:

Left dbx company to form video production company where he co-produced corporate film.

Started computer graphics company producing 3D animations for clients including: Corning, Kodak, BASF, American Express, Acura, Volkswagen, VH1/Viacom, Genetics Institute, Bose, Boston Scientific, Pratt & Whitney, The Pampered Chef and numerous others.

Produced numerous film and video productions and authored DVDs for The National Parks Service, Yankee Candle Company, FilmPlayLinks, various independent films, Anime companies, Rock Across America Tours, Harley Davidson, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Fender Guitars, Showtime and others.

Provided photography and editing services for Raytheon, FDIC and Fanny Mae, numerous museums, Aviation on DVD programs.

Designed, developed and patented a physical therapy system that created on-demand physical therapy videos via a touchscreen kiosk system.

Produced tourism kiosk, including photography, video, programming, editing and system design for the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority.

Guest speaker at independent film conference in New York City.

Member Professional Photographers of America

Currently, 3D photographic artist creating lifesize HDR multi-dimensional photographs for corporate and consumer clients