Category Archives: Dragon

Selene

by Boris Starosta

Sorry, I must rest on my laurels this round; these two views of Selene were obtained ten to fifteen years ago(!), the one in the kitchen in natural light with a Sputnik for sure… the one with mirrors in studio probably with the Sputnik, alternately maybe with my Mamiya 6 twin rig, and using a strobe kit for illumination.

The shot with the mirrors was part of a series of images exploring the difficulties people sometimes have in seeing themselves as beautiful, or even just acceptable. I wanted to get models to draw themselves on a mirror, easily just following / tracing their reflection using a grease/wax pencil. The plan had been (actually, still is) to find a very skinny/anorexic model, and have her draw herself as quite fat in the mirror. I’ve not yet found that model, but in the interim got some pretty good pictures with Selene and one other model using this mirror situation.




 

 


The kitchen view was inspired by the back-lighting that we got every morning, with sunlight streaming over the stove, lighting up steam etc. as one might cook breakfast. Selene was happy to oblige my desire to add some spice to this visual recipe.

Subbasement IX (two views)

by Boris Starosta

Aeons ago, when I first started shooting MF3d, I set my sights on an abandoned textile mill in downtown Charlottesville. Frank IX & Sons made various textiles there until 1999. What’s amazing to me is that, though I lived in the area, and would have cycled past it almost every day in the mid to late 90’s on my way to work, I was completely oblivious of its existence until after the turn of the century, when I was looking for things to shoot in MF3d.  Only now, having read some history on it (for this post!), do I realize that when I took these pictures, the mill must have been shut down just one or two years prior.  Indeed, just a few years after my several photo expeditions there, the building was nearly completely removed, and what remains of it is now the centerpiece of an art park, including two breweries (one for sake, the other for beer) and some other social gathering places.

Anyway, on to these two pictures…  I had done some exploring and photographing in the vast main hall and then continued to poke and probe ever deeper into the ruins of this structure.  At one point I saw a hatch in the factory floor, with a steep ladder descending into blackness.  Of course, I had to check that out!  At the very bottom, in the faintest of light, I discerned the most amazing scene: a basement, or maybe it should be called a subbasement, that was completely flooded with water.   Using a tripod that could hold my cameras very close to this watery surface, I was able to obtain images of the room, where everything above the water was perfectly reflected in the water itself, creating this symmetrical surrealism.

I think this “early” MF3d work was shot with a Sputnik borrowed from my friend Chuck Holzner (RIP), with whom I’d gone to the Buffalo 3D-con the year before?  (around 2000)  Shot at probably f22, with at least a 30 second exposure time, maybe more…  I can recall only that I was worried about reciprocity failure in this film, but that I did not know the numbers.  The only light source was a small window far to the left, that opened onto some kind of light-well.  The slide gives you a view such as you would experience only with dark-adapted eyesight.

‘Lover’s Leap’ – Rock City, Georgia 2025

by Brent Osborne

My father moved to upstate Georgia back in 2023 and wanted me to come out for a visit. It’s an interesting part of Georgia, with lots of historical Civil War battlefields, southern cuisine, and of course, Rock City. Rock City, which houses Lover’s Leap, is by far the most obnoxiously advertised amusements in the country. It’s ‘See Rock City’ slogan was painted by 1969 on more than 900 sides of homes, rooftops, billboards, etc. It’s slogan is especially noticeable within a 20 mile radius of the actual park. It’s actually a pretty interesting place to visit, despite it’s annoying slogan (in which my father fell victim to, hence our visit). From the top of Lover’s Leap, one is said to be able to see 7 states from one viewpoint on a clear day. This includes Tennessee, Virginia, Alabama, North & South Carolina, Kentucky and of course, Georgia.

Lover’s Leap refers to the act of two lovers jumping to one’s demise to avoid conflict and/or separation of said lovers rather than deal with any issues at hand. Sounds romantic, no?

Rock City was built on top of Lookout Mountain, back in 1935. A gentleman named Garnet Carter and his wife started monetizing the visit to the park in which they built over 4100 feet of walking trails over 700 acres. That trail ends at Lover’s Leap. We managed to clamber over most of the place, but found it to be a bit exhausting. All in all, it was a good place to shoot 3D. If you’re aware of it’s slogan, you may have already been there with it’s enticing ‘See Rock City’ slogan etched in your brain. Shot with my Sputnik, 60th/sec. at f.22. Provia 100f Fujifilm.

Coronado Historic Site, New Mexico 2025

by Brent Osborne

My wife and I visited her sister in Albuquerque last year. We had always been curious to see that part of the country. We liked it, but still love the fresh green trees of the Pacific Northwest more. After visiting, we do understand some of it’s magnetizing aspects. Native American art and heritage, unique architecture, and it’s quirky and fascinating history. All in all, I was not totally happy with most of the shots I took there, and I only shot about 2 rolls while I was visiting. So, needless to say, I didn’t have a lot of shots to share. This is a shot of a maintenance building that was built using the same methods as what the original buildings would have been built with back in 600AD. Except for maybe the added window frame of course. The balls you see there are called ‘armas de la tierra’ or ‘weapons of the earth’. This was a Tiwa people’s ancient adobe construction technique. They would use the balls to build walls while they were pliable, thus becoming hardened and sturdy after being dried in the sun.

Coronado is located near Albuquerque and the mighty Rio Grande River, and has been around since at least 1000BC.  Everything was fine and dandy until 1540 when a group of European colonists visited and fought with the populace in trying to find gold and silver in the region. None was found, and the expedition was ended in 1542. It was colonized from 1542 onward. Conflict and disease led to a downfall after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and the town was abandoned. It was later designated as New Mexico’s first State Monument site in 1535. Not much is left of the site, hence the picture of the work shed instead of the ruins left behind of the village. I found the work shed to be more interesting to photograph. Shot with my Sputnik, 100th sec., f.22, Bright sun! Provia 100f Fujifilm.

Barichara, Colombia 2023

by Brent Osborne

Barichara is a small colonial village town in central Colombia. Surrounded by rolling hills and mountains, it has cobble stone streets, tiled roofed colonial buildings, a nice climate, good cheap food, history, etc. Its an amazing place in the world! It’s also a photographers paradise. Only downside were the hills I had to climb to get anywhere. Besides that, an amazing place to stay. The lighting there was nice, and there were many opportunities to get a good photo. However, in my excitement, I missed a couple good shots due to overexposure metering, missed focus, etc. We’ve all been there. This particular shot in the folio was one of my favorites, showing the simple architecture and the beauty of a sunset there. Such a great place to visit if you’re ever in Colombia!

Built after 1702 when a peasant from the region saw the face of the Virgin Mary in a stone there. A church was placed there in it’s honor. Thus the town formed around this church, and was officially founded in 1705. It doesn’t seem to have changed much since then. It is a Columbian National Monument, and has had status protection since 1978. Shot this on my Sputnik handheld at 100th/sec. at f.16, on Provia 100f Fujifilm.

Fontana di Nettuno (Fountain of Neptune) Florence, Italy 2023

by Brent Osborne

While visiting Florence back in 2023, I wanted to make a conscious effort to walk around Florence and photograph at night. Being a safe city and very ‘lit-up’ at a lot of the landmarks, it’s a great place to ‘plant a tripod’. As we all know, water in motion is a great way to share the 3D experience, so I had to get a shot of the infamous Fountain of Neptune. Located in the Piazza della Signoria, it’s steps away from the Uffizi Gallery, which houses some of the most famous artwork in the world. The best part of shooting Florence at night are the options. Tons to photograph and lots of historical spots to aim your lens at.

A little history on the fountain. It was commissioned in 1559 by Cossimo l de’ Medici, the Duke of Florence, in celebration of bringing new water to the city after a new aqueduct was built nearby. Almost immediately after being officially completed in 1574, people damaged the fountain. Some used it as a wash basin for laundry and caused discoloration. Other instances included breaking off Neptune’s hand, painting Neptune’s shoulders after Italy winning the World Cup, and most recently, a woman climbing on one of the horses for a ‘selfie’. The photo was taken with my Sputnik, shot at about 15 seconds at f. 16 with Provia 100F Fujifilm. I noticed there’s a blue crescent in the fountain water in the left eye shot, but overall I figured that it was a decent image regardless.

Four from Don Lopp

by Bob Venezia

Rivalry City

Rivalry City

Fish Tossing

Fish Tossing

Be Not Afraid

Be Not Afraid

Kerry Park

Kerry Park

Four of Don’s images from the files. The shot from the observation tower is wild for the miniaturization. I think I’m going to need to visit that spot with radio triggers and polarizers. Fish Toss is classic Don. Be Not Afraid is dark, but probably hasn’t been in circulation. And Kerry Park was a favorite haunt, so you’ve likely seen something similar before.

Pt. Robinson Lighthouse with Mt. Rainier

by Bob Venezia

Pt. Robinson Lighthouse with Mt. Rainier

Pt. Robinson Lighthouse with Mt. Rainier

I’d been planning this shot for a while and recently scouted it to determine what lens would work best on the Hasselblads. For this I used the 150mms, same as I’ve used with fireworks. The idea is to use a telephoto lens and get as far away from the lighthouse as I can, thus giving emphasis to the mountain. I was limited by the thicket behind me. I think it turned out well but I regretted not having polarizers with me. Maybe next time! The stereo base was around 6 inches.

Ian Andvaag D27 submission

by Ian Andvaag

70-Mile Butte

Taken on a hike on the west side of Grasslands National Park in southern Saskatchewan. The trail is only a couple miles long, and the trailhead is about 15 miles from the US border, so I’m not sure what the name refers to. The sun beats down hard and there is very little rain.

Boreal Floor

A close-up from Prince Albert National Park in central Saskatchewan. I blew the whites a bit, and a blade of grass is blowing in the wind. MF3D is tough to get right!

Bergenia in Wild Light

I was unsure about submitting this image (barely made the shortlist), but my test audience liked it, so I thought I’d see what the pros say. This was taken after a spring rainstorm. The clouds cleared away right before sunset and I had 15 minutes of absolutely crazy light. I couldn’t travel too far since time was short, I took a couple shots in the alleyway and this bedding plant. The dynamic range far exceeded what Velvia offers. This would have been clear candidate for an M-chrome.

Dickman Mill Ruins

These are some remains from a sawmill constructed in the late 1800s. Taken in Tacoma, WA during 3D-Con 2022. After mounting this slide, I did a google search to remind myself of the name of this location, and apparently the creosote treated pilings have now been removed.

Timo’s Submissions

by Timo

Aiming At Gold Coast

This image is from 2024 near Gold Coast Australia. I presume the wooden canon is a substitute for a real one, which are probably in short supply.

Roo

This Kangaroo is living in a reserve near Gold Coast.

 

Grand Canal bustle

Taken some years back (2017?) from the Rialto Bridge. We had mostly overcast skys, but I was shooting anyhow. Few came out very well.

Oil Pull Lineup

This shot was taken at the Milton Steam show in Sept 2025. I love going to this show for the cool machines and for the stereo opportunities.

All these images were shot with my tricked out Sputnik, and old film from the camera show.

 

 

 

 

 

Rumbero Con El Rolleidoscop

by Steven Lederman


I belong to Rumberos, a Cuban music study group. Every year we travel to a different part of Cuba and study for a week with various musicians and dancers. Most of the group are percussionists, but often people will join us on various trips who are interested in dance or interested in the Cuban culture. Each year I attend I shoot video footage and create three minute condensed versions of our trips. I’ve brought various stereo cameras along on some trips and have used them to take travel snapshots, usually at pit stops on the way to our workshops.
“Johnny Coming Through The Stereo Window” – Johnny Bullen, brother of pianist Eddie Bullen, laughs at all my jokes, so I consider him a great guy. If asked he’ll play bell, clave, timbales or cascara.
“Pausa Para Fumar” – Our bus driver for the 2023 trip.
“El Coche Verde” – – I was going to include some portraits but the ones I liked really needed some fill flash, so you’re stuck with the obligatory Cuban old car shot. The engine is probably running on modified Soviet car parts.
“Meet The New Swinger” – You’d have to be as old as I am to remember the photo-related commercial that began with “Hey! Meet the new Swinger!!” This is Vic Ramnarine, who’ll gladly sit in with any band on tumbadoras, even when not asked to do so.

Zach Horton’s D26 Submissions

by Zach Horton

As always, I try to include varied shots in the folio, often experimenting with different lenses and processes. This time I’m experimenting a bit with focal lengths: 47mm, 105mm, and two different 80mm lenses. I’m also experimenting with film stocks, as noted below. Three of the four are shot on negatives and printed to slides using M-Alchemy‘s M-Chrome process, while one is on standard slide film.

Surrounded

I thought this and the following shot would make a nice diptych! The model is Helena.  This was shot with the Mercury Stereo 12, with one of my favorite lenses: the Schneider Super Angulon 47mm. I’m always looking for the right subject for this fantastic lens! This was shot on 65mm 500T IMAX film and printed as an M-Chrome. The shot contains very bright sunlight as well as deep shadows. No slide film could have captured this, but I was pleased to see that the significantly higher latitude of Vision 3 film and the M-Chrome process was able to retain a great deal of detail in the highlights and shadows.

Caged

I shot this on the Stereo 12 with Mamiya 105mm lenses, to get a radically different feel from the shot it’s paired with. I tried to soften the background a bit via selective focus to obscure the fact that I’m slightly exceeding my depth budget. Generally the eyes don’t try to focus on out-of-focus details, but this is all experimental! Let me know how it works for you! Shot on 65mm 500T IMAX film and printed as an M-Chrome. The negative got a little brutalized on this one, adding some scratches.  (The image shown here was a different take than the slide; the slide version is better, but we only scanned this take.)

Galapagos Boardwalk

This was from atop Bartolomé island in the Galapagos. On this island, the one that most influenced Charles Darwin, no visitor is allowed to set food on the natural rocks and soil of the island, as part of its extraordinary ecological protection. The result is that when one sets foot on the island, one must walk from the dock to the boardwalk seen here. A trail then wends through the peaks of the island in a large loop. From this vantage I was able to capture the somewhat strange sight of the boardwalk, as well as a cactus-like plant that I had never seen before, but found alien and beautiful. Taken with my Mercury Stereo 12 on Kodak E100 film with Mamiya 80mm lenses.

Visitor From Another World

I watched this amazing fungus grow for several months before finally taking this image. (Note: the digital image here is a poor snapshot of the slide on a lightbox; we haven’t scanned this negative yet.) I used a Rollei 6006 to shoot this as a sequential macro, as I had it loaded with special 65mm Double-X film (made specially for the movie Oppenheimer, and given to me by the folks who worked on that film) for another project. This was partially a test of the Mercury Stereo Toolkit app for MF3D, to see if real world results would vindicate its calculations for macro 3D. I think it nailed it! This is an M-Chrome made from the negative. I discovered that Double-X BW film makes really spectacular M-Chromes. I shouldn’t have been surprised: it is a negative film designed specifically to make film prints! 80mm lens.