3D Stereo 360° (works 2012/2015)

For use, you need a virtual reality device

HMD - Head mounted display for the virtual reality is needed

Between 2012 and 2015, I embarked on one of the most demanding and at the same time exciting projects of my creative career: experimental recording of 3D Stereo 360° panoramas. This was a time when VR technology was not yet part of everyday life, when virtual reality glasses were rare, and when most of the recording, processing, and display methods had to be developed from scratch. This is why this project was so special to me – it was a journey into the unknown, exploring the limits of technology, and at the same time a test of my own persistence.

Stereoscopic photography has always fascinated 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 are combined in the brain, a sense of depth is created. In stereoscopic photography, I replicate this by taking two nearly identical photographs, each from the perspective of one eye. When the viewer observes them through the proper device, a sense of three-dimensionality arises.

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

3D Stereo 360° is a breakthrough because it combines two demanding techniques: stereoscopic photography and a full spherical panorama. This means that I don’t just capture two offset images, but the entire environment in stereo pairs. The viewer can look in any direction – up, down, left, right – and constantly maintain a sense of depth.

In the years 2012–2015, this technique was still in its infancy. Software was limited, and hardware even more so, so I had to invent many things on the fly. Each panorama was the result of careful planning, technical ingenuity, and patient processing. At times, I felt like I was fighting against physics, optics, and technology at the same time, but it was precisely this that kept me going.

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

In them, I faced:

• almost complete darkness,

• extreme contrasts,

• humidity that threatened the equipment,

• dripping water that could ruin the shot,

• restricted movement,

• dangerous or inaccessible perspectives,

• and spaces so large they were difficult to capture even in a traditional panorama.

Despite this, during eight months of intense work, I managed to create a complete 3D Stereo 360° archive of the Škocjan Caves. This project tested me on all levels – technically, physically, and creatively. But for that reason, I now see it as one of my greatest achievements. In such an environment, any mistake in geometry or lighting could destroy the stereo effect, so precision was key.

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

• simple anaglyph glasses with red and blue filters,

• polarization glasses,

• active shutter glasses,

• stereoscopic monitors,

• dual projections.

Each method had its pros and cons, but none provided a fully immersive experience. Only with the arrival of HMD – Head Mounted Display devices did stereoscopy rise to a new level. When I first saw my 3D Stereo 360° panoramas through VR glasses, I knew that this was what I had been working towards. Finally, the technology caught up with my experiment.

VR glasses allow the viewer not just to 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, as I created it during a time when VR was not yet ready for such content. Culturally, it is valuable because it documents Slovenian natural and cultural heritage in spatial form. Personally, it is proof that with persistence, knowledge, and passion, I can achieve something that usually requires large teams.

This project has become a time capsule, bringing together technology, space, and my personal vision. It is a document of an era when I was ahead of the development of VR technologies and laying the foundations for the future of spatial documentation.

Author: Boštjan Burger