Those of us of a certain age may remember 3D photos printed on lenticular material. Lenticular printing is done by interlacing the image on extruded plastic lenses that cover a printing surface. It makes the resulting image look three-dimensional. Certain film cameras with multiple lenses, most famously the Nimslo, were used to capture images that were used for this purpose. Luma 3D Art has revived the process with a custom digital twist that means you don’t need a special camera. Just their process.
What does the effect look like? We can’t show you here, but jump over to the Luma web site and you can get an approximation from their animated GIFs. You can read the details about how it works here but the process is simple: Take a standard digital image file and mail it to them; they’ll turn the image into a poster-sized lenticular image that moves slightly, giving the illusion of a 3D image. While this service is not inexpensive—it is really geared towards professional and high-end photo and imaging display customers—the results that were on display at their booth at Photo Plus Expo last month were definitely eye-catching.
Prints are available in 20×24 or 27×36-inch images, with prices at a breathtaking $1,595 and $1,995, respectively. It takes 4-6 weeks to produce a print, and an animated GIF showing the effect can be provided in advance as a proof. Backlit frames are available as well as a variety of frame designs that they describe as “museum quality.”
What happened to Nismlo? Don’t ask. But if you must know, go here.
