File:The Mantis and the Sunflower (52169682820).jpg

This image might seem strange, and indeed it is. To see it properly, dig out your pair of red/cyan anaglyph glasses! It’s a stereoscopic 3D image – and if you bought a copy of my book Macro Photography, you likely have a pair of the required glasses. :)

Alternatively, you can see the image by other means: SBS (for VR headsets and stereoscopes): <a href="https://donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-sbs.jpg" rel="noreferrer nofollow">donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-sbs.jpg</a> Cross-view for crossing your eyes (my preferred method): <a href="https://donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-crossview.jpg" rel="noreferrer nofollow">donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-crossview.jpg</a> MPO file if you’re still somehow still using a 3DTV: <a href="https://donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-3DTV.mpo" rel="noreferrer nofollow">donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-3DTV.mpo</a>

I have always loved 3D imagery, and I encourage more photographers to experiment with it. Mantis oothecas (egg casings) I found in the winter have provided us with countless mantis nymphs, and these little guys are a wonderful subject to photograph in 3D. The image is staged with two sunflower petals and a water droplet where they intersect, with a sunflower refracting in the droplet and a mantis staring into the “crystal ball”.

I share this fun image as a small celebration, of sorts. Ukraine (and Moldova!) has been granted “candidate” status by the European Commission. This is a critical first step in joining the European Union, and creates a roadmap for the reforms and changes required to join. Judicial reform, anti-corruption and money laundering reforms, etc. all need to be implemented. Some reforms have already been passed recently, including the Istanbul Convention which aims to prevent violence against women. It signifies a path forward for Ukraine.

Is the symbolism a bit of a stretch to say that a mantis peering “through the looking glass” to the bright sunflower on the other side matches this moment? Probably. Still, it’s a moment I wanted to revel in. The war rages on, and the sadness and despair only grows deeper – but moments of hope are critical, and while this isn’t a victory on the battlefield, it’s still a wonderful step forward.

The image was shot with a long-discontinued deWijs stereo macro lens, essentially two sets of optics in the same barrel, with one half of the camera sensor collecting the image for each eye. StereoPhoto Maker is free software that allows for the combining of the images in various ways and properly setting the “stereo window”, ensuring that there is proper overlap of the image data for each eye. You don’t need a special lens to shoot 3D, however! You can easily mount your camera on a focusing rail sideways, so that the camera moves left and right rather than forward/backward. This technique is more applicable to static subjects and maybe not a living insect, and I’ll aim to shoot an image using this technique soon as well to illustrate the difference. As human beings we see the world with depth, it’s something we can embrace more as visual artists.

Our fight for Ukraine continues. I’m inquiring about potential discounts on solar generators to ship to the front lines, as well as much-needed medical supplies. It’s painful to know that all-out war has been continuing for four months. Crimea was annexed eight years, four months and four days ago. This will not be over until Ukraine is whole again.

As with other images in the Support for Ukraine series, I dedicate this image to the Public Domain.