The latest in stereo photography gear is… a chairlift?!

I love it when two seemingly unrelated areas of my life collide with positive results.

Monday and Tuesday we had 9 inches of fresh spring powder snow in the mountains around Missoula, so Wednesday morning I headed for Snowbowl, our local ski area.

I enjoy winter photography as much as the skiing, so I took along my 20D, fitted with an 18-200 zoom. I like getting back into the silence of the woods and photographing the peace and serenity of snow, trees, and blue sky.

Riding up the chairlift I have fun catching skiers as they cruise down the mountain. I was using the “motor drive” on my 20D, when on a whim I decided to turn it on the scenery.

I’ve played with stereo photography before, and I idly wondered if I could create a stereo pair using the chairlift’s constant  movement to “offset” my images appropriately for stereo viewing. I braced myself and fired off two quick images. I didn’t expect much, and forgot about the idea until I was reviewing the images. I’m really happy with the result. If you do that “cross-eyed stare” that brings two images together, you get a very good stereo photo of Point Six as seen from the LaVelle Creek chairlift.

Since ski season is nearly over I’m wondering if this trick would work from a bicycle. And if I try it, how bad am I likely to end up hurting myself? Stay tuned….

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