Can stereo 3D photos be used to create a tilt-shift effect in post-processing?
Asked 2/22/2014
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I can shoot stereo 3D stills with a 3D camera. Can those two images be used to estimate scene depth for each part of the image, create a depth map, and then apply blur based on distance to simulate shallow depth of field or even a tilted plane of focus like a tilt-shift lens? Is this practical in post-processing?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
12y ago
2 Answers
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Given a stereo image pair you can estimate the depth to each point in the image (producing what is known as a depth map), from which you could stimulate the tilted plane of focus of a tilt shift lens.
There's no simple way to estimate the depth map but there are plenty academic papers on the subject. Likewise there's no simple way to simulate depth of field from a depth map though Photoshop's lens blur filter will get you close.
It would be much easier to use a tilt shift lens, however.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
12y ago
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Yes—if you have a stereo image pair, you can estimate scene depth and generate a depth map. That depth information can then be used to apply distance-based blur in post-processing, which can simulate shallow depth of field and potentially a tilted focal plane similar to a tilt-shift look.
The catch is practicality: there is no simple, automatic method that reliably produces a perfect depth map from stereo images. This is a known computer-vision problem with lots of academic work behind it, but it is not generally a quick one-click workflow. Likewise, convincingly simulating optical blur from a depth map is also nontrivial, though tools such as Photoshop’s Lens Blur can get reasonably close.
So in principle, yes: stereo 3D images give you the information needed for this kind of effect. In practice, the process is complex, and using an actual tilt-shift lens is usually much easier if you want a true optical result.
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