Double Visionaries

Seeing double is usually a bad sign. Maybe you hit your head, were in a fistfight, or just pounded a few Everclear shots. Of course, it’s pretty sweet if you’re Hugh Hefner looking at twin girlfriends Karissa and Kristina -- or if you’re talking about stereoscopic photography, the process by which two nearly identical images combine to make a 3D photo. That’s exactly what you’ll see (through special glasses, natch) at the closing reception for the “Room With a View: Stereoscopic Views from Past and Present” exhibit at Tilt Gallery.

The group show features the works of eight stereoscopic photographers, including nudes by Nebraska’s Larry Ferguson, View-Master stories by Christopher Schneberger, and landscapes by local Tom Dory. How is the effect achieved? “You can use a specialized camera,” Dory explains, “or you can take a single camera and take consecutive photos, shifting your hip a little the second time. Anyone can do it.” Nice to know, but it sure ruins the childhood “magic” of those View-Master reels.