A study of depth perception in contemporary stereoscopic photography

Stereoscopic photography, with its unique technique of capturing three-dimensional depth, has attracted widespread attention from time to time, but has become a relatively little-attended field among contemporary photographic disciplines. With the development of XR technologies that enable stereoscopic imaging, stereoscopic photography is back on the agenda and has great potential as a form of artistic expression. In this study, a two-camera stereoscopic camera system was developed and the extent to which the depth-reflective capacity of stereoscopic photographs is enhanced when supported by monocular depth cues was investigated. The study analyzed resources in both physical and online libraries and evaluated stereoscopic photographs from the earliest stereographs to contemporary examples. In addition, an interview was conducted with David Hazan, a stereoscopic photographer known for his important anaglyphic work. As a result of the study, it was determined that pictorial depth cues such as overlapping, use of light and shadow, and perspective are very powerful elements in enhancing the depth effect of stereoscopic photographs and increasing viewing comfort.