GENERATE KALEIDOSCOPE IMAGE HOW TO
GENERATE KALEIDOSCOPE IMAGE FULL

For example, the image I selected was originally 59.44 x 39.62cm so I multiplied 59 by 2 to get 118m then added 4 to get 122. To calculate the dimensions of the canvas, look at the largest side of the image, double that figure and add four. Now we need to add some space around the image. Go to Image > Canvas Size and a window will pop up with the dimensions of your current image. This will enable you to move the image around the canvas. Once you have selected an image and opened it in Photoshop, right click on the image in the layers panel and select Convert to Smart Object.

From my own experimentation I’ve found images with bold, contrasting colors and negative space result in the best kaleidoscopic images. I’ve chosen this photograph of some fungi growing on an old tree stump. Step 1 – Setting up the canvasįirst, select a photograph. Although I now spend most of my time looking through the viewfinder of a camera, the magic of the kaleidoscope remains in my mind as an early foray into image making. Remember kaleidoscopes? Those curious tubes with an array of mirrors and colorful beads inside? As a kid, I would while away sunny weekends straining my eye against the viewing aperture, hypnotized by the endless combination of shapes, patterns, and colors. The resulting kaleidoscope patterns make fantastic desktop backgrounds and wallpapers too. Photo (#6) is an example of construction paper I photographed using a kaleidoscope made with front surface mirrors, and you can see that all of the reflected facets are sharp.This tutorial is a lot of fun, transforming photographs into kaleidoscopic wonders, often with surprising results. You can find outlets for this specialized type of mirror online by searching for front surface mirror. You must handle this kind of mirror gingerly because once you get a fingerprint on it, it is very difficult to remove without smudging or scratching the mirror. In fact, it’s very difficult to distinguish which of the facets are reflections and which one is the view straight through the kaleidoscope. A front surface mirror doesn’t have the protective glass surface, and therefore the image is not degraded. The way around this, if you want to spend the money, is to use front surface mirrors instead of the glass covered mirrors. This glass is not of optical quality, and looking through it at severe angles distorts and degrades the image. This happens because the mirrored surface we use is covered by glass (just like the typical bathroom mirror) to protect the delicate reflective surface. The surrounding facets are less sharp, and near the edges of the frame the quality of the image is significantly degraded. If you look at the kaleidoscopic images #1 through #5, you will see that there is a center triangular facet that looks very sharp. If you have a wider angle lens, that’s great.

GENERATE KALEIDOSCOPE IMAGE FULL

I would recommend using at least a 24mm lens (on a full frame sensor camera), or an 18mm lens on a camera with a smaller sensor. The number of facets in the resulting photos increases as the width of your lens increases. To take a picture, I simply put the lens of the camera inside the triangle of mirrors, as you see in (figure A). I used duct tape to hold the unit together, and voila!, a kaleidoscope was born. To construct the kaleidoscope, I simply stood the mirrors on their ends and arranged them in a triangle such that the mirrored surface was inside. I had them smooth the edges of the glass so it wasn’t so sharp (this is important because cut glass is razor sharp), and now it was much safer to handle. I went to a glass shop and asked them to cut three pieces of mirror measuring 6x12”. To take pictures, it’s necessary to add a third mirror to form a triangle. The cost is around $5-$10, and it can be put together in just a few minutes.Ĭommercially manufactured kaleidoscopes have two mirrors inside of them set as a “V”.

GENERATE KALEIDOSCOPE IMAGE HOW TO

Several years ago I figured out how to construct a kaleidoscope that would permit photography, and I’ve always had a lot of fun with it. I have long been intrigued with kaleidoscopic images, but it’s virtually impossible to photograph into a traditional kaleidoscope because the hole through which you look to see the beautiful designs is too small.

Generate kaleidoscope image