Taylor Moon
What makes Lytro cameras so innovational is its spatial command of the six degrees of freedom, presencing a virtual reality. This method, when exercised in video games, allows the user to exercise “translational motion or force along each of three orthogonal axes and rotational motion or torque about each of the axes” (Brannon 1). The Lytro camera is a plenoptic camera, which captures the four-dimensional field of light through an array of microlenses during the period of a single photographic exposure (Stanford 1). The microlenses are arranged according to GRIN, or a gradient index (“Graded Index”). It revolutionarily subdivides the total amount of light within a given locale into the amounts in each ray, which accounts for varying source distances, or depths within the image, and increases the overall photographic sharpness (Stanford 1). This opens up possibilities in terms of hyper-enlarged, the reduction of image noise, the ability to sustain high aperture over a greater depth of field, quicker exposures, multiple perspectives, and extreme motion shots. The plenoptic camera utilizes synthetic and refocusing image technology. This employs an algorithm that measures deviations in defocus blur against an approximate blur (Yosuke 1). This gives the photographer more freedom to control the focus of their choice. Stanford’s plenoptic camera distinguishes itself from other plenoptic counterparts by using range-finding technology. Prior to this research, I did not know that light that passes through a pixel correlated to a parent microlens (Stanford 3). I was not aware of the sub-apertures that are combined to amount to the total aperture (3). Sub-apertures, to my understanding, are created due to the presence of multiple microlenses, each with their own aperture, existing behind the main lens. Light field is confined by aperture, and therefore, vignetting occurs when a synthetic photograph tries to create a synthetic photograph that requires light outside of the aforementioned boundary, or aperture (Stanford 5). Lytro’s Illum camera allows one to focus, shift the perspective, and pan after the image has been taken; moreover, upgrades include a feature of Living Picture Playback and, most interestingly, the ability to create a 3D animation of your images from its desktop software (Torres). The Illum camera, which is intended for more serious work, was produced after its more kaleidoscopic model, is Lytro’s second camera. Reviews, such as the one produced by The Verge on Youtube, describe the Illum as heavy camera with a 30-250mm lens. It still contains the expect aspect of the shutter button. It has an angled display screen on the back and is intended, according to the video, to be held about chest-high with two hands. It shoots at F2 all the time but gives you the option to process the image as high as F15 after the photo has been taken. The Youtube reviewer describes the use of Lytro’s Illum to merely take regular DSLR photos as a waste of money but that it is truly intended for employment of its Living Picture advantages. The Verge describes how the Illum compensates for the fact that you cannot merely take a shot from any angle through its Lytro button. This maps the refocus of a range of your shot in blue and orange. I had issue with this because this essentially takes most independent voice from the photographer as an artist. In essence, anyone, no matter how inexperienced, could then become an expert photographer. As I explored the Lytro camera, I grappled with the philosophical implications of what this technology will mean for the artist and the ways in which artists will need to reinvent and reclaim the medium.
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2005-02, Stanford Tech Report Ctsr. "Light Field Photography with a Hand-Held Plenoptic Camera." Light Field Photography with a Hand-held Plenoptic Camera (n.d.): n. pag. Standford, Feb. 2005. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
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"Graded Index Microlenses." Liens Vers La Page D'accueil Du Site De L'INO. Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
Torres, JC. "Lytro Releases Major Update to ILLUM Light Field Camera Suite." SlashGear. SlashGear, 10 July 2015. Web. 16 Apr. 2017.
Yosuke, Bando, and Nishita Tomoyuki. "Towards Digital Refocusing from a Single Photograph." Towards Digital Refocusing from a Single Photograph. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUd7xXhmugM