Improve your 3D photography with some expert advice

Our Nintendo 3DS 3D Photo Contest has now ended, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying all the fun of 3D photography on Nintendo 3DS!

Nintendo has teamed up with experts from The Royal Photographic Society (RPS) to offer tips on capturing 3D images using the built-in Nintendo 3DS cameras - which should help any budding photographer capture some simply stunning snaps!

RPS members were challenged to explore the 3D photography function of the console, and discover the best techniques to employ to produce fun and creative results. Read on for a set of general guidelines on how to shoot in 3D, which was produced by 3D photography expert David Burder, BSc, FRPS, FBIPP.

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3D Shooting Guidelines for Nintendo 3DS
By David Burder, BSc, FRPS, FBIPP

The great thing about the camera is that you can see the results in real 3D as you go along. Magic!

You will find Nintendo 3DS is ideally suited for photographing quite close to subjects, as near as an arm’s length away. This is because its two outer cameras are close together, so you can get in really close.

When picking a subject to photograph, remember the Three Fs - Friends, Family and Furry things. These make ideal 3D subjects.

It’s best to avoid photos of distant scenes unless you have people or other objects in the foreground, say a couple of metres away from where you are with your Nintendo 3DS would be ideal.

Action photos may result in blurry pictures because the shutter speed cannot be changed. It is fun to try them anyway, as the 3D effect can be quite spooky!

The special “in-camera” effects on Nintendo 3DS are really worth playing with. A particularly fun mode is when you blow into the microphone and bubbles, notes and stars float in 3D space above your photo. Because it is all in real-time, you can capture at the precise moment that these floaters are in the perfect position.

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Our UK-wide 3D photography competition, which launched in April in association with National Geographic Kids and The RPS, has now closed. To see the entries so far (and view the winners once the jury have completed their deliberations) check the Nintendo 3DS 3D Photo Contest website. Have fun taking all your 3D snaps!

Keep up to date with all the official Nintendo announcements and exclusive new game information by following the official Nintendo UK Twitter feed @NintendoUK