I have downloaded a new app for my iPhone, Pano, on the advice of Tom. It is extremely simple to use in fact I would go so far as to say it was idiot proof. If any idiots find that they cannot use it, you are welcome to try to put a comment on this blog - if you can, but I suspect you will not as using the Pano is easier. In fact it's so easy I'm probably a bit guilty of over using it. However, this "panoramic" view does throw things into a different perspective, figuratively and literally.
Take the photo of my garden above, my intention had been to take a photo of the chickens for a friend, Mij - long story, I'll save that one I think. The photo does contain the chickens but also as you pan across you get to see the subject in the context of numerous other influences. Your mind fades out elements that are not of interest currently and focuses on those that are, whilst keeping some sense of perspective on those other elements. It is much more natural to us to view in this way, in our usual sight, we have a central area of vision and the peripheral vision is often only subconsciously aware of the bigger picture. My only concern with the way we view these projections is that they are just that, a three dimensional projection onto a two dimensional flat page and the resultant distortion can render the picture awkward and difficult to look at. I shall get much more practice and hopefully master the art.
Watching Will on his Xbox last night it struck me that console games would benefit considerably from the wrapped around image created from panoramic viewing, probably more so than 3D although 3D is pretty amazing on a console. I suspect then, that some kind of projector that would display an image giving you a sense of what lay just outside of your field of view would be a useful add on to console gaming.
(c) McDermott 2011 - patent pending (actually pending review that it actually doesn't already exist).
