3D National Parks: Like You've Never Seen Them Before by David A. Bossert
What's It About?
A stunning collection of 3D photographs of selected National Parks and monuments captured in “ time and space” through the lens of pioneering photographers in brilliant black & white and color photos.In David A. Bossert’s coffee-table-sized stereoscopic photography book, 3D National Parks (The Old Mill Press), he uses the subhead “Like You’ve Never Seen Them Before.”
Let’s qualify that a bit. Even though visitation to our national parks has been steadily growing every year, there remain millions of Americans who, for one reason or another, have never had the chance, or the means, or the burning desire to trek to and through these iconic wonders of nature and science.
Then there are those of us old enough to recall GAF Viewmasters, those thin cardboard disks containing small transparent color photographs on film in 3D. For many of us back then, aligning our eyes with that plastic Viewmaster contraption was our peek into a world we could only dream about.
Now Bossert, an award-winning artist, filmmaker and author, and a 32-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company, has compiled a unique and comprehensive collection of stereoscopic images of our national parks — some from early master photographers who paved the way for showcasing the parks through their work — and converted them into an engaging, immersive and compelling volume.
Personal Tour Guide — Complete with 3D Glasses!
The book serves as a personal tour guide and affords readers/viewers the chance to experience these majestic wonders, hitting all the major landmarks of Yellowstone, Yosemite, Mount Rainer, Crater Lake, Mesa Verde, Glacier National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Grand Canyon and Mammoth Cave.
“At the national parks,” Bossert writes, “there are plenty of guidebooks and online references suggesting the best places to take photographs. No matter which park you visit, there are natural wonders, visually stunning landscapes, and active and captivating wildlife around every corner, canyon, meadow and vista you encounter.”
Some of the images even provide vantage points that might be too difficult to access if you were actually there.
3D National Parks comes complete with those funky-looking red/blue 3D glasses which, frankly, you can’t enjoy this book without.
Brings the National Parks into Average American Home
Bossert supplements the visuals in two ways. First, in his introduction, he provides a fascinating history of 3D photography, also blending in his own background and how this project came about.
Secondly, he includes brief narratives with each image, truly capturing the splendor of the venue. Just listen to his description of the Orange Geyser Cone in Yellowstone’s Mammoth Hot Springs: “To go to this wonderful spot where elevations bring coolness and health, where the great hills and forests calm and strengthen the mind, where the streams roar through beautiful, mighty canyons, where the trout sports in the rapids, where the placid lakes mirror the cliffs that edge the shores…” Ok, you sold me!
The author’s intent is to “bring the wonders of the National Parks into the homes of average citizens who might never have a chance to visit these locations themselves or to entice some to plan a trip based on these stereoviews.”
“This is the wonder of 3D photography — it can capture a moment in both time and space for posterity.”
Mission accomplished.
About David A. Bossert:
David A. Bossert is an award-winning artist, filmmaker, and author. He is a 32-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company where he contributed his talents to Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993), The Lion King (1994), and Fantasia/2000 (1999) among many others. Bossert is an independent producer, creative director, and writer and is considered an authority in Disney art and animation history. He is a member of the CalArts Board of Trustees and is a visiting scholar at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) in Pittsburgh. In 2018, he was awarded a U.S. Patent for his invention Parallax Based Monoscopic Rendering, and in 2020, he received an additional U.S. Patent for Varying Display Content Based on Viewpoint. Bossert is the author of numerous books, liner/program notes, and dozens of articles on animation. Learn more at www.davidbossert.com.
