I just received a copy of Prelude Lake (Nightscapes 3-D Publishing, 2008), a coffee-table book that showcases great images of the aurora borealis, or northern lights. In addition to the night sky photography by Bryan Rich White, the book also comes with a music CD by Jonn Serrie.
Prelude Lake also contains more than 60 stereo images. Each is a 7-inch wide “card” with a left and right image. The author included a handheld image fuser called a lorgnette with the book. To create a stereo image, just hold the fuser about 10 inches from the stereo card, look through it, and relax. I’ve been looking at stereo cards for many years, so it’s no problem for me to see these images in stereo even without the fuser.
Just so you understand, Prelude Lake is not a science book. It’s a picture book that contains little text. One short section that will interest amateur astronomers lists the author’s equipment, film (yes, film!), exposure times, and technique.
With the 3-D images and included viewer, Prelude Lake will be a conversation piece in anyone’s home. Just don’t spill your coffee on it.
