Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques

I was first introduced to Takanori Okoshi’s seminal work, Three-Dimensional Imaging Techniques, when studying photography as a postgraduate at The Royal College of Art in London. It was a book that set me on a lifelong career path and helped me to understand the foundations of three-dimensional image making. 

Takanori Okoshi was a communications engineer who observed the science of refractive optics and precise measurements with an insightful understanding for the mathematics underpinning its theory. Astonishingly, this work has been out of print for a staggering four decades yet it reads as fresh today as it did when first published in the 1970s. For me it continues to unravel the mysteries of three-dimensional imaging because it catches a glimpse of truth in its analysis of light, physics, and ultimately the very way we perceive our 3-D world.

The book’s style is mannered in a syntax of a quaint respectful translation which promotes the esteem and dedication one would expect from a technical book written during that time period, when Japan was fast becoming a world leader in the electronics industry; in a spirit of adventure and with a passion for factual information.

From today’s perspective, this book is a product of an innocent time written for a pre-digital age when the wonder of 3-D seemed akin to magical illusion. Modern cinematography 3-D techniques, as used by James Cameron in his movie Avatar, were still a dream on the distant horizon. From this perspective, Okoshi’s work is a document of historical importance with significant value. 

Prof. Martin J. Richardson 
Ph.D. Holographic Imaging 
De Montfort University, Leicester, UK
For the Atara Press edition