Zebra Imaging's Blog

In parts I and II of the Holography as Art series, holographic artist Rebecca Kale described how she first became interested in holograms and began using 3D holographic imaging technology to create a variety of art projects. But how could her technique, and this technology, be used in other applications, especially with consumers?

The first hologram that Rebecca Kale, a holographic artist who runs Fringe Art Studio, made was of a skull. You can see a picture of it on Holography as Art: One Artist's Vision, the first in our three-part series about her art. But you're not really going to get the full effect unless you're standing in front of it in her gallery in Fort Worth, Texas. Her second holographic print featured a gargoyle statue. Finally, she moved on to her real goal: creating holographic portraits of people.

The first time holographic artist Rebecca Kale saw a real 3D hologram - not the fake kinds you see on credit cards or kids' toys - she was visiting the Chicago Museum of Holography. She bought a $5 ticket and found herself wandering around, amazed by the holograms she saw. Some were big and some small, backlit by lasers and lit from above - many were in stunning colors. She went to the museum twice in 2011, and each time she thought to herself, "I want to learn how to do this."

On May 18 and 19, Maker Media will be holding its annual Maker Faire Bay Area at the San Mateo County Event Center. The show, which promotes itself as the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth, will include more than 900 makers exhibiting projects and inventions like drones, robots, 3D printing, tools, arts and crafts and many other creative pursuits.

Most of us have actively taken part in the 3D movie craze. We all saw The Hobbit in 3D, and most of us probably saw Avatar and Life of Pi too (which just won an award for its 3D cinematography - congrats to Claudio Miranda). But something that is only now becoming more mainstream is 3D photography, which is being adopted by photo enthusiasts and others who are interested in creating unique 3D visuals.

More businesses and individuals have turned to 3D printing in recent years, seeing that it provides a new way to visualize data. Schools, manufacturers, doctors and hobbyists are among some of those who have invested in traditional 3D printing technologies. But while 3D visualization presents a wide array of opportunities to many industries, there are other display methods - like 3D holographic printing - that may prove more cost-effective and user-friendly.

According to Andrew Murchie, a contributor for the marketing website Cream, 3D advertising has already started to make itself known and it may soon become mainstream. Advertisers need to employ new strategies to capture the attention of their increasingly apathetic audience. One way to engage that audience is by incorporating 3D visualization.

Cities and urban planners are wrestling with how to understand and plan for the increasingly complex systems integrated into modern cities. But new 3D visualization technology has begun to show that there is a smarter and better way to make urban planning decisions, including: where to build, how to plan for natural disasters, the use of finite resources, how to incorporate sustainable practices, designing for growing populations and other considerations.

More businesses and individuals have turned to 3D printing in recent years, seeing that it provides a new way to visualize data. Schools, manufacturers, doctors and hobbyists are among some of those who have invested in traditional 3D printing technologies. But while 3D visualization presents a wide array of opportunities to many industries, there are other display methods - like 3D holographic printing - that may prove more cost-effective and user-friendly.

To help solve a wave of brutality that threatened a small New York City community when a body is found dismembered and strategically left out on four street corners, CSI NY producers turned to Zebra Imaging to get a detailed view of the streets of New York City's Hell's Kitchen.