Photogrammetry Self-Portrait

Design & Technology

2020

I’m really interested in using technology for creative projects. It often seems like technology is developed solely for business purposes, which I understand can drive innovation, but as an art kid, I appreciate the value of creating something interesting or beautiful for its own sake.

That's why I get excited about trying out new technologies that have potential for unexpected and artistic applications. Photogrammetry was a fun thing to experiment with and try out.

Photogrammetry

Photogrammetry is the art and science of extracting 3D information from photographs. By using hundreds of overlapping photos, a 3D model can be generated.

Most of the use cases I came across involved creating 3D models of locations or static objects like statues. I didn’t see any examples of photogrammetry for 3D models of people, I was curious about its limitations when it comes to scanning people.

Examples of commercial photogrammetry use cases

The Portrait

This process reminded me of my early screen printing days. I use to screen print posters in my garage and because of my DIY approach, each poster would be slightly different, never perfect, with built-in imperfections. This gave the prints a lot of personality and was fun to see the outcomes.

In the same way, the 3D models produced from my photogrammetry process are unique and full of imperfections.

Resulting 3D model placed on my desk with augmented reality.

Further Play

Afterward, I used AR technology so I could share the portrait with others using a QR code.

Scan the code below with your phone to see the portrait in your space.

Scan the code with your phone to see the portrait in your space.

Adding different materials to the model gave some interesting results.