The GEN girls who attended SDCC this year got the chance to meet a very unique photographer.  His name: Jericho; his super power: the ability to take 3-D photographs… from a camera HE created!!  Not only is he a “SUPERRRR GENIUSSS” (insert Wile E Coyote voice there)… but he’s super sweet!

*note: All photographs were taken directly from his site.  

I got the chance to talk with Jericho and it turns out that we have a lot in common!

To Jericho: “bradah, make me some musubi already!”

where did you grow up?
I was born in the Philippines, but we moved to Hawaii when I was 2, so I pretty much grew up in Hawaii.  I lived in Kalihi until the age of 9, and then we moved to Ewa Beach.  I recently moved to Pearl City to be closer to work.  It took a very long time for me to realize that I lived in a place that the rest of the world wants to go to for vacation.  I still think that’s weird.

What were you like as a kid?
I was the kind of kid that liked to take apart things to see how they worked.  I couldn’t quite put things back together, but that really wasn’t important.  A few scoldings taught me to wait for things to break before I took them apart, because at that point it didn’t really matter if I couldn’t put them back together.

In the 4th grade I moved to a new school, and promptly beat up the coolest guy in the class during lunch recess.  This was the guy everyone wanted to be friends with.  He started it, though.  He thought it was gonna be easy picking a fight with the new kid that liked Star Wars.  He didn’t know I knew karate.  And what made it more interesting was that I didn’t know that I knew karate.  My dad sent me to karate class over the summer to keep me busy, but I really wasn’t into it.  The moment that I was about to get my butt kicked, my body went into automatic and the karate lessons took over.  When it was over I was so shocked at the outcome that I helped up my defeated opponent to make sure he was ok.  After that we became friends, and he remained the “Cool Kid”, and I became known as the “Smart One”

The reputation followed me all the way through high school, and I graduated as valedictorian.  It wasn’t easy, though, as there were others who were just as smart.  In cases like this, you just have to eliminate the competition.  And after all, I knew karate.  Just kidding!  We were all pretty much friends, and it didn’t matter to me who got the top spot.

So…as a kid?  I was a happy-go-lucky kid, always interested in taking things apart, friends with just about everyone, and somehow I got a reputation for being smart, and not doing things the usual way.

Have you always been drawn to photography?
No, but I’ve always been drawn to things that go *click* and *whirrrr* and some cameras (like SLRs) make those sorts of noises.  Makes you wanna open them up.  I’ve always been drawn to 3-D and I was fascinated by the Viewmaster Viewer and the cardboard discs with the tiny pictures.  What sort of sorcery was involved in making things look realer than real life?

How long have you been taking piccha’s *lol*?
Since about late 2004.  I’ve been experimenting with 3-D photography, lenticular photography, and 360 degree panoramic photography.  Just for the sticklers out there reading this, I know 3-D photography should actually be called “stereoscopic” photography but no one knows what I’m talking about unless I say 3-D.

How long have you been taking 3-d pics?
Since about late 2004, using various cameras and configurations.  I understood the theory behind stereoscopic photography since the 8th grade (Yay school science projects!), but it wasn’t until 2004 that things came together.  At that time, just by chance the local computer store had a sale on digital cameras.  Cheap enough that I could buy two of the same type!  Ding!  Light bulb goes on in my head.  And that was the gateway camera to this habit of mine.  Soon I found myself always on the lookout for camera sales.  I wanted more cameras to make better prototypes.

By early 2005 I had come up with a prototype that was sturdy enough and light enough to take around all day with worrying about it falling apart or misfiring.  It was ready for prime time.

My first exposure to Comic Con was in 2005, and perhaps the most memorable costume was a Black Cat worn by someone named Heather Harris.  She was good natured, enthusiastic, and was ready with awesome poses that looked good in 3-D.  In subsequent visits to Comic Con, I have failed to take additional pictures of her, but I’m sure she’s still out there.

How in the world did you come up with duoshot?
The website?  I wanted to make a website where I could post my 3-D pictures, and everyone who visited the site would already know to expect those kinds of pictures.  As for the name, I wanted something that implied I was using 2 cameras, or generating 2 pictures.  I had a whole slew of ideas which included (but were not limited to):
doubleshot
twinshot
pair-a-normal photos
pair-a-graphics

In the end, DuoShot won out by virtue of being the shortest domain name that was available.

Did you make the camera yourself?
Yes.  Currently no one mass produces affordable 3-D digital cameras, so I end up making my own.  They’re basically two digital cameras wired so that they both fire at exactly the same time.  The current prototype is probably version 8 or 9…I’ve lost count.  The glasses to view the 3-d effect was a recent addition.  Up until now, the various prototypes didn’t allow for instant viewing of the pictures.  But now, because people see their 3-D picture almost immediately, they understand and share the enthusiasm that I have.

What else do you use your special camera for (other than con’s)?
Vacation shots.  The camera I bring to cons is small enough and light enough so that I consider it a vacation camera.  In fact the initial inspiration to do 3-D photography was so that I could take pictures on my various trips and share them with people who were unable to join me.  I wanted them to get a feeling of almost being there.

For 3-D work in the studio, I use a pair of synchronized DSLRs.  Although the quality of the pictures are better, the entire rig is too unwieldy to take along on vacations.

… I’d ask how you made it, but I’d assume that’s classified (haha)!
Heheh!  Coincidentally, I do work for the Department of Defense, so I really do get to say, “I’m sorry but that’s classified!”

So there you have it folks!  A little info. on GENs newest buddy/bradah!  So, basically, Jericho is a mad scientist who takes things apart, creates things, and has been taking pics since 2004… hahaha, I’m kidding!  On a serious note, check out his website here… OH, and you might wanna pick up a pair of 3-D glasses!

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