Stereo Lenses

Stereo images require special handling in post-processing. This guide covers the workflow from raw capture to final spatial output.

The Challenge

When editing a side-by-side stereo pair, you need to:

  1. Apply identical adjustments to both halves
  2. Maintain alignment between left and right images
  3. Export to your target format (SBS, anaglyph, etc.)

Image Editing: Photoshop / Pixelmator

Standard photo editors work fine for stereo images—you just need to be careful to apply changes consistently to both halves. I am mentioning Pixelmator since I mostly work on the Mac.

Workflow for Side-by-Side Images

  1. Open your SBS image in Photoshop or Pixelmator

  2. Global adjustments first: Apply exposure, contrast, white balance, and color grading to the entire image. These affect both halves equally.

  3. Per-half adjustments: If the two cameras weren’t perfectly matched, you may need to adjust each half separately:

    • Select the left half (e.g., rectangular marquee for the left 50%)
    • Apply any correction needed (exposure, color cast)
    • Repeat for the right half
    • Goal: make both halves match as closely as possible
    • Tip: Use adjustment layers and duplicate them for each half

  4. Avoid localized edits that differ: Cloning, healing, or content-aware fills should be applied identically to both sides, or the stereo effect will break.

  5. Export: Save as high-quality JPEG/PNG or keep as PSD/PXD for further processing.

StereoPhoto Maker: Alignment and Conversion

StereoPhoto Maker (SPM) is the essential free tool for stereo photography. It handles alignment, format conversion, and viewing.

This tool is invaluable, especially with a custom camera rig, for getting images that are comfortable to view. There is a version that runs on a Mac, but it isn’t great, it is an Intel-only binary that is really old and clunky. There’s also a command-line version for the Mac that is a little more bearable, still Intel-only, but runs in Rosetta just fine.

Basic Alignment Workflow

  1. Open your stereo pair:

    • File → Open Left/Right Images (for separate files)
    • File → Open Stereo Image (for SBS or MPO)

  2. Auto-align: Edit → Auto Alignment

    • SPM analyzes both images and corrects for:
      • Rotation differences
      • Vertical misalignment
      • Zoom/scale differences
    • Check the preview—if it looks wrong, try manual adjustment

  3. Save: File → Save Stereo Image

Other Useful Tools

I have several tools and scripts available for helping with 3D images. My Spatial Scripts are a set of scripts that are a pipeline for working with stereo images from stereo camera rigs.

spatialPhotoTool is a tool for converting side-by-side images or pairs of images to spatial images compatible with the Apple Vision Pro. And lastly, the anaglyphtool takes side-by-side images and converts them to anaglyph images, viewable with cheap red/cyan 3D glasses. Red/cyan 3D glasses are definitely more budget-friendly than the Vision Pro, but the quality is definitely not as good.

Other Tools Worth Mentioning

  • Spatial Media Toolkit can convert photos and videos (with varying degrees of success) on your Mac, iPhone or iPad
  • The Apple Vision Pro itself can convert photos to spatial photos inside the photos app, this feature tends to get confused by hair or glasses (just like the portrait mode does) but it is pretty amazing in most cases