Feature film productions traditionally hire a "Unit Still Photographer" whose job it is to shoot images for use in the promotion of a movie. Unintentionally and in a very different manner from the norm, I became the primary still photographer for The Nightmare Before Christmas. I was hired to be a character animator for the project; however, I just happened to be an avid 3-D stereo photographer who loved to capture amazing stop-motion setups in 3-D for my private collection. At the point when the movie was nearing completion, Disney publicity decided that they needed some compelling photos to promote the film and, incredibly, no one had been officially assigned to shoot the stills! Their only hope was to make an appeal to the crew for their personal pictures of the production. Surprisingly, they determined my stills were exactly what they needed. The publicity department had no interest in the 3-D aspect; however, the photos worked equally well in standard 2-D format. We reached an agreement and my pictures were used in the big pre-release promotional push of the film in 1993. I have to admit that it was highly gratifying to see so many of my photos published in several major magazines and newspapers as part of The Nightmare Before Christmas marketing strategy.

Behold the Red-Nosed Reindog, a rare creature from a remote mountain region near the North Pole! Okay, what you're actually looking at is a surreal photorealistic composite that I created for the amusement of friends and family as this year's Christmas card. I thought it would be fun to portray my daughter as an elf and her dog as the iconic Rudolph. Being fairly adept at Photoshop magic, I combined a number of photographs to illustrate this imaginary scene.

Most of the images in my collection were captured using a Nikon Stereo Rig or the Nimslo 3D camera, accompanied by the iconic Kodachrome film. Unlike converting regular 2D photos, I prefer the authenticity and impact of genuine stereo photography. The Nikon Stereo Rig may appear ordinary, but it holds the power to produce extraordinary results. It consists of a conventional Nikon camera mounted on a sliding rail, enabling smooth horizontal movement. To capture the perfect shot, I set up a tripod and ensure a stationary subject. Click! The camera captures the first image, and with a gentle glide, it moves horizontally to the ideal distance for eye separation. Click again! Two images, one for each eye, form a dynamic "stereo pair." (Remarkably, even modern digital cameras can be used in a similar manner.) For moving subjects, like people, I relied on the Nimslo, a charming camera from the '80s that captured four photos simultaneously. While its four lenses were initially designed for lenticular prints, I utilized only the outer two pictures to create classic stereo effects. Both these cameras produced slides that can be viewed through special 3-D viewers or projected in stereo with compatible equipment.