New 3D Photos Feature on Facebook Debuts

Facebook is known for premiering some cool stuff when it comes to their photo uploads and albums.

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

And that is to be expected given that a huge segment of the company is comprised of photography and video media social platform Instagram.

But a new feature has caught the eyes of many with its innovative take on the traditional photograph.

Debuting just a week or so ago, Facebook is now allowing for 3D photos to be uploaded to the service and shared.

Viewable in a user’s newsfeed and, for a more immersive experience, through VR headsets, these 3D photos approximate what it is like for a user to look out of a window according to press from the company.

As the owners of VR tech company Oculus, it’s also no shock that Facebook is looking at new ways for people to view photography and video.

The real question remains, however, whether stuff like this truly points towards new, sustainable trends or if these are just flash-in-the-pan fads.

Another interesting thing to consider is how 3D photos are blurring the line between photography and video. With 3D video also beginning to make a lot of inroads into the wider consumer market, Facebook might be anticipating these formats being the next big thing in photography as well as videography and is acting accordingly.

To capture 3D photos, you first need a compatible smartphone. For example, PetaPixel uses Apple’s iPhone line to illustrate how Facebook “uses the depth map data stored in Portrait mode photos captured with the iPhone 7+, 8+, X and XS.”

This isn’t the first time Facebook has announced a new type of photo feature for its service. The company discussed 3D worlds back in May 2018 and the Oculus division is always pushing the boundaries when it comes to merging the functionality of the social platform with VR.

What do you think? Are these formats visions of the future of photography or just passing trends? Let us know in the comments.

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Kehl is our staff photography news writer since 2017 and has over a decade of experience in online media and publishing and you can get to know him better here and follow him on Insta.

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