Facebook Unveils 3D Pictures In News Feed

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It’s not you; it’s them. Your feed is about to get all weird, as Facebook rolls out a “3D photo” feature that adds depth (and movement) to photos.

All Facebook users are in for a visual surprise, as 3D photos are about to appear in their feeds. The option to create them, however, will roll out a little more slowly, and you will need an iPhone with dual cameras for that. This means you will need an iPhone 7 or later. Except of course for the new iPhone XR, which doesn’t come with dual cameras. And no, your Samsung Galaxy Note 9 or LG V35 ThinQ will not work either, despite also offering dual cameras.

“3D photos” draw from the depth map that is automatically created by the dual camera phones, and an AI system then adds depth and movement (as you scroll) to create a realistic 3D rendering.

To create a “3D photo” on Facebook, you will need an iPhone with dual cameras: iPhone 7 or later, but not the XR.

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Facebook offers a quick tutorial explaining how to take the best 3D photos:

1. Create layers.
3D Photos use the depth maps that are stored with “Portrait” photos taken on iPhone 7+, 8+, X or XS. You’ll get the best results if your main subject is three or four feet away, and to really make it pop, try to capture scenes with multiple layers of depth, including something in the foreground and something in the background—like a shot of your family standing in a field of flowers.

Are you a strong believer that everything looks better in 3D? Then you will love the new “3D photo” feature on Facebook.

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2. Keep contrast in mind.
You’ll get more of the 3D effect when your photo’s subject has contrasting colors – for example, someone wearing a blue shirt standing in front of a blue wall won’t pop as much as someone wearing a different color in front of the same wall.

3. Use texture.
Some materials and subjects make better 3D photos than others. You’ll get the best results from subjects that have some texture to them, have solid edges, and aren’t too shiny. Try to avoid transparent objects like clear plastic or glass, as they aren’t always accurately captured by depth sensors.