Rainbow Lily

I ask for your indulgence for posting this lily in the flora gallery instead of photoart (I should know better since I am one of the moderators ). The subject matter is lily with some very special rendition.

Having played with 2D floragraph for the past 12 months, its time to upgrade and try something new - 4D CT scan!! I had the good fortune to meet up with an award winning radiologist and visual artist Dr Fung Kai Hung at one of our outings to the HK Wetland Park. This is a collaborative effort with Dr Fung who did the 3D rainbow rendering.

This is a high resolution CT scan at 0.625mm interval slices. A total of 473 axial slices are merged together to construct a 3D model which one can manipulate in any angle of view including looking out from within the flower. Surface rendering, is then performed and rainbow colors added (see link about rainbow technique if interested). Incidentally, all x-ray are monochrome as is UV photography and IR photography. Colors are added pp for artistic reasons.

This is the pilot scan and there are still many possibilities from this single scan (since the image can be manipulated digitally in any POV). In addition, the opacity of the surface rendering can also be changed so that one can partially see through a bud into the center etc. Also there are so many candidate flowers as well. This is a whole new field for anyone who wish to venture there.

I know that there are some who object to these sort of images here so I will post them in photoart in future. Incidentally, the future is already here - 3D movie and photography are now firmly established and this is the beginning of 3D floragraphy.

Comment edited 11/2: 4D is 3D plus motion added eg such as flyover view. Steroscopic glasses and 3D monitor are required for more real live stereo vision