Making the Transparent iBook

Making the Transparent iBook
Originally uploaded by Amber & Adolph.

The idea I had for seeing the computer's back in a mirror behind the transparent desktop was as much of a production as I thought it would be. It kind of boils down to angles and lighting. Along the way, the ability to accurately preview or immediately see results up close and large is handy. After somewhat figuring out how to mark the location of the chair and the mirror on the chair so it could be removed for the back shot and replaced for the final picture, I have a better idea of what problems filmmakers face. Why is it that there is not a commonly available tool for determining the proximity and relative position of things? Why don't cameras have GPS, laser rangefinders and digital theodolites? Can I gauge the distance from a camera to the object in focus by the focus setting stored in the picture file?