Future proofing memories for the Vision Pro with Spatial Video
This morning, preorders for the Apple Vision Pro begin to much enthusiast fanfare and confusion. While the premise is exciting, there’s little to go off about how good it is in day-to-day usage.
But will all the talk that will come about the idea of “spatial computing,” as a photographer, I’ve been most enthralled by “spatial video.” These videos include depth data that create a more immersive experience. I don’t know how true 3D the videos are, but have read viewing them can almost bring you to tears. just When the Vision Pro was announced, it seemed like the only way to capture videos in this format was with the headset. I had a vision of me being a 2024 version of the dad with the camcorder at my wedding, recording the reception with a $3,500 slab of glass on my face with those creepy eyes.
But thankfully a recent software update allows us to record spatial video on the phone. Whew. At 1080p, it’s not the best quality by any measure, but the promise of the emotive impact these videos can have on viewers is worth it for me to film most clips in this format. Our dog turns 16 on Sunday, and the new format and promise of what viewing them brings has had me recording more for my future self.
If you would have asked me a year ago what “future proofing” memories would look like, I’d probably say higher megapixel RAW photos and 8k video, but it’s 1080p files that take up 100+ mb per minute. But isn’t this what capturing memories are all about: not what we do with them today, but what they will mean in the future?
