Parallax

Parallax scrolling is a technique in computer graphics and web design where background images move by the camera slower than foreground images, creating an illusion of depth in a 2D scene and adding to the immersion. The technique grew out of the multiplane camera technique used in traditional  since the 1930s. Parallax scrolling was popularized in 2D computer graphics and video games by the arcade games moon patrol and jungle hunt both released in 1982. Some parallax scrolling had earlier been used by the 1981 arcade game jump bug.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parallax_scrolling  10.02.2016

Parallax is really cool to see a photograph have the dimensions to move I was really fascinated with this technique but looks really complicated to make. Below are some examples I found showing this technique.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQfgtUw4Vtc

10.02.2016

The wildlife images looks like a slow motion video they really look convincing you wouldn't think the photograph has been animated.

Here's a video I found on Youtube on how the parallax works!

To create your own parallax you need an image which has 3 layers to it. background, mid ground and foreground. They work best if you have a shallow depth of field. First you will need photoshop to cut the different parts of the image out using the pen tool ie, the background and so on. I tried this out myself with an image my tutor provided for me.

After I opened up the image in photoshop I selected the pen tool and cut the snowboarder and snow ledge he's standing on. I then copied and paste on to its own layer and renamed FOREGROUND.

Second I cut the mountain range using the pen tool and again copied and pasted on to its own layer. Using the clone tool I cloned some of the clouds from the original layer on to the mid ground layer. I renamed this layer MIDGROUND. The clouds will be your BACKGROUND.

Last but not least I used the clone tool again to erase the snowboarder out of the layer so you wont see two of him once I animate the photograph. Once I was happy with my layers I save the document as a PSD and opened up Adobe After Effects.
Once In after effects select import - file and select the PSD file select composition. After this loads up drag the files down into the box below in the bottom left corner. Select the box icon this will create a z axis to create the 3D layered image. Add a camera to the layers select LAYER - NEW - CAMERA leave the preset focal length of 50 mm and then select ok. Select custom view and move the layers using the z axis (blue) to position where you want the different layers.

Change to active camera and resize all the layers to fit in the frame. Now time to animate the camera using the track z camera tool. You can check how it looks by changing the camera view.

When I was happy with the way it looked and moved I could then render the image to play in quick time. Creating the parallax was quite easy to do once you get how to use after effects adding in an camera and moving that around was the hardest part but with my tutor on hand I slowly got to grips with it. Now I was ready to make another.