"3 Worlds" began as a 3-D tribute to one of my favorite artists, M.C. Escher. It took several months to tweak the POV-Ray scene to get the shadows, reflections, and murky pond bottom just right. Then my book contract came along and I used this image as the example for the "Advanced Techniques" chapter. But I was dogged by the need for perfection, and I just couldn't stop tweaking it. I added the animation variables in the scene to ripple the water, bob the leaves up and down, and make the fish swim. I now feel comfortable presenting this image and movie to the public. One thing that amazes me to this day is that the trees and fish, if you look at them by themselves, are horribly simple and ugly. It is the rippled water which obscures their simplicity and gives the scene its depth. The animation of the ripples seems to only heighten the tranquil effect.

3 Worlds... The Still Life Image