Fort Christmas Historical Park - Photo Spheres

Fort Christmas Historical Park - Photo Spheres

  This may become an addiction... I have discovered photo-spheres and Google Cardboard. I must admit, it didn't help that my first time trying to create my own 3-D 360 photo it began to rain - no, POUR! Because of the storm, I felt rushed, and didn't get any of the background information from the location that I was hoping to add to this post, but I plan to go back; so, look for an update!

The Lunchroom

Lunchroom - Photo-Sphere Above

  The last time I visited Fort Christmas was for a craft festival, so I did not get a chance to view the inside of any of the buildings. Going back for my 360 photo experimentation, I didn't expect so many different structures and each one with a door wide open, welcoming visitors at no cost.
  For my first stop, I walked up to the 'Lunchroom', an old wooden building painted white with a shocking array of stove and oven styles from different time periods (at least some looked much older than others...).

Partin House and Barn

Partin House - Photo-Sphere Below

 Next, after a short walk across a field, I came to the Partin House and barn; it felt a bit like walking into my grandmother's old house.
A learning experience: Although I purposefully chose this one next to attempt to be alone, I was followed in by a family of three; so, inconveniently, I had to pause in between photos or else I was getting phantom body parts spliced into the shots.  It definitely takes patience.

The Storehouse

Storehouse - Photo-Sphere Below

 My intention was to stand in the center of the fort to get the wood posts, log buildings, and boardwalks, but as I began walking toward the fort wall, the droplets became heavier - next time.
 Spiderwebs... I'm going to have to figure out how to avoid those.  Below, you can see in the storehouse that wall-mounted lanterns are casting glares that result in these spiderweb shapes.

The Blockhouse

Blockhouse - Photo-Sphere Below

  By my fourth stop, it was a full downpour -a bad Florida afternoon storm. I decided the second floor of the Blockhouse would be my last stop before running full speed to my car.

Google Cardboard

  Back in December, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens was about to be released, Chris and I got an R2-D2 themed Google Cardboard viewer for free from Verizon.  I downloaded the app, but soon forgot about it.  The other day, I found the viewer and decided to try it out; to my surprise, there were other Cardboard apps that could do amazing things and I've since been determined to create 3-D 360 photos myself.  I downloaded Google Streetview and Google Camera and have been using their software for creating my images. They are both very straightforward, preparing you each time with an orange or blue dot to center on.
Tip: Find each dot or you will end up with a black square of missing data - as seen in the top of the Lunchroom and bottom of the Blockhouse.