AI-06 Luma.AI
Where AI meets reality, and my cat becomes a ghostly blur in 3D space
Following the Luma Trail
I've been following Luma Labs for a while now, fascinated by their approach to 3D generation and video synthesis. After experimenting with their tools for both video generation and 3D model creation, I decided to dive deep into Gaussian Splats—those fascinating point cloud representations that capture reality in ways traditional photography can't.
01: The Obvious Starting Point
First scan: my work desk. I mean, where else would an artist begin? There's something poetic about immortalizing the space where ideas become pixels, complete with coffee stains and the organized chaos that somehow makes sense only to me.
02 : another object on the desk
03: The Moving Target Challenge
Next, I attempted to scan my cat. Anyone who's tried to photograph a cat knows this is ambitious—3D scanning a moving target is basically asking for beautiful failure. You can see the ghosting effects where my feline subject decided the scanning process was less important than whatever cats think about. The result is this ethereal, slightly haunted version of my pet that exists somewhere between dimensions.
04: The Loaf of Bread (Cat Edition)
In this scan, I captured what I call "the loaf"—that classic cat pose where they become a perfect bread-shaped creature. The stillness required for a clean scan meant waiting for that rare moment when cats achieve their ultimate form: motionless and judgmental.
05-07: Breaking Free - Trout Lake Expedition
Finally, this artist ventured beyond the apartment. The next three scans document Trout Lake, where I experimented with capturing outdoor environments and dealing with natural lighting conditions. There's something liberating about scanning spaces that weren't designed to be scanned—the algorithm trying to make sense of wind-blown grass and shifting water.
08: Friend Collection Archive
A few collections feature my friends being scanned—turning social gatherings into impromptu 3D documentation sessions. These scans capture not just appearance but the awkward patience required when someone asks you to "hold still for science."
Practical Application: Misespective Promo
Here's where the experimentation becomes purposeful. I used these Gaussian Splat scans in a promotional piece for my project "Misespective," leveraging the uncanny, slightly unsettling quality of the scans to grab viewer attention.
09: Coastal Discovery - The Drifting Boat
Let's end on a better visual: a scan of a boat that washed up on Vancouver's coast. There's something perfectly poetic about using cutting-edge 3D capture technology to document objects that have been shaped by the most ancient forces—wind, water, and time.
This boat, displaced from its intended environment, becomes a metaphor for the technology itself—Gaussian Splats existing in that liminal space between photography and sculpture, reality and digital interpretation.
The Intersection of Real and Rendered
What fascinates me about Gaussian Splats isn't their technical precision but their beautiful imperfection. They capture not just what things look like but how they feel in space—the weight of objects, the quality of light, the strange poetry of everyday moments frozen in dimensional time.
These experiments continue my ongoing exploration of how AI tools can enhance rather than replace human observation. Each scan becomes a collaboration between human choice (what to capture, how to frame it) and algorithmic interpretation (how the AI understands and reconstructs space).
Until next time, keep scanning the world around you—you never know what stories are hiding in plain sight.
— Your friendly neighborhood reality documenter
In the next post, I'll share how these Gaussian Splat experiments are evolving into interactive installations. Until then, I'd love to hear about your own experiments with 3D capture technologies.
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