An apparatus, system and process for utilizing dual complementary pattern illumination of a scene when performing depth reconstruction of the scene are described. The method may include projecting a first reference image and a complementary second reference image on a scene, and capturing first image data and second image data including the first reference image and the complementary second reference image on the scene. The method may also include identifying features of the first reference image from features of the complementary second reference image. Furthermore, the method may include performing three-dimensional (3D) scene reconstruction for image data captured by the imaging device based on the identified features in the first reference image.