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Projection Photography
The only way of avoiding distortion is to project square
on to the choice of screen and to rephotograph the image
with a plate camera. Then one can correct the angle
of view with the lens movements, as used for
architecture, or perspective correction.
However, more often than not, distortion can be a very
interesting effect if used carefully. It can even
be a very dramatic tool. Any image can easily be
elongated and stretched, or squashed and made
wider. It just depends on the angle of the
projector, or the camera, to the screen.
Focus can be a problem, if too great an angle is
attempted, but just as stopping down with a camera
increases depth of field, it is also possible with the
projector. Place a mask between the projector lens
and the screen and see how out of focus areas of the
projected image will then become sharper. By using both
methods quite exaggerated distortion can be successfully
achieved.
An example of a greatly distorted portrait is plate 14 (above).
This portrait was projected at a fairly sharp angle, on
to some silk, in order to thrust out the chin. The
angular image suggested the required dramatic sculptured
look.
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Reflections
So far it has been shown how an image can be influenced
by; the addition of a texture, the effect of distortion,
the use of colour filtration, and the use of negatives,
or black and white films.
Another fascinating way of manipulating a projected
image is to consider reflections. The principle involved
is basically to rephotograph a projected image as seen
in a mirror, or bounced off a mirror. But instead
of using a mirror, there are many other
options. Try a piece of acetate film, as this
material allows one to bend or twist it, and so distort
the image seen, by forming a flexible mirror.
There are two quite different
effects achievable even with the flexible mirror in a
fixed position and the same image projected. The
first method is to project the image on to a screen and to
photograph the reflection seen. The other is to
project the image into the flexible mirror, so that it
bounces off it, on to the screen, it is this new image
that is then to be photographed.
These reflections do require a lot of patience to produce
what is desired, but the results that can be achieved
amply justify the time and effort involved.
There are many reflecting surfaces that can be
used. They do not always need to be smooth, a highly
polished old silver cigarette case, with a machine
finished pattern as an over all design, was used to
advantage to create plate 60 (above). It is the
blurred areas of the picture that are the most influenced
by this machined pattern reflection. The end result
however has transformed what was not a very interesting
original picture.
All photographs including those techniques already
described can be made into patterns, rather like a
kaleidoscope by the use of mirrors. By positioning mirrors
at right angles to each other, with the image projected on
to a choice of screen in such a way, that the reflections
are repeated in the mirrors will then form a pattern that
can be photographed.
Two quite small mirrors were placed on a white surface in
this way to form plate 15 (above). The
possibilities of scale and size are no problem when
projecting images, the biggest building in the world can
easily be projected between a couple of small mirrors, or
on to a small object!
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