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Camera - Any single lens reflex
camera and a good tripod. NOTE: 'Spirit of Spring' was
created with a Retina Reflex III camera.
Projector - Old, inexpensive, single slide projectors are
favoured, where there is access to the space between the
lens and the slide, just one will do. A zoom lens
would be an advantage.
If possible a maximum of three similar projectors will
enable every technique described to be achieved. However,
much can be done with just one, and so much more with two,
three will only occasionally be required.
Crystals - Any old chandelier
crystals, of about 2.5cm diameter often found in junk
shops.
Mirrors - A couple of very small unframed oblong
mirrors without the beveled edge are best.
Masking - Some stiff black card and some tracing
paper for masking. Only small sheets are used, (10 x
20cm) will be larger than needed. Masking is also
achieved behind the lens by making use of Blu-tack on thin
glass, such as the glass used for mounting slides.
Screen - A rear projection screen is not essential
but could be an advantage for image blending.
Transparencies
Surprisingly, it is
colour reversal films, creating transparencies, that the
author favours (Kodachrome 25ASA was prefered).
Even though there may appear to be no way of altering
the end result of an exposure once it has been made.
Providing that the subject has been chosen well and
correctly exposed, then a transparency may well have
been produced that has a certain magic, when projected,
with which no print can ever compete.
All the studies in this portfolio have been scanned from
the original transparencies. A glance at the
transparencies will reveal startling effects that seem
impossible to photograph. Most people would presume,
quite wrongly, that they must be the result of digital
manipulation. Studies such as; the profile of a girl
blends in with a negative of a tulip 'Spirit of Spring'
(plate 3), or a river
in the wings of a butterfly (plate
5), are typical examples. There are very
many more but some of these pictures were created by the
author long before expensive computers and digital photo
manipulation software. Have a look at the Portfolio
(please use your
browser 'Back' button to return).
What
advanced specialised knowledge is required to create such
transparencies? What technical complicated equipment is
necessary? What kind of devious chemical darkroom
treatment has been involved? The answer to all these
questions is none whatsoever!
Nothing more than the ability to expose film correctly
with some imagination is really required. No need to know
about film processing as these methods do not involve any
work in the darkroom.
All the studies have been taken from transparencies that
have been normally processed commercially without any
special treatment. As far as equipment is concerned the
author has often used a reflex 35mm camera with the usual
lenses, and some odds and ends, that most amateur
photographers will have available already.
There is absolute control with this method. It is simple
to understand and everything can even be seen before the
film is exposed. These images are not complex in
production with the solitary proviso that the photographer
must be capable of exposing film correctly under
artificial light conditions. It is the projector that
provides all the magic, really living up to its early name
of the magic lantern.
Filters
- Only very
small filters are needed, not much larger than the
projected film, as they are used behind the slide. They do
not have to be optically perfect, even sweet wrappers will
do, or if one can obtain a sample swatch of transparent
colours - all the better!
A blue filter to convert daylight film to
artificial light for the camera could be useful.
Reflections - A sheet of acetate, as used for
overhead projectors is ideal.
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