slides or prints? Any help appreciated!

01/03/2006 07:54:57 AM · #1

I need to put together a group of slides and a group of prints. My question is: What makes an image a good slide image? For me at least, the idea of my image being projected extremely large on a wall is overwhelming - what will people see? What would I need to take into consideration?

I shot slide film years ago and projected the slides, but the images started out as slides and I knew that was their purpose. This time I am taking digital files and converting them to slides.

An advantage to slides is that, because of the projection size (in this case, about 6'X6') detail will be noticible - things you don't see on an 8"X10" will jump out at you. But so will any editing errors, pixel noise, etc.

If anyone has any tips, tricks, hints, help, thoughts, etc. They would all be greatly appreciated! Maybe, as usual, I'm overthinking this?

Prof_Fate

01/03/2006 09:43:28 AM · #2

I'm just curious as to what your making slides for - an are we talking real slides or a digital projector?
I ask because no one makes slide projectors anymore - so the market and the use of them has to be rather limited.

I'd say watch for blown highlights - the light would make them more pronnounced i'd think. Also I'm not sure about dark shadowed details.

I've attended a lot of slideshows over the years and overall i'd say the ones i saw (mostly amateur shots of train or train related items/places) the contrast was low and the colors not very saturated - so a high contrast very saturated image would convert to a striking slide, where as a low contrast/desatted image would just be awful.

Not that i ever sat there and critiqued the technical quality of the images. I will next time though!

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR

01/03/2006 09:51:56 AM · #3

Thanks Prof. I didn't think along the lines of blown out highlights but I will keep that in mind.

The slides are for shows. Or getting into them. Many galleries still want to see your work on slides - easier for them I guess - pop all the slides in a projector and a room full of people can say "In" or "Out."

I think you are also right about saturation. I don't remember seeing any really strong colors at the last slide show I attended...

This helps!

BADDBOYY21

Nikon D300

01/03/2006 10:58:47 AM · #4

Use Fuji Velvia 50 or 100 Slide film for saturated colors. You don't have much room for error when shooting with slide film.

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/03/2006 11:08:37 AM · #5

Are you making dupes from existing flat artwork or wanting to go directly to a slide from a digital file?

Spork99

OM System OM-1

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/03/2006 11:12:31 AM · #6

Originally posted by BADDBOYY21:

Use Fuji Velvia 50 or 100 Slide film for saturated colors. You don't have much room for error when shooting with slide film.

Velvia does have very saturated colors, which is great if that's what you're after and you are shooting slides from life. If you are shooting dupes of existing work, you may want a more neutral film like Ektachrome 100.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO IS USM

01/03/2006 11:36:44 AM · #7

digital file to slide. I can't afford film - spent all my money on lenses. :) So now I shoot digital exclusively but have a need for slides.

cpanaioti

Canon EOS-40D

01/03/2006 11:41:33 AM · #8

Going digital file to slide can be expensive (at least it was). I haven't checked recently.

How many files do you have to convert?