Evening star., 1950-05-21
Camera Angles
Camera Fans Turn to Slide Projection
By Alexander J. WedderburI
curotor Of Photography
Ihs Smithsenion Institution

Slide collections are growing in
popularity among amateur pho
tographers with each turn of the
calendar. The drop in the cost
of projection equipment has some
thing to do with the trend, but
the real reason is the realization
by photographers that there is no
more compact or satisfying way to
form a collection of pictures in
color or black and white.
Large mounted pictures take up
o lot of space in the average home
and even the Photographic album
has its limitations. Therefore the
camera fan who really enjoys
shooting and collecting in guam
tity must eventually turn to the
slide because of its small size. 1t
takes up very little space and lit
orally hundreds of pictures and a
protector can be carried about
with little effort.
Modern projection equipment
has long since ruled out former
objections to the small size of the
film. Nowadays you can project
your slide films up to any reason
able size and entertain friends
and family for hours on end with
records of your trips, pictures of
the children, or with any one. of
the endless uses to which photog-
raphy is put today. Aside from
your camera, a slide protector is
all you will need to get started. A
white sheet will do for screen
but best results will be obtained
with a beaded screen which you
can get from your photo dealer
at a very modest cost.
Slide Sequences Popular.
You can decide very quickly
what sort of a slide file you wish
to start on. Most amateurs seem
to specialize in the single slide COL
lection where each picture tells it's
own tale. But of later years
growing number of fans are turn
ing to a sort of modified motion
picture technique known as
slide film sequence.
In this latter category the pic
lures In sequence are related and
depend upon one another to tell
q story that cannot be adequately
handled by one shot. This is ac-
complished in much the same
way that the movie cameraman
tells his story with a number of
related scenes, closely tied to-
gether. But, since actual motion
is never achieved with slide films,
the photographer must be more
selective than the movie finer.
Each shot that is to become a
part of the sequence must contrib
ute In some way to the story. In
fact it should be so vital to the
sequence that without it, the en-
tire sequence will fall apart and
become meaningless.
Every sequence of slides that
you produce should be examined
In this light. There is absolutely
no point in throwing. in an extra
scene or two just because you hap
pen to have them on hand. To
give your slide sequence the acid
test, remove. one at time, each
separate slide. If the remaining
slides form a cohesive story then
dispose of the unneeded slide and
your sequence will be the better
for it. Surprisingly enough, if you
are utterly fair in your appraisal
of your work, you may wind up
with only one shot left out of the
entire sequence. If this happens
you will realize that the idea sim
ply did not justify the use of more
than one picture.
Once you have got hold of
story idea for the slide sequence
you will need to 60 about your job
of producing the finished product.
as we have observed, much after
the way of the motion picture
producer. Once in blue moon
you will have a chance to shoot
series of slide shots off the cuff
and wind up with a crackerjack
slide sequence. Ordinary consid-
erations will require you to pre-
pare, at the very least, rough
story outline. In other words. Just
put down on paper a list of the
shots that will be needed to tell
your story idea. After this has
been done you can then go ahead
and translate your story outline
into pictures.
Commentary Usually Needed.
Keeping in mind the fact that
you will, in most cases. have to
give running explanation or
commentary as the slides are pro-
tected before the audience, it will
be helpful to try to visualize and
record as you take each scene or
picture a suitable commentary.
This can be done later on after
the pictures have been assembled