Display Slides

<p>Hello, I have been shooting film for a couple of years, and have quite recently discovered slide films, mainly Velvia and Provia. Already after my first roll I was astonished by the way the slides look when viewed against the right light, and have got sort of obsessed with the idea of managing to share, or at least display, this impression. However, I can't claim that I'm especially familiar nor experienced with the films nor their technical properties, so I would like some help from someone who is.<br>

Loving the way the slides looked, I quickly tried to replicate and enlarge them (I'm currently shooting 35mm). I did as most others do today and scanned them and had them printed with an inkjet printer. However, I have to say that I'm disappointed with the results. And I'll have to make a disclaimer here in that I do actually know what I'm doing, I know how to colour calibrate my scanner, the screen that I use to then edit the images is also color corrected, I had the images printed at different labs and got almost identical results, etc. So I think that I've reached the potential of this method, and while the prints do look stunning, they certainly aren't as amazing as I find the slides. This isn't very surprising in my opinion, however, because I think it matches what I've read about other peoples experiences, and it's seems to me very logical that the slides are not really "possible" to fully replicate. And since Ilfochrome/Cibarchrome isn't really a technique that I have access to anymore, I haven't tried it, but I doubt that the results would be a lot better.<br>

I just want to add at this point that I'm a very "artsy" person in general, and am interested in art overall, both visual and otherwise, rather than only in photography specifically. Yes, I love photography, but also other artistic methods, as painting, for example. I therefore don't photograph very much, or rather, I take quite few images, especially in relation to the time invested, because I am a lot more focused on the process than the results, but also don't take an image unless I am perfectly happy with the composition, for example.<br>

With this said, I don't see a lot of reason to shooting slide film unless I can achieve and display images of the quality that I think the actual slides deliver when looking at them, because this is what I find really unique about the photographic technique. And since printing doesn't do this for me, I'm a bit lost. I do have one more crazy idea left, however, and this, finally, is where my question to the community comes in...<br>

I've been thinking about trying to get my hand on a stock of 8x10 Velvia while this is still possible, and then displaying the actual slides as a picture. My plan, while not very technical yet, is to frame the slide against some type of light source, probably an LED-panel of some kind, which emits even, white light. I would then simply hang this contraption on my wall. While I'm confident that I have the know-how to accomplish this technically, what I am hesitant about is the concept itself. What would be the disadvantages or obstacles for using such a method? As I understand it, the life of the slide will be severely shortened, but does anyone have an idea of how long it would survive? I am prepared to "sacrifice" the actual image, if I could display it in all its greatness for at least a while (I am, btw. intending to scan it as well). As I said in the beginning, I'm really quite lost and inexperienced, so any input is appreciated.<br>

And yes, I realise that I might be a bit weird and crazy, but life is more fun this way...<br>

Best regards,<br>

Troll</p>

 

<p>The display that's closest to a projected slide is a flat-screen panel. While LCD panels don't have great blacks, neither does a projected slide in a room with any room light.<br>

There's a major artistic challenge in taking the higher brightness range of a projected slide or computer monitor and compressing it into the smaller reflectance range of a print. You have to lose some part of the dynamic range, crush it.<br>

Different types of paper can also have more reflectance range. For instance glossy papers have a darker black.<br>

On the other hand, going from a slide to a monitor has some color gamut challenges, as a slide is CMY, where a monitor is RGB. At least prints are CYMK.</p>

<p>I only know enough about color and printing to not make them my hobby. Anyhow: If your initial slide looked well enough on your calibrated screen, why not use screens for presentation? The current 4K / 5K screens are quite amazing in my aging eyes. - An 8x10" image is nice and intended to be spectated individually and handheld; for more it is a tad too small and a 24" 4K screen might be better suited. 1000Euro should get you 3 screens these days. - How far would they get you with 8x10" LF? </p>

<p>You could also get prints on <a href="http://imaging.kodakalaris.com/professional-photographers/paperdisplay?pq-path=13318/13335/13433">Kodak Endura transparency or clear </a>RA-4 print materials. Just need to find a lab who print digitally on them.</p>

<p>I want to thank you all for the responses!<br>

Regarding the display matter; yes, I think getting a better display will probably help. I'm manly thinking that OLED displays may be enough of an upgrade to make a difference. However, that was never really my point.</p>

<p>The images I have done look stunning , both on a digital screen and on paper. But, they don't look as good as an actual slide.<br>

In particular, I find that the slides have a certain 3D look which I can't replicate. And it's probably not even possible to do so; if I, for example, project the slide and look at the projection, the effect is gone. I think it's something inherent to the slide and the way in which it filters the light before it reaches the observers eye which can't be achieved otherwise.</p>

<p>So I don't think that replicating the original slide is the right way for me to share or view it. Instead, it should be a matter of displaying the it. <br>

I might be being a bit pedantic, but I don't see much of a purpose with the technique when printing the images. As I said, they look great, but compared to, say, an image taken with a digital camera, yes, it looks better, but they're still comparable. <br>

The slides, however, are different in my opinion. They have a luster, color and depth which I have never seen achieved with any other photographic technique, and which I dare say can't be.</p>

<p>Thanks again for all the help!</p>

<p>Best Regards-<br>

Troll</p>

<p>There was a process available from commercial labe called DuraTrans that presented an enlarged image in a durable plastic substrate for trans illumination. Perhaps that would work.</p>