Using a slide projector for portraiture?

Hamster · Feb 5, 2010

I am an amateur so I can;t afford any lights.

I just come into a magazine style slide projector for free, is there any creative ways to use it in portraiture?

The first things I can think of is Spotlight/Hairlight, also projecting patterns/images onto skin.

Are there other creative ways of on making the most out of this projector?

df cardwell · Feb 5, 2010

is it creative ?

i don't know. try it.

Lee L · Feb 5, 2010

Images projected onto bodies has been done a lot, but perhaps not the way you'll do it. I think I recall seeing faces projected onto faces, and lots of patterns, natural scenes, etc. projected onto nudes. Rear projection onto scrims is done a lot. The lamp is likely in the 3200-3400K range, so an 80A or 80B filter (or full CTB) will bring it to daylight balance for shooting most color film.

Creativity isn't inherent in the hardware. It's up to you.

Lee

Anscojohn · Feb 5, 2010

The light is very harsh. You can project/bounce the light off a light wall (or the screen?)l for very broad portrait lighting. As Lee L. says, the color temp is about the equivalent of early morning or afternoon sun, so correct accordingly

Larry Bullis · Feb 5, 2010

Hamster said:
...
Are there other creative ways of on making the most out of this projector?

"ways" aren't creative, but you might be. I should say, you have the potential to create, and what you use as a tool in doing so is simply your means. If I could tell you a "creative way", your use of it would not be "creative" but more "reproductive" in the sense that you are reproducing what I just told you. In that case, it would be myself who was exercising the creativity. If you fire up the projector and discover on your own, then you are the creative one. That doesn't mean suggestions aren't appropriate; it just means that suggestions or no, the creative part is up to you.

wiltw · Feb 5, 2010

Get a large translucent diffusion panel and shoot the projector light thru it onto your subject as a fill light. Get a small to medium umbrella and bounce the projector light into it as a main light. Use it without any modifier as a 'spot light' source with a circular cutout pattern projected onto the subject.

Lee L · Feb 5, 2010

One other thought:

Many projectors come with a rather slow zoom lens. There are faster single focal length lenses that will pass more light, and might be worth looking for. A fast, shorter fixed focal length lens might help shorten exposures by a stop or two, and allow you to cast light over a wider angle. Long lenses would narrow the beam, shorter lenses broaden it. An extra lens or two might be useful if you need a given working distance or are restricted in how far away from the subject you can place the projector.

Lee

Using a slide projector for portraiture?

Hamster

df cardwell

Lee L

Anscojohn

Larry Bullis

wiltw

Lee L

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