Rear Projection Screen for the studio

[Kitty Wallis]

My favorite studio set-up is the rear projection screen. Slides have more color info in them than prints. And showing them on a rear projection screen gives a better image than a reflection screen.

My projector is on the other side of the room with the screen between the projector and me. I can look at the screen straight on, without dodging the projector beam. It's hard to find the screen material but worth getting the good stuff. I usually find it(have to buy a new one every 5-10 years)at the largest photo supply place in a big city; or an audio visual place that supplies conventions, etc. My latest one cost $125.00 for a square yard with taped edges and grommets and laces. I have a PVC frame for it that I hang from the studio ceiling.

I take many rolls of slides when I'm at a good location and work for years from them.

[khourianya]

Good tip, Kitty! Thanks for sharing! One day I'll have a large enough studio again that I will be able to take advantage of it! :D

[Kitty Wallis]

Thanks Cori,
I was thinking about it this evening, remembering that whenever I host an open Studios my projection set-up is one of the big conversation pieces. People trying to figure out where the image is coming from, etc.

So I thought, maybe it's not common knowledge.

I hope this is not misunderstood as some sort of opaque projector, used for tracing images. I don't do that.

[Khadres]

I know exactly the type of thing you mean...once had a quickie workshop with a guy who made fold up screens such as this, only a bit smaller than yours. It was amazing how much better the slides looked on one of these screens, the only possible problem being keeping the slide from getting burn-through from a projector that lacked a powerful enough fan to keep things cool. A square yard size would definitely give the view a plein air feel, I think, and slides actually have a lot fewer "black hole" shadows than prints do.

[Kitty Wallis]

I know exactly the type of thing you mean...once had a quickie workshop with a guy who made fold up screens such as this, only a bit smaller than yours. It was amazing how much better the slides looked on one of these screens, the only possible problem being keeping the slide from getting burn-through from a projector that lacked a powerful enough fan to keep things cool. A square yard size would definitely give the view a plein air feel, I think, and slides actually have a lot fewer "black hole" shadows than prints do.

Yes, Sooz, The viewing quality is Much better.

That whole burn-thru thing must be a myth. A friend who was in the business of Very fancy slide shows, 15 projectors and fade in-face out computer driven sequences, told me it was a myth. I have left my projector on by accident overnight, a few times, with just a minor fading of the reds in the slide.

[Kitty Wallis]

Good tip, Kitty! Thanks for sharing! One day I'll have a large enough studio again that I will be able to take advantage of it! :D

BTW Cori, I have heard that a mirror will solve the space requirment. If you place the projector just under the screen, facing away from you and reflect the image back at you toward the screen with a mirror you halve the focal length needed down to 4 or 5 feet. The screen can be quite close to you.

[SweetBabyJ]

I've seen this set-up, and wow is it great! The light is fantastic. Soon as some rich person adapts me, I'm gonna do that, too.

[emmachester]

I've seen this set-up, and wow is it great! The light is fantastic. Soon as some rich person adapts me, I'm gonna do that, too.

....adapts you?....I seriously doubt that that is possble, SBJ.

Sherry

[SweetBabyJ]

I plead Freudian slip? I was talking to Preston at the same time, so wasn't watching my fingers.

If y'all would just adapt to me, you'd see the light....

[emmachester]

If y'all would just adapt to me, you'd see the light....

Truer words were never spoken.

S

[Kitty Wallis]

I got these questons in a PM so I asked if I could answer them here.

"I almost always work plein air and have difficulty working from a photograph. I love the quality of light in slides, as you mentioned, but was afraid to project a slide for very long. And of course, working in the dark!!! I assume with rear projection one can leave the lights on?
You can leave the lights on if you shade the screen and work in a room that isn't all white, which would bounce the light onto the screen. I have succeeded in working near a window and shading the screen for natural light.

Where do you get a rear projector and are they expensive?
You use a regular Kodak projector, mine cost about $400. with zoom lens for better control of image

Do they overheat when left on for a length of time?
Nope, that's a myth.

Are the bulbs expensive? How long do they last?"
They are expensive. I buy them a dozen at a time and get them for $25 each. They last a couple of months unless there is a lot of vibration where you have your projector.

[Dyin]

Thanks Kitty, put it in my When I'm Rich file (favorites how to's from WC)too...I really like the idea, and nope, I'd never seen it or heard of it.

[Kitty Wallis]

You're welcome, Sue. I wish I could lend you mine for a trial. I've been working this way since 1980 and still think it's the best studio equipment going.

[Kitty Wallis]

I just read a quote from Jack Lemmon as reported by Kevin Spacey:
"If you've done well, it's your responsibility to send the elevator back down."

[Dyin]

That's a cool saying. :)
Ahh, even if you could lend it to me...what would I move in my 5th wheel to use it lol..already my easel and studio table take up most of the living area! But the idea is exciting since I never can get my refs like I want, so don't count me out for the setup even if I can't afford it yet...I have plans! :D
I hope you keep sharing things like this....I already found Robert Genn through you, now this!! So thanks.

[Kitty Wallis]

My pleasure. :)

[khourianya]

BTW Cori, I have heard that a mirror will solve the space requirment. If you place the projector just under the screen, facing away from you and reflect the image back at you toward the screen with a mirror you halve the focal length needed down to 4 or 5 feet. The screen can be quite close to you.

Good to know. I would have to use a few mirrors, though, in my space - cuz the projector would have to be in my living room! (My current studio is about 7 ft by 7 ft...and has to share with my multimedia workstation...)

On the other hand...I could probably write one of these off on my taxes as a business expense, becasue it could feasably be used for multimedia presentations :D

[Marc Hanson]

If you guys are still using slides for reference and don't have the room for such a great set up like Kitty has, for less than the price of a slide projector(used), you can purchase a Telex Caramate 4000 or 4800. These are the projectors that look like a small TV with the slide tray on top. They rear project onto a 10" screen and will also project across the room onto a screen.

You can flip a switch and zoom in on the image, but it's a generic zoom of the center of the slide.

I've had one for 15 years now and it is the nest best thing to a larger set up like Kitty's. One thing about these, they will fade slides and fast! And you'll go through bulbs about every ten or 20 hours. I took mine to an electronics shop and had a low wattage switch installed. Now I have a low and high bulb setting. It turns down the brightness of the bulb when on 'low'. Since I did this, 12 years ago, I have not burned one out!!! With just a little less demand, they last for years and don't fade slides at all. This is with leaving it on all day, day after day, worth investigating if you try one of these.

Here's a link to quite a few for sale on ebay at very good prices.
telex caramates on ebay (http://www.couchpotatoguide.com/view/telex_caramate_4000_slide_projector_sound_ppd2067_15256.html)

[sundiver]

I read recently that a computer monitor screen was a good alternative to a printed photo. It has light emanating from it, like a rear- projection screen. The guy (forget who, forget where) said it was the next-best thing to plein air. I don't have a rear-projection screen to compare: those who do- what do you think?

[Marc Hanson]

I read recently that a computer monitor screen was a good alternative to a printed photo. It has light emanating from it, like a rear- projection screen. The guy (forget who, forget where) said it was the next-best thing to plein air. I don't have a rear-projection screen to compare: those who do- what do you think?
Wendy,
I agree with that. For one thing you don't get the 'hot' spot from the projector bulb, and you can use your digital reference 'adjusted' the way you want it.

I have a situation where I can't place my monitor in a good spot for working(too narrow a work space), but I leave the photo reference on the screen when I need a good view and take a few steps to see it. This really works nice when you're working with a field study and the photo reference.

Having said that, even a good job of editing and printing a digital photo is a huge improvement over the 35mm prints or a bad slide viewing situation.

[Khadres]

I'd LOVE to use my monitor as reference source, but alas, I have a flat screen which looks odd from other than a straight-on angle and I don't have room near the easle to use it that way. I agree, tho, the monitor has much the same vibrancy as a rear projector does. BUT....has anyone figured out how to match colors this way? It won't work worth beans just to hold a stick up next to whatever on the screen because it invariably looks much darker than the source does. Too bad, too. :(