Photo display ideas.

[js670]

I have a few photos up around the place (some of my own shots, and some nice prints of classic photos which I love), all of which are nicely mounted, framed and hung on the otherwise bare walls.

I'd like to try some new ideas, just to make the place a bit more interesting. I'm a young guy (20), so I can get away with a less ordered approach (I hope!).

Anyway, a few days ago, I was watching an episode of House, wherein Hugh Laurie was attempting to save a photographer. During the episode she took several photos, one of which was printed and viewed on an X-ray light box. The effect can be seen in the photo on the right hand side of this page: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/1/17/House_Fetalposition.jpg/250px-House_Fetalposition.jpg&imgrefurl=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fetal_Position_(House_episode)&h=139&w=250&sz=6&hl=en&start=6&um=1&usg=__l1li0UXTfWLJHCq55rgOdyECbFs=&tbnid=ape5rbfs1GKxtM:&tbnh=62&tbnw=111&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dhouse%2Bmd%2B%2522fetal%2Bposition%2522%2Bphoto%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den%26sa%3DN. I think it really adds clarity and punch to the photo.

I realise backlit display frames are available, but they're fairly expensive. I was considering buying a cheap light box, mounting it on the wall, and maybe hanging some negatives or prints on it, which I could swap around as I wanted. Can reasonable prints be made onto transparent material?

Pretty pretentious I know, but I'm bored, and want to do something interesting.

Any thoughts?

 

[back alley]

yesterday, while walking on whyte avenue, in a store window i saw an interesting display of photo frames. they were smaller frames attached to a long wooden plank or shelf.
the plank could be attached to a wall or i think i would like it leaned up against the wall at an incline.

 

[JoeV]

APHS Film-Based Positive Transparencies

APHS Film-Based Positive Transparencies

I like the idea of positive transparency B/W images. I've contact printed some of my pinhole camera and improvised lens paper negative 4x5 images onto APHS graphic arts film, to make positive transparencies; the right choice of developer and dilution will render the APHS film with a somewhat warm tone (I use Agfa Neutol WA with APHS and it renders it an interesting warm tone).

I then made a stained glass frame - a ~1" wide border in copper-trimmed stained glass, sandwiched between a front and back sheet of thin ~1/8" clear glass, with the dead air space in the middle containing the positive transparency image. I solder loops on the top of the stained glass frame, allowing it to be hung in a window and backlit by the daylight.

Lots of other possibilities for using ambient backlighting with positive film transparency images. You don't necessarily need commercial light-box backlighting. For instance, a 48" flourescent light fixture, mounted to a wall, covered with a light diffusing material - which can be as simple as a contiguous sheet of drafting vellum or frosted mylar film - in front of which can be mounted a horizontal row of transparency images. The entire assembly enclosed in a simple wooden-framed box. The possibilities are limitless.

~Joe

 

[gdi]

There are inkjet black light films you could try and use the fluorescent fixture approach. When I go to the dentist and lean back in the chair, the ceiling fixtures are covered with shots of the clouds in a blue sky and tree canopy.

http://www.amazon.com/Inkpress-Backlight-Translucent-Semi-matte-Inkjet/dp/B000CSB74S