Display of prints on competition nights

[melbarnes]

Yesterday Gwen and I went to the L&CPU event at Edge Hill University - it was a good event, and well-attended. One presenter used over a hundred prints, rather than slides, to do her presentation. A camera on a tripod was connected to a laptop and as each print was put up on the display board, a photo was taken and projected onto the large screen so that all attendees could see the print. Could we consider the practicality of this set-up for ADAPS competition nights - it would really help those members who are not seated at the front?

[John]

We've discussed this a few times at committee meetings. The conclusion has always been that when prints are displayed twice in this way, the viewers find themselves split between looking at the print and the lower resolution projection. We felt that if we were looking at a projected image of a print then we might as well just have projected images competitions.....and we wanted to preserve printing while we can as the print has special qualities of its own.

It's understood that those at the back have a problem viewing. I have seen people using opera glasses and it's not a bad idea, although we keep forgetting to bring some.

[Tracey McGovern]

Hi Mel

On the back of your initial suggestion, I raised it at the committee meeting tonight, I felt the suggestion needed a bit more thought with a possibility of implementing or at least giving it a try. But after discussing it tonight with the rest of the committee, I was convinced that it wouldn't be worth perusing for the following reasons:

1) Keith would have to be sent a digital image as well as a print, not only is this more work for him but they would then need to be placed in the same order as each other both on the easel and on the computer, this would get messy when the judge held images back

2) Alternatively, you could have a camera set up to produce a live image of the print onto the projector - this could potentially get in the way and may even get knocked over, especially if the judge moves around a lot

3) Assuming the camera did not get in the way, the judge could be tempted to view the image on the screen rather than the print itself, this defeats the object of having a print competition

4) We want to keep prints alive and by digitising them for competitions it sort of detracts from that

What we have decided to do instead, is at the next prints competition, we are going to turn all the chairs round to face the long wall on the left as you walk into the club room, this will hopefully, give everyone an opportunity to view the images better - we can but try.

Alternatively, members could bring in binoculars or opera glasses like John suggested.

I hope this is satisfactory to you.

Please keep your suggestions coming in.

Tracey

[PhilipHowe]

I don't think sitting sideways would work, as many people will be sitting to the side of the image and won't be able to see it them either.

The digital image has the same problems though, you say the judge may start judging based on the projected image, I don't think that would happen, however, can I ask, in digital, do they judge from the laptop screen, or from the projected screen?

I, personally, still think the suggestion would work, yes, it's a bit of a manual job to move a digital image, to keep it back, however, doesn't this happen with the digital software anyway?

To take a snap with a compact, or tethered to the laptop should just be a case of click and move out of the way.

Using lightroom even, would allow an operator to mark the photo 1 star for a 17, 2 for an 18, 3 for a 19 and 4 for held back, 5 stars for the winner. You could build a slideshow immediately and display while tea and biscuits are served.

[John]

Thanks Tracey and Phil. To answer Phil's question, judges are supposed to judge from the projected image as that's what is being presented to them. Laptop screens, especially when viewed from an angle, are not ideal at all, and certainly not fairly old ones like the ADAPS laptop.

A proper digital version would project fine, but a quick snap from a compact camera isn't an ideal way to look at an image. My argument would be that if we were looking at the projected screen instead of the print, we might as well have a digital competition. The whole point about prints is looking at the qualities a print has that a digital projection cannot have.

It's more of a problem now the clubroom is fuller. At one time there might only have been three of four rows of chairs, so everyone was closer. We have had the chairs the other way round for annual print competitions - did we like it? Did it help?

One thing for sure, it confuses us all because we don't know where to sit! We're going to try it next time anyway to see if we like it or not, any opinions based on the experience at the annual?

[PhilipHowe]

Sorry john, just one point -

My argument would be that if we were looking at the projected screen instead of the print, we might as well have a digital competition. The whole point about prints is looking at the qualities a print has that a digital projection cannot have.

the judge will still be judging based on the qualities of the print, just we will have a reference point of what he is looking at.

[John]

Agreed Phil, I was just thinking about what we as the audience would be seeing. We would only get to view a small number of the highest scoring prints closely afterwards, and then not under proper lighting.

A good print is worth looking at and a great print is a thing of beauty. I have seen breathtaking black and white darkroom prints that outclass anything I have a chance of producing. Without seeing that quality, what measure of possibilities is there?

Incidentally, I thought the David Bailey prints on show at Aberystwyth a few years ago were actually quite poor. They would have been better printed in a book. An original Ansel Adams one would hope would be something special.