Freshly developed films :) I rushed down Sunshine Plaza after drama class at 5.30pm. Very nostalgic walking by NAFA. Tthe place has changed significantly. I was suprised to see the once busy road in front of NAFA closed and a road was created at the foyer to the carpark. Change is constant.
...hands on time!
Here's a video clip on how my images (old photos) will look like when projected.
Comparing the original image and the the stills taken of the projected images (from phoot-shoot), the latter is not entirely clear. Would this effect still be ok? Can I still work this blurry effect?
I saw this toy while getting bubble tea one afternoon. I didn't purchase it immediately. Instead I got it when I found that my idea inspired from "Body Movies" was not working out sucessfully. Succintly, i'm intending to use this toy-torchligh-projector to project photos from the my prior 'photo-shoot' with my 2D dad.
Hence currently, I'm exploring how I could create the films? Dismantling, measuring, getting dimensions... last but not least trying out...
My dad gave in to my pestering and shared some photos that he and his friends from China took together. So when I got hold of the photos from him, my mini photoshoot with the image of my dad begun...
The juxtaposition of me and my dad's image looks like its done very easily, but its not. Its a one-girl Do-It-Yourself photo-shoot: adjusting the camera, putting it to self-timer, running over to the projection and snap, running back to check, not happy with my position or expression, adjust to suitable lightning effect, retakes and the process repeats and repeats at least 6 times for each image.
Really thank God that I had the floodlights with me so that I could use to help adjust the exposure or not my face would be really dark as depicted below in the format of (1) Original image (2) Only Projection - under expose (3) Projection with floodlight.
Okay, not to be tied down by the challenge of the projection and floodlight, I proceeded to chat with my dad online. Was pestering him if he could bring his laptop to the 'Great Wall of China' or some famous tourist destination and have a webcam photo-taking experience again. As I expected, he rejected my idea :( saying that he was really really busy and he's in He Nan so how would there be the Great Wall? Oh well... So I asked him to poise for me in his apartment with He Nan's scenery in the background.
When I asked him to poise, I was considering that I could use it again like how I did it the other time when I photographed myself and the projection of my Dad. Anyway, I went 'illegally = without persmission' to my Dad's room and flip through his photos and I found GREAT WALL that was taken like 10 - 12 years ago?! Maybe I could use this too :)
I'm quite disappointed because the floodlight idea did not really turn out the way I thought it would. I tried it both in the day time and at night thinking that the effect might be improved if the entire place was pitch dark but I could not really get the 'washing' effect of the projected image when the floodlight was turned on.
Daytime + Only projection
Daytime + Projection with a flood light
I thought it might due to my orange wall so I stuck majong paper thinking it might help. And tried it out again at night.
Turning my orange wall to white
Night time - Only Projection
Night time - Projection plus a floodlight
The projection was much brighter and clearer at night, but the projected image was still very obvious and not washed out even with a floodlight directed at it. Perhaps if I had 2 floodlights each on the sides might help to wash out the projected image. But when I tried with one light source I had to place it really near against the wall if not the image would be very obvious. Relating to the effect I wanted similar to 'Body Movies', I tried to lift my projector up but the image ended up to high on the ceiling. So I hypothesized that for it to work, the projector had to be placed on a high level pointed downwards. The thing is, I do not have suitable tripod or stand that could lift my projector up and tilt it in an angle. Oh gosh, stuck. The idea cannot be pursued...
I went to find Paul on Monday with:
1) The idea of using the manipulated photo ideas of "#014 - If only" (old photos with current interpretion) oragnised in a grid form that will appear randomly on the wall through a projection. On the wall, I would have pasted the photos of my currently self and when the projection lids up, viewer will be able to observe how I've juxtaposed the new and old.
2) I didn't share the next one with Paul, but the idea was extended from the virtual photo taken with my dad. To conduct a real-time video conference with my relatives or people I know and letting the video conference run and 'voyuer' into what they are doing at a particular time.
After sharing (1) idea with Paul he recommended me to check out 'Body Movies'. After I went back, I realized that the work was shown by Mr Binh a few years back during diploma.
I like that it is interactive and stimulate the passer-bys to react spontaneously when seeing one's shadow being cast. I'm still not very sure how I could incorporate this element in mine... well... gotta think alittle and try out a little.
The sketch below is a brief illustration (by Paul) of how it would work:
So on Friday I when to Zul to grab the flood lights and tried them out at home:
