How to Project a Word onto a Wall

shatchshatch Registered Users Posts: 798 Major grins
edited February 22, 2011 in Technique
I've been trying to project a flash through a word cutout to create a word projected on the wall in a photo.

I've tried putting the cutout paper on the end of a snoot...
I've tried shooting a flash through two distant circle cutouts to narrow the beam then through the cutout...

What am I missing? Anyone been able to do this before?

Thanks in advance for your help.
My Blog about Life:
Some of My Photos: app.electrikfolio.com/v/steven-hatch

Comments

  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited February 19, 2011
    Off the subject but could you not just Photoshop the word in?

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • ziggy53ziggy53 Super Moderators Posts: 24,127 moderator
    edited February 19, 2011
    A projection device is the easiest way so use a video/data projector if this is a digital source or use an overhead projector if this is a larger physical cutout and short distance to the screen. (The 3-element lens design overhead projectors are not too bad for this application.) A theatrical spotlight and gobo are often used for longer throws.

    Use an improvised shutter to control duration (if needed).
    ziggy53
    Moderator of the Cameras and Accessories forums
  • shatchshatch Registered Users Posts: 798 Major grins
    edited February 19, 2011
    Thank you everyone for your thoughts and ideas. Photoshop would be easy, but I'm teaching a school class next week a little about photography and I wanted to show them a photo is a small moment captured in a fraction of a second that the human eye can't capture. I am going to shoot a word onto the wall along with a second light with gel then have a subject in the front of the photo. Should be pretty dramatic between what the classroom looks like and what the camera sees.

    I took the different thoughts and applied it to something that is going to work. I have a cardboard roll that is about the diameter of my 24-70 lens. I put that lens in one side and my flash in the other. I put the cut out about 6" past that and I was able to get a sharp word image projected onto the wall.

    Thanks again for the ideas.

    Best wishes to all of you.

    Steven
    My Blog about Life:
    Some of My Photos:     app.electrikfolio.com/v/steven-hatch
  • SamSam Registered Users Posts: 7,419 Major grins
    edited February 19, 2011
    AH that explains it. Let us know how it turns out.

    Sam
    www.samlinvillephotography.com
  • ShulvyShulvy Registered Users Posts: 24 Big grins
    edited February 22, 2011
    Check this out.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GR_vDq2iXJ4


    Also, I saw Bert Stephani do something like what you are talking about before. He did a macro shot of his daughter's eye and used cut out foam core placed over a softbox to create a very cool catch light effect. As a remember, his daughter was 5 years old so he did the //// with the slash across it to represent 5.
  • Twisted ImageTwisted Image Registered Users Posts: 110 Major grins
    edited February 22, 2011
    Very cool...leave it to BMW
    http://des-studios.smugmug.com/
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