Triptych Diptych Film Holder Adaptation

[Annie M.]

I am interested in adapting a 7x11 wooden film holder to accept cut sheet film so that I can shoot triptychs & diptychs. Using one sheet of film and cutting it down after exposure and development is not really an option as there will be variations of exposure etc. within the various elements. Alignment is important so just popping the sheets in with double sided tape may be too hit-or-miss (problems with horizon lines). I would appreciate any suggestions for a method of doing this type of holder hack or any other alternative method. Also, any sources for small parts that may be necessary.

Cheers Annie.

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm not sure if I completely understand, but if I do, you want to do triptychs or diptychs on a single sheet of film?

I think that would be a darkslide hack, more than a holder hack. I use a darkslide cut in half (actually in an "L" shape) for panoramas, like those sold by Bender (http://www.benderphoto.com/), and I think you could cut up darkslides in all sorts of ways to make masks for different kinds of composite exposures.

Also, old Deardorffs often had a system of four wooden masks built-in, mainly for portrait photographers who might want to shoot two or four exposures on a sheet, but I know one photographer who uses this feature to make composites.

[Annie M.]

David,

Altering darkslides for masks is a solid idea. However, I shall not be using one sheet of film but 2 or 3 so I still require a method of placing them in the holder.

[tim atherton]

Annie,

Are aiming to do three images that will fit within the size of the 7x11 film size in total? I'm not quite clear?

If you use dark slides with cut outs you can still shoot different exposures on the one sheet - you just have to compose in different parts of the ground glass.

Can you explain a bit more what you are trying to do?

[Ralph Barker]

I would think that the internal tolerances of the film holders, and their alignment once inserted in the camera, would be tight enough for your purposes, Annie. It sounds to me like the real issue is proper alignment of the subsequent compositions on the ground glass. Thus, my suggestion would be simply to tape a piece of clear acetate to the ground glass, so you could mark horizon lines, or whatever other alignment points would be appropriate for each series, with a Sharpie or grease pencil.

[David A. Goldfarb]

Okay, between the posts here and on APUG.ORG I have a better sense of what you're trying to do. The different panels of the composite will be on different types of film, such as color and B&W. Neat idea.

A more traditional way of doing it would just to compose with some room for cropping, shoot on separate sheets, then print and line up the prints using conventional layout and registration methods.

If you really want to do it all in one holder, I don't see why double-sided tape or some kind of repositionable adhesive shouldn't work. Some people who shoot 8x20" use two 8x10" sheets in a holder side-by-side for films not available in 8x20".

[Annie M.]

I apologize for the confusion... (new forum.... same me) What I am interested in doing is photographing a scene with a combination of colour and B&W films cut to various sizes using a 7x11 film holder... Thank you for the suggestions you have provided.... I think I am much clearer on a way of getting it to work.