P3D Mounting of Stereo Prints, Part ???

[bill3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx (Bill C Walton)]

I realize that I should have included more info on my posting on mounting
of stereo prints, but it was already rather lenghty.  Anyway here is the
information on the issues of the magazines involved and the address for
the PSA Journal.

STEREO WORLD, VOL 6, NO 1, March-April 1979, " Mounting View Cards" by
Norman B Patterson

STEREO WORLD, VOL 11, NO 3,  July-August 1984, " Stereo Prints-Precise
Trimming & Mounting in almost 6 easy steps"  by John Dennis , who is now
the Editor of Stereo World

PSA JOURNAL, VOL 62, NO 6, June 1996. "The Medium of Stereo Cards" by
Stan White.  Someone may wonder about the big lapse in time between
Dennis' and White's articles, but you have to realize that the PSA did
not recognize stereo cards as means of stereographic expression until
1993. 

The address for Stereo World back issues:  Stereo World Back Issue
Service (write for availability and prices), P.O.
Box 398, Sycamore OH 44882

The address for PSA Journal:  PSA Journal, 3000 United Founders Blvd,
Suite 103, Oklahoma City OK 73112-3940

Paul Talbot asked about adjusting the stereo window by moving the images
closer together or farther apart--
John Dennis' article is  about 4 pages long  and I don't believe the P3D
membership wants to see the whole thing quoted but here is an excerpt
from "Step 5 " 

**** Moving the prints apart will move the image BACK (my capitalization)
from the window, while moving them closer together will make the image
appear CLOSER (my capitalization) to the window and at some point, parts
of the image will extend through the window. ****** Just where you
"place" the subject in relation to the window is both a matter of
personal choice and of about 100 years of stereo theory and practice.  In
general, only objects or parts of objects that don't touch the edges of
the window should come through the window.  To get the effect in figure 6
(a guy sitting in a chair playing a guitar, for those who haven't seen
the article), the prints were moved apart  until the arm of the chair at
the right just barely sank behind the window.  This left the neck of the
guitar to extend cleanly thru the window for a dramatic effect.  This
"rule"  of course can sometimes be violated with interesting results and
you can cheat to some degree when objects only touch the top or bottom
edges of the window.  These will look a little strange, but won't have
the "cut off" effect of things floating past the sides of the window..

     Don't go to far the other way and try to place everything a mile
behind the window.  This will only result in too much separation between
background points ****  and in too much dead space at the sides.  If one
of the prints needs to slide far enough in toward the center to cross
into the other frame (John uses a window mask and describes the pattern
and dimensions early in his article) , place it so that it slides behind
the other print*** 

He then describes how to trim the prints and ends step 5 with this
sentence " Sometimes a couple of additional 1 or 2  mm trims can improve
a view still further and only take a hair off the standard 3 inch width
of the halves"           
 
It has been my personal experience that this idea is sound and works very
well.  I have applied this technique to several stereo cards, and I
usually do it by enlarging both images.  This, in effect moves the part
of the image I am interested in closer to or through the window.  I have
several stereographs of my grandsons playing with a basket ball which I
enlarged enough to bring the ball through the window. Another of my
favorite stereo images is the 
"Gingerbread House" in Savannah. To get the whole house on the negative
(with a Realist 3.5 camera) I have to shoot it from across the street. 
When I print it I enlarge if so that the house more of less fills the
particular easel that I am printing with and this moves it closer to the
window.  Many people say that enlarging a stereo image to much tends to
flatten the stereo effect.  I can't argue about that but so far so good. 
I did get a comment  on the "Gingerbread House"  when I sent it around in
the SSA Folios.  One guy said" The house is to close to the window". But
I like it that way and you can't please everyone.

I sent a copy of my original message on this subject to Paul Wing, since
he is not on P3D.  He wrote me yesterday that he will give me a response
and when he does I will pass on what he says.  

I am more than happy to answer any and all queries, even though I am not
an expert in stereography.  There are several stereo card makers who
belong to P3D and it would be nice to see some comments by them.

BILL C WALTON, ISC (Interested in Stereo Cards)
Bill 3dbw3d@xxxxxxxx


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