P3D Re: Stereo prints

[Dave Williams <davidrw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Robert A. Schreiber wrote:

>      Personally, I agree with Ray Zone.  I would love to see a detailed
> discussion on stereo printmaking.  I've tried  with standard 35 mm color
> film, and as everyone out there knows the hard way, no one locally can
> develop it since their  automatic developing machines can't handle it.
>

I manage a One Hour Photo in a Wal-Mart store.  A couple of weeks ago I
decided to try printing from negative film shot in my Realist.  I had picked
up a Holmes type viewer at a flea market, and wanted to try making my own
stereo cards.  The printing wasn't too difficult.  I printed 4x6 prints with
the image centered in the mask, and some of each adjacent frame on either
side.  the only difficulty was the first pair, since the blank frame threw
off the machine's exposure reading.  But my guesswork compensation came out
fine the first time.  Next time, I'll print them on 3 1/2 x 5 size, since it
required too much cropping of the 4x6 prints for my stereo card size.

    I can see why mini labs don't want to do this type of printing.  Most
one hour labs are geared up for fast production printing.   And this took
longer than normal.  With practice, it wouldn't be bad, but anything out of
the ordinary throws off the whole pace of an operation like this during a
busy time.  Also, I knew what I wanted, knew the basics behind stereo
images.  No one else in my lab had a clue about this kind of work.  (All my
associates are new - still in training.)  Unless a lab manager was into
stereo, or knew what it was, it might be hard to communicate what you need.

Let me play with this some more.  Maybe I can figure out a way to offer a
printing service if I can get this down to a routine.  Any interest?

Dave Williams
Kansas City, Missouri



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