Getting Started: Do You Copy? (page 2)

Displaying Your Pictures

To videotape your photos you have to hold them up--and hold them down too.

First, you need some kind of support, a backing of plywood, counter-top material, artist's foam core board, just about anything will do. (A cookie sheet works well, especially if you put the side with the lip down so it will hold other components.) Prop it up with anything handy, at about a 25 degree angle (the precise angle's not important.) Secure it, maybe with duct tape, and use small nails to keep it from sliding forward, as shown.

On top of the backing you need a background cloth, both to keep photos from slipping down this slope, and to supply borders. Prints from most modern cameras come in proportions of three to two (six by four inch prints are common) and some are horizontal while others are vertical. The video frame, however, is always horizontal, and its proportions are four to three. So unless you're willing to cut off substantial areas of your photos, you'll be centering them on a larger background.

In selecting this background, keep these hints in mind:

• Use cloth rather than paper. Its rougher texture holds prints better and looks nice, too.
• Don't use a black background. It will not disappear completely and the result will be a muddy dark gray. Instead, choose a rich, dark color like burgundy or navy blue.
• Try a heavy cloth texture such as burlap, corduroy, or monk's cloth for a richer appearance.

Perhaps the quickest, cheapest way to get a nice looking background is to use a dinner table place mat. The size and texture are perfect and you can get them in outlet stores for under a buck apiece.

The next level in our display sandwich is the photo itself, and on top of it a pane of glass to keep it flat. Glass from an 8x10 picture frame works fine. Non-glare glass is great because it helps reduce reflections.

Now that you can display your photos, you need to set up your camcor…