Digital Slide Online Circle

Many moons ago colour slide film was the popular choice for amateur and enthusiast photographers alike. Slide film gave better colour and sharpness than colour negative (print) film, because it was viewed by projection or in a backlit viewer – just like we view digital images on a computer monitor / tablet. It was more difficult to use than print film, as correct exposure was critical – you had to get it right in the camera; but it was worth it.

Manufacture of most of the common slide films has now been discontinued, most notably Kodachrome and Fuji Sensia; but alternatives are available and there is some evidence that a new generation of photographers, which have been brought up on digital imaging, are now trying out ‘analogue photography’.  It is doubtful that it will ever become more than a minority interest again; even with the very high quality digital film scanners that are available.

Slide film was popular in this club in the early 1980's and a slide circle was formed, it was called CS1 (Colour Slide 1) and by the summer of 1984 a second circle (CS2) was formed. Both circles thrived for about 20 years but interest in film was falling when I took over as secretary of CS1 in 2003 and in 2007 the two circles merged into one. By that time most of the circle members were also using digital cameras and being a strong supportive group of experienced photographers, we eventually decided to go digital using a USB stick to send digital images around, together with slides entries that I had scanned. It wasn’t too long before we ended up just sending digital images around and the opportunity was also taken to include monochrome images, as well as colour.

It was inevitable that the introduction of PPC Internet Circles, using bespoke software, would mean that circulating our monthly folios via the postman would be numbered and we have all agreed that the time is now right to change to being an online circle. Unlike the other Internet Circles we aren’t using the IC title in our circle - we have a long heritage to consider and will now be known as the Digital Slide Online Circle.

John Maule
Circle Secretary