What is a dark room?
The dark room is used to shoot and develop photograms and photographic film . This room can be made completely dark to allow photographic paper and film to be processed and developed. To set up for this process the enlarger is used, which is the device for producing a photographic print.As seen in these images a safe light (the red light) is used in the dark room, to provide illumination in the room, as photographic paper in not sensitive to this colour of light.The dark room trays are used for the chemicals for developing your film.You first place your photographic paper, which has been exposed to light, into the developer for minutes.You then place it into the stop bath, which stops the developing, for minutes.Then you put the developed film/photogram into the fix for minutes and lastly to clean it of you place it into water for minutes.As you do not want to get these chemicals onto you hands, print tongs are used to place and remove your photographic paper from one chemical to the other. To test if your developer is to old or not .To test if your fixer is good or bad you place a piece of new roll of film in to it and if it is good it should turn from opaque to transparent. |
Ben Nathan:
Ben Nathan works in various different medias ranging from painting and photography to film and sculpture. He focuses on the functionality of the city and its industry and also explores the changes in the nature of our cities environment (urban change).Nathans section called 'Stenope' ,meaning pinhole, focuses on the traditional use of chemical based processes.Included in this were his pinhole beer can photography which used recycled beer cans.He worked collaboratively with project spaces, collectives and local residents to provide inclusive creative experiences for other individuals. |
To make this pin hole camera we started of with an empty metal can.Using a can opener, we took of the lid of the can and sanded in down with sand paper. We then measured out a piece of black card and cut down vertically on it ,leaving 1cm spaces between in between and cutting around 3.5cm down. After we wrapped this black paper around the can with the cut out part at the top and taped it, with gaffer tape, together .We then covered the top with a circular piece of black paper, to stop any sort of light entering inside the can.Using a pin, we poked a hole into the front of the can to allow the light to pass into it and used electrical tape to cover this hole.
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3 seconds-outdoor(cloudy)
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2 seconds-outdoors(in direct sunlight)
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Corner of a building
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Negative building image @ 2 seconds-cloudy
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Sandwich print:[email protected]
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Negative image (double exposure) @25 seconds each - under studio light:
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Sandwich print (double exposure):[email protected]
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Negative image @seconds under studio light
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Sandwich print:[email protected]
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A film camera uses photographic film, which is light sensitive, and exposes it to light in order to form a picture. This photographic film is rolled together creating a film roll and is placed in the camera ,opposing to the pinhole camera where just one sheet of photographic paper was placed in at one time. These cameras are similar to pin hole camera due to the exposure to light creating an image on photographic paper, however are much more advanced and better quality. The amount of light entering the camera is controlled through the time the shutter is open (shutter speed) and the aperture. SLR cameras use mirrors and the reflection of them in order to take the photo looking through the view finder. These mirrors are used in the camera to see the exact same image that will be exposed and printed. These SLR cameras, although are similar to DSLR by both using mirrors in the camera in order to see the image on the view finder, DSLR cameras capture the image digitally and on an SD card.
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Loading and unloading your film:
Different film have different iso therefore having a different sensitivity to light. The lower the iso of the roll of film the less sensitive it is to light, therefore would be used in brighter condition and need brighter to light for it to be exposed. A higher iso roll of film is more sensitive to light ,therefore can be used in darker conditions and pick up the light that is there. When loading your camera you first pull up on the rewind knob at the top left of your camera to allow you to open up the back of the camera.Then take your chosen film and place it in to the film slot at the back of you camera.Pull the leader of the film over to the Take-up spool and slot it it making sure the film is deep inside the spool. You then close the back of your camera and using the film advance wind the film into the slot. |
Developing your film:
In order to develop your film you need developer, stop and fix.You will also need to unload your film in pitch black as this film is sensitive to every type of light.Firstly you open up your roll of film with the cassette opener tool, and slot the first bit of you film onto the film stool.To get all of your film onto the reel you must turn the reel back and forwards until all the film is wrapped around securely.Then place the stool holder inside the hole in the middle of the stool and place in the tank. Finally screw the funnel and lid on so you are then able to bring it into the light. To make your your developer you will need 270ml of water mixed with 30ml of developer. You first pour developer into the tank and leave for 6 minutes 30 seconds ,agitating (flipping it upside down) every minute in order to make sure the film is fully covered with developer and there are no air bubbles. You then pour this chemical out and straight after pour in your stop, also agitating it to assure it is all covered. This should only be in there for 30 seconds. Lastly you pour in the fix, leaving it for 5 minutes and agitating it every minutes.To clean all the chemicals of the film lastly just pour some water in the tank leaving it for around 5 minutes and then you film is ready to dry. |
Shutter speed and aperture:
Shutter speed is used to determine how long your cameras shutter is open for, the longer your shutter is open the longer your film is exposed to light for. Therefore if you have put your shutter speed on a long exposure the image may become over exposed and come out white. Having a higher shutter speed will give you a higher chance of the image not being blurring and would mostly be used if wanted to capture someone moving, unless you want a deliberate blurry image. Shutter speed can be used creatively by capturing people still while in motion therefore making out they are doing something inhuman i.e flying/levitating. Aperture determines how much light is exposed in the shot and the depth of field.It revolves around how wide your shutter opens.It is determined by an fstop. If your fstop is set to a low one i.e f2.8 ,the shutter will open wider and more light will be exposed in the shot giving the image a shallow depth of field. A higher aperture, i.e f16, only lets a little light in and the shutter opens up less therefore having a higher depth of field |
F8@3seconds
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Composition is used in any sort of art meaning the combination of parts or elements in order to form a whole resulting in a state or product. Specifically for photography composition is very important for you to capture a good making it more interesting to the viewer. At its most simple composition in photography is how you place your subjects in the view finder/frame of the image.
Formal elements are used in photography which an artist should focus on ,consisting of: focus, light, line, repetition, shape, form, space, texture and tone. Focus is used to apply sharpness and clearness to the photography. Light should be thought by the amount, the type and where the light is in the image. Lines could be used vertically, horizontally, curved or jagged or creating a direction.For repetition the photographer should question are they're any lines, shapes or objects that are repeated that create a patter.For shape is they're any geometric or organic shapes.For form should think how three dimensional objects are presented, how they appear and the shadows of them.For space the photographer should question the depth of the image and the use of the negatives spaces. Texture should be thought through how you would think the image would feel like. Lastly tone is if there is a range of tones from dark to light. |