Decorating Your Camera

Assignment: 
Transform your camera into something completely different.

 We have all kinds of materials available for our transformation.

• Plastercraft
• Felt
• Balsa Wood
• Raffia
• Wire
• Acrylic Paints
• String
• Yarn
• Foam Core
• and much more.

Some Considerations

• Think of objects that are already cylinders. (Batteries, Light House)
• Don't bite off more than you can chew. With enough time you can create almost anything, we don't have forever!
• A simple armature can be made out of bundled paper towels and masking tape. Cover it with plaster craft to create heads.
• Use acrylic paint, not tempera.
• The hot glue gun is your friend!
• Every day junk can often be turned into something else.

Here are a couple of examples of previous student work.

Pinhole Close-up

The Debris of Life

I took this photo of a pile of broken dolls as an example of what can be done with a pinhole camera. One of the greatest attributes of a pinhole camera is its almost indefinate "Depth of Field". Everything from close up to far in the distance appears to be somewhat in focus.

Assignment - Find some small objects that are meaningful to you in some way. Pose the objects in an interesting still life and photograph them with your pinhole camera.

Make a positive print and dry mount it. 

Debris of Life (Paper Negative), Manny Boccini

Debris of Life (Positive Print), Manny Boccini

T

Sepia Toning

Assignment: Sepia Tone either your Pinhole Self-Portrait or Pinhole Close-up.

Warning: Bleach is dangerous, wear the 

safety glasses when toning!

• Sepia Tone “one” positive print.
• It’s best to use a slightly darker print.  Choose wisely.

“Steps”

1. Immerse the print in the Bleach Bath and agitate it for a bout 6-8 minues, until the black image has disappeared or turned yellow.
2. Rinse thoroughly for two minutes in running water.
3. Place print in the "Toning Bath" and agitate for about 60 seconds, or until there is no further change in tone.
4. Wash thoroughly for two minutes.
5. Let air dry.

1.  

A Pinhole "Selfie"

Apparently "Selfie" was awarded the "Word of the Year"  by Oxford Dictionaries". 

We've all done it with our cell phone or a digital camera. There seems to be some kind of human urge to take one's own photograph. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Photographers are often left out of the image. I know that I'm missing from many family photographs, because I was the person behind the camera.

Your assignment is to use your camera to take a self portrait. Here are a couple points to consider:

• This will be an exercise in self control. You must remain as still as possible, or your image will be blurry.
• You may ask a friend to open and close the shutter.
• Get close to the camera. Your Pinhole Camera is a super wide angle image maker. In my self portrait below, my hand is practically touching the camera.
• Stay in the sun, short exposures will give your clearer results.
• Scan your negative for future use.

Mr. B 2013

Making a Pinhole Camera

Most students are incredulous when I tell them they will be making their own camera. When they find out just how simple it is to do, they are even more surprised.

Every camera, from pinhole to the most sophisticated, has five basic parts. By working with a simple pinhole camera, we can better understand the Single Lens Reflex cameras we will use later in the year.

1. A light tight container
2. An aperture (opening)
3. A shutter
4. A viewfinder of some kind.
5. A film transport system.

This tutorial is similar to my demonstration.

How to make a pinhole camera.

Assignment: Build a working pinhole camera. When you are finished, follow these steps.

1. Is your camera light tight? _______________________________________________________
2. What is the aperture of your pinhole camera? Divide the focal length (distance from the pinhole to the negative plane) by the diameter of the pinhole (0.0010)  Your result should be somewhere around f500. ________________________________________________________________________
3. Using a 20 second exposure as a benchmark for a sunny day, make a series of test exposures to determine the best exposure time for your camera.
• If the initial exposure is too dark, half the exposure time.
• If it's too light double it. Us this sheet to record your test information.
• Every time you double or half the time, you have changed the exposure one stop.
• Make sure to weight your camera down with a book or other heavy object. Camera movement will blur your image.
• Remember to stay as still as possible. Movements during log exposure will create bury images. Your may ask a friend to open and close yhour shutter for you.
• Do not shoot into the sun. 

1st Test Strip (list conditions, time of exposure and result).

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

2nd Test Strip (list conditions, time of exposure and result)

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

3rd Test Strip (list conditions, time of exposure and result).

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

4. My best exposure tim in bright sunshine is _______________________________________________
5. Shoot your self portrait and develop your negative.
6. Make a positive print from you negative.
7.Sepia tone your print.
8.Dry mount the print.

Collage Photogram

Gabby C. 2013

This third photogram is really an example of "Copier Arts". 

Process:

Construct a Collage out of images that reflect you. Use magazine images or photos you've printed off the web. Paste it up on the 5x8" oak tag that is provided.

1. Scan the image and print it.
2. Cut it out to its edge. This will become your "paper" negative.
3. Use test strips to determine the correct exposure and make a print. The resulting image should be a negative one. (Whites are black, blacks are white)
4. Use your new image as the next "paper" negative. Your next image should be a positive.
5. Dry mount the two images next to each other. If you wish you may also mount the original color print.

Dry Mounting

Assignment: 
Dry mount either your "Found Object" or "Stencil" photograms.

How to:

1. Determine the size of  the mat by first measuring the photographs size. Add 6 inches to the width of the image. Add 6.5 inches to the photos height. For our 5x8" image we will need an 11.5x14" mat.
2. Do you want white or black for your mat? Cut the mat to size.
3. Make sure the press is preheated to 170 degrees. (Remember to check, sometimes someone will play with the dry mounting press and change the settings.)
4. Preheat the tacking iron. Remember this is very hot and can cause severe burns. Always rest it on it's cradle.
5. Place the image face down on a clean surface. (white oak tag)
6. Position a sheet of dry-mounting tissue over the photograph.
7. Attach the tissue to the print. Remember to only touch the iron to the print for a brief moment, or you will damage the front of the print.
8. Using a T-square and cutting board, trim the photo and tissue. They should be the same size when your have finished.
9. Mark the mat board.
10. Position the photo on the mat board and tack it on. (one side is sufficient.)
11. Place the image into the press photo side up. Cover with a clean slip sheet. (White oak tag)
12. Close press for 1 minute and 20 seconds.
13. Remove image and place a heavy weight on it. (books)
14. Use a kneaded eraser to clean up any pencil marks.
15. Lightly sand the edges to remove any tear out from the cutter.

It sounds difficult, but once you've done it it will become second nature. There is a reason I had you practice using an x-acto knife!

Stencil Photogram

Photograms come in all types, your "imagination is your only limitation"! I've even had students use crickets as the subject for found object photograms!

For our second photogram, we will cut a stencil out of black construction paper. Instead of placing objects on the enlarging paper, you will use your paper stencil. We will compress the enlarging paper and stencil together using a contact printer. F-stop and time will remain the same for this project.

Subject:
The subject for this image is "geometric shapes" or a design created out of your "initials".

Objective: 
Practice using an x-acto knife, continued practice with the enlarger and print developing process.

Thins to consider:

• Design your image so the stencil won't fall apart.
• Always cut away from your holding hand.
• If the paper starts to tear, ask me for a new blade.
• Keep your cuts as clean as possible.

Here is an example of a "geometric shape" photogram. Notice the edges are kept intact.

Photograms

Found Object Photogram

Photograms, sometimes known as "shadow pictures" were first created by American photographer Man Ray. The images are made by positioning objects over enlarging paper and then projecting light on them. Areas that are completely covered will develop out white and those areas illuminated by the enlarger light will be black. Different values of gray will occur when some light passes through and object or wraps around a curved object.


Assignment: Your first photogram is a free choice image. The main purpose of this project is to let you become familiar with the use of the enlarger and the print developing process. You choose the objects, but make sure you consider the composition you create.

• Make sure it is balanced Symmetrically, Asymmetrically or Radially.
• Try to have an even  balance of white and black areas in your image.
• Make sure objects "bleed" off the edge of your image. "Avoid a "fish tank" image"..

Steps:

1. Raise the enlarger head as high as it will go.
2. Open the lens to F8
3. Set the timer to 10 seconds
4. Place a piece of enlarging paper (5x8) on the base of the enlarger.
5. Arrange you objects in a pleasing composition.
6. Expose the paper.
7. Develop out the paper. 
• Developer 2 minutes
• Stop Bath 30 seconds
• Fixer 2 minutes
• Wash 2 minutes
• Air dry print or run it through the print dryer.