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.