Every aspect of photography has similar processes from exposing film to printing negatives.
The Darkroom –
Things you will need –
Enlarger, negative carrier, contrast filters, proofer (glass), Easel and lens. (These should be at each station)
These are the same as in the camera –
Comparison from Darkroom to Enlargers – The similarities. | |
Darkroom | Photographing |
Enlarger | Camera |
Light sensitive Paper | Film |
Negative | The world to photograph |
Light source | Same |
Lens – adjustable or not | Same – f-stop exposure |
Time to monitor light exposure | Same – Shutter speeds |
Processing Chemicals | Same |
Photography is a time based medium. It takes time to create all processes. No short cuts.
Printing
Enlargers will have timers on each of them and will be explained during lab how to use.
We will be exposing everything in increments of 5 seconds. All processes will be demonstrated in class and you can refer back to the text for any information need or just ask.
Processing exposed paper –
After paper is exposed, these are the times each must be processed at unless the paper manufacture recommends another time. Remember this do not let tongs cross trays. They must remain in each tray. If you forget a step do not , I repeat do not go back. This will contaminate the chemistry.
Developer - 2 to 2.5 minutes – use tongs let all chemicals trip in developer tray and place in next step.
Stop Bath – 30 seconds to 1 min – use stop bath tongs to be sure paper is covered. Take stop bath tongs and lift paper out drip over stop bath tray till last drop. Then go to Fixer.
Fix 1 – 5 -10 min depending if there are two trays of fixer. Let sit in tray for this amount of time before taking into light to view.
Fix 2 – 5 – 10 min. After 5 min if there is a second fixer move to second fixer and let sit for at least 5 min.
Water – Holding bath – this is not the rinse. We will move the prints to the rinse machine in the processing room as a group. Do not move until rinse machine has been cleared.
Rinse – 20 min in rinse machine.
Dry – Use the rc drier in the processing room. Be sure you have been shown how to use. If not ask. Or you can use a blotter book to dry your prints if you do not want to put it through the machine.
DO NOT OPEN YOUR PAPER OUT IN THE LIGHT, DARKROOM ORANGE-SAFELIGHTS ONLY, ASK BEFORE DOING ANYTHING IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, IT WILL SAVE SOME CASH AND TIME!
PHOTO = LIGHT
GRAPH = WRITE OR MARK
YOUR PAPER IS SENSITIVE TO LIGHT AND HEAT!
Photograms Assignment #1 – Due
Find an enlarger station. You can work in groups or pairs.
Place the negative carrier in the holder as shown.
Use the easel or glass proofer and put on enlarger table.
Turn timer on focus so light comes on.
Move enlarger as shown in class up or down so that light fills the paper.
Close the aperture as shown in class to f-8 or smaller.
Flip timer set to time or off and set the time number to 5 seconds. Some may come up as milliseconds, ask for assistance.
Take out paper, place objects on top of paper.
Hit the exposure button and expose for 5 seconds
Follow developing instructions and see what comes out.
If paper turns out to be black then close the aperture on the lens to f-11 or smaller.
Repeat put objects on paper and try taking objects off during the exposure and see what happens.
If the paper turns out white then it needs more light so add time by hitting the exposure button again – try not moving seconds' button from 5 seconds unless instructed to do so.
Assignment Objective –
Get familiar with the darkroom and create a creative photographic image.
You will need to find objects that are translucent, cut-outs are ok, try magazines, cotton, whatever you can think of to create an image. Make something that is meaningful to you.
On due date – (1 )8x10 photogram is due.
Extra work = extra credit
******************Friendly Reminder******************************
DO NOT OPEN YOUR PAPER OUT IN THE LIGHT, DARKROOM ORANGE-SAFELIGHTS ONLY, ASK BEFORE DOING ANYTHING IF YOU ARE NOT SURE, IT WILL SAVE SOME CASH AND TIME!
PINHOLE CAMERAS – Optional assignment.
Making a pinhole –
Easiest most effective is the empty paint can (new) from any local home improvement store.
Tape , some foil and a way to make a hole in the can. Painting the can is optional.
Once you have a pinhole to work with do the following:
Take the pinhole can into the darkroom – load one piece of 8x10 paper you may have to trim it to fit. Be sure the lid is closed tightly and that the flap is covering your hole with no light leak.
Find something to expose – if you are going to expose in doors your time will be longer.
Remember – more light = less exposure time
less light = more exposure time
Set the can down facing toward what you would like to take an image of, if doing portraits be sure the subject holds really still. Your initial exposure should be around 1 to 2 minutes depending where you are photographing.
After the exposure time close flap without knocking the pinhole camera. Take the pinhole back into the darkroom and follow paper processing procedure and determine if you should make another.
Creating a positive.
- In the Darkroom
- Set the lens to a setting of f-8 and place a contrast filter of 2.5 in holder
- Place a new piece of photo paper a strip will do in the glass face or shiny side up.
- Take a completed pinhole negative, processed and dried place image side to emulsion (shiny side) of new photo paper. So it will be emulsion to emulsion.
- Make a 5 second exposure of entire print.
- Cover all but a small section of paper with a large enough paper. And expose for another 5 seconds.
- Repeat (e) above until you go across entire paper.
- Take the exposed bottom and follow paper developing procedure.
- Set the lens to a setting of f-8 and place a contrast filter of 2.5 in holder
- Scan the final negative and do a negative reversal in Photoshop.
The Camera –
The lens -
f-stops
1, 1.2, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32, 64
The light doubles or cuts in half with ever other stop.
An f-stop is a unit of volume for measurement of light. F-stops are found on your lens. The lens is like a hose; the bigger the hose opening more light goes through, the smaller the hose opening the less goes through.
The body –
The body of the camera holds the light sensitive material and deals with time.
Shutter speeds –
1, 2, 4, 8, 15, 30, 60, 125, 250, 500, 1000 +
Shutter speeds control how long the light is being exposed on the film, hence Shutter speed controls anything dealing with time.
Time is in fractions of a second, example 125 is 1/125th of a second and 1 is 1/10th of a second. And so on. B stands for Bulb or flash and T stands for Time, these features allow the shutter to remain open.
The key is to find the right balance between the volume of light and the time of light.
Bracket Exposure – Assignment #2 Due ______
This assignment deals with the volume of light.
To bracket an exposure you will have a camera loaded with 100 or 125 film.
Pick your subject. Preferably something that isn't going to move on you.
- Look through the eyepiece, using your light meter (every meter is different) find the perfect exposure. What the camera says the film should be exposed for that scene.
- Take the exposure, do not move. Change the f-stop so that it is one below (bigger number) than the current exposure.
- Expose at the one below. Staying there, move the f-stop so its above one (smaller number) than the correct exposure. And expose image.
- In your notebook this exposure should have something that may look like this:
Exposure # | Shutterspeed | Correct f-stop | One down | One up |
1 | 125 | 11 | 8 | 16 |
2 | 500 | 8 | 5.6 | 11 |
3 | 60 | 16 | 11 | 22 |
These are samples, do not set camera at these, your meter will show you what is correct.
After roll has been exposed - you will process film and make a contact sheet, individually or in pairs as shown in class
What is due:
1 8x10 contact sheet showing a bracketed exposed roll of film.
1 roll is the minimum, extra rolls = extra credit.
Processing Film –
Film is light sensitive so do not load any film tanks or open doors or use phones while film is out of its canister.
- Load film on reel as shown in class. If only one roll of film be sure the reel is on the bottom. And lids are securely in place.
Chemicals –
Temperature is key – our optimal temp for developer is going to be 68 degrees. There will be cold water in the clear fridge in the lab. With development we have a balance of temp and time. "The cooler the chemistry the longer the time and warmer the temp the shorter the time." The reason we want cooler temps is the film has the best grain structure for a crisper image at its' optimal temperature which is set at 68 degrees. The grain wants to stick together closer when cooler. When its warmer it separates out more and becomes visible in printing.
There are chemicals available for you – this will be covered in lab as a class. Mixtures will vary.
Developer – Time will vary see charts or in film box there will be time settings. – agitate canister in a half moon motion every 30 seconds for 30 seconds and when time is up pour chemicals in sink unless otherwise directed to do other.
Stopbath – Stops development. You will pour chemicals in container to the top, a two reel tank is 20 oz and a one reel tank is 10 oz. Agitate for 30 second every 30 seconds for 2 to 2.5 minutes. Pour out stop bath in sink or place in appropriate location.
Fixer – Fixes the image to the film. Fill container. Agitate for 30 seconds every 30 seconds for Development time Plus half. Example if your development time was 9 minutes then you will fix for 9min plus 4.5 min giving you a time of 13.5 minutes of fixing. Pour finished fixer in appropriate location as instructed in lab.
Development time + Half = fixing time.
Rinse – Take film to rinsing location. And film will rinse for approximately 20 min or until a deep purple is gone in film.
Photoflow – This will keep the film from spotting, dip in photoflow for approx 1min. Finger squeegee excess photoflow in sink and hang in drier.
Drying – be sure you turn off drier and that it has stopped before opening. Hang and turn on drier until film is completely dry.
Cut to appropriate size for your negative sleeves.
No comments:
Post a Comment