What Interests/Inspires me
For this task I produced 10 images to give an insight into who I am and what interests me. Hover and click for captions explaining each shot.
History of Photography
The Early Years
During the renaissance period, people were interested in the idea of creating images which portrayed the world in a real way. Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist who believed that to be able to create an accurate image of the external of a body, you must understand the internal. It has also been claimed that Da Vinci created the first photograph by mixing chemicals on paper and pressing them on his face. Camera Obscura The Camera Obscura (meaning 'dark chamber') is a darkened space with an aperture through which light from objects outside of the room enter and are projected onto a surface. The image is upside down and is not fixed. Camera Lucida The camera lucida (meaning 'light chamber') is a portable optical device. It is a it is used by artists to help create drawings, it does this by reflecting an image onto a surface, enabling the artist to trace it. Joseph Niepce The first ever photograph was captured by Joseph Niepce in 1826. The exposure of the photograph lasted 8 hours, in this time, the sun travelled from east to west which makes the sun appear to shine on both sides of the building. |
Louis Daguerre
Louis Daguerre worked with Niepce in his attempts to create the first fixed image. Daguerre also painted stage sets and illusionistic scenery for the diorama. He created the daguerreotype in January 1839. It was a monochromic photo printed onto a metal plate, laterally reversed. William Henry Fox Talbot While Louis Daguerre was inventing the daguerreotype in France, William henry fox talbot was developing another version of a photograph called the calotype. The calotype could be reproduced as a negative, which was an advantage over the irreplicable daguerreotype. However, the calotype lacked sharpness. Talbots first experimentation with photgraphy was in the form of photograms. Themes Traditional fine art themes such as portraiture and landscapes were popular. This was due to the focus on the idea of documentation, however this changed with the emergence of contemporary artists and individuality. |
Photograms
A photogram is a photographic image that is created without a camera. You place different objects on light sensitive paper under an enlarger in a dark room. After exposing the paper to light for the correct period of time, you take the objects off the paper and put the paper in a developer solution. After the picture is placed in the developer, the picture starts to emerge. To make sure the photogram does not overdevelop it must then be placed in a solution called stop. Afterwards, it must be placed in a solution called fix to prevent the photogram from fading after prolonged exposure to light. The outcome is a negative- dark areas show up as light and vice versa.
Test Strip
This is a test strip. The purpose of the test strip is to allow the person making the photogram to determine the optimum exposure time. 3. (earphones, bottle)
4. (earphones, pen, pen lid, bottle, ruler)
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Initial Responses
1. (fruit netting/packaging, light bulb, pen, shells) Double Exposure
A double exposure is created by exposing the photo paper to light, then moving the objects around and re exposing. This creates the ghosting effect. |
2. (bottle, film, pens, plastic berries)
Painted on Developer
For this photogram I painted on the developer with a paintbrush in certain areas. This meant some areas of the photogram are left undeveloped, which creates different patterns and shapes on top of the objects. |
The SLR- Single Lens Reflex
The single lens reflex camera is made up of a mirror and prism system which allows the photographer to view the landscape or portrait through the lens before capturing the image.
Shutter Speed Priority:
Shutter speed priority is a setting on a camera which allows the photographer to change the speed of the shutter. It is measured in a fraction of a second. For example, in an action shot where the subject is moving, a short shutter speed (1/250) captures the image quickly and therefore the image will be in focus. However, if the photographer is capturing an image in darker lighting, a longer shutter speed (1/8) will allow more light into the camera and for longer. If a long shutter speed is selected, a tripod is required as hand movements can lead to a blurred image.
Aperture:
The aperture is the amount of light which enters the camera and exposes the film. When you change the aperture, you are changing the size of the hole which allows this light in. The larger the 'F stop' number, the smaller the hole and therefore the less light let in. The smaller the 'F stop' number, the larger the hole and the more light hitting the film.
Shutter Speed Priority:
Shutter speed priority is a setting on a camera which allows the photographer to change the speed of the shutter. It is measured in a fraction of a second. For example, in an action shot where the subject is moving, a short shutter speed (1/250) captures the image quickly and therefore the image will be in focus. However, if the photographer is capturing an image in darker lighting, a longer shutter speed (1/8) will allow more light into the camera and for longer. If a long shutter speed is selected, a tripod is required as hand movements can lead to a blurred image.
Aperture:
The aperture is the amount of light which enters the camera and exposes the film. When you change the aperture, you are changing the size of the hole which allows this light in. The larger the 'F stop' number, the smaller the hole and therefore the less light let in. The smaller the 'F stop' number, the larger the hole and the more light hitting the film.
Photos experimenting with shutter speed and aperture in UV light (on self timer):