The Camera Obscura
The word photography comes from the greek words 'photos' meaning light and 'graphos' meaning drawing. This means photography means 'light drawing'. Some elements of photography include lighting, the rule of thirds, lines, shapes, texture, pattern and colour. The 'camera obscura' means quite literally 'dark chamber'. The camera obscura was originally discovered by Ibn al-Haytham who was a medieval mathmatician, astronomer, physicist of the Islamic golden age. In the renaissance artists used the camera obscura to project the image they wanted to to paint on the wall and then proceed to paint over it. When people started to add a lens to the camera they realised that it gives off a larger aperture (letting in more light) giving usable brightness while maintaining the focus needed.
How to make a camera obscura:
1. First you need to gather your materials : 2 tubes, a thin piece of tracing paper, black card and tape.
2. Cut your tubes and make sure they are the same diameter - this is important for the end product.
3. Get the tracing paper and cover the end of one of the tubes then tape it to secure it but make sure you don't cover the paper with the tape.
4. Get the other tube and cover the end of it with black card and tape it to secure it again.
5. Tape the 2 tubes together and make sure the paper and card are both facing up - otherwise you won't get the image you want.
6. Then make a tiny pinhole in the black card - this is where the light enters.
2. Cut your tubes and make sure they are the same diameter - this is important for the end product.
3. Get the tracing paper and cover the end of one of the tubes then tape it to secure it but make sure you don't cover the paper with the tape.
4. Get the other tube and cover the end of it with black card and tape it to secure it again.
5. Tape the 2 tubes together and make sure the paper and card are both facing up - otherwise you won't get the image you want.
6. Then make a tiny pinhole in the black card - this is where the light enters.
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STEP 1. I started off by making a small rectangular hole in my Pringles can.
STEP 2. Then I covered up the rectangular hole with a piece of aluminium material.
STEP 3. Next I used a small pin to make a very tiny hole on the aluminium (this will be used as a lens).
STEP 4. After all this I will tape a mini shutter over the pinhole that can open and close.
STEP 5. After I did that I got some black paint then started to cover the inside of the Pringles can.
STEP 6. Then we put a bit of photographic paper into the Pringles can/Pinhole camera (this must be inserted inside a dark room or the photographic paper wont work for the pinhole camera as it has already been revealed/exposed to light.
STEP 7. Next you will take your pinhole camera where you want to take a picture you will slowly start to open the shutter to reveal the tiny hole to expose the photographic paper to light you will keep it open for 7-10 seconds.
STEP 8. Then you go into the dark room again and soak the paper in first the hydroquinone (the developer), then the acetic acid (the stop bath) and then finally the sodium thiosulfate (the fixer).
Why is the image produced in the camera obscura upside down?
The image is seen upside down because the light from the bottom of the image appears projected at the top of the wall inside the camera obscura.
Abelardo Morrell
I really like this image because it's cleverly made and it's interesting how you can see the outline of the door and the light outside the door. Abelardo Morells is well known for his street style of photography. He uses the camera obscura technique where he blacks out a large room and makes a 3/8 inch hole that lets light pass and strike the surface inside where the image is produced flipped. The picture you can see is a view of lower Manhattan sunrise taken in 2022.
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Justin Quinell
When first seeing these images I could infer that they are very strange looking and peculiar. I can see that the technique Justin Quinell has used is using a pinhole camera. Many people describe his work as "weird and wonderful pinhole photographs". I can see why as the images contain very out of the ordinary objects and many images are taken in the mouth which is very unique. The images show a wide angle of different things such as a puppet, buildings, a toothbrush and even a baby! From research I know that Justin Quinell became interested in pinhole photography and "it was the early 90s when I was teaching kids at collage who couldn't afford cameras. Overall, in my opinion I think these images are rather interesting and can tell us alot about the artist and if I wanted to I could research so much more the understand his purpose and meaning behind his work.
Pinhole Camera
These are my pinhole images that I took with my pinhole camera that I made in class with really simple materials including a pringles tube, some duck tape, a part of a metal can, black paint and something small and sharp to make a tiny pinhole with. When I first saw these images I thought they were really good as you can see lots of the surroundings very clearly and easily which can be very difficult to pull off with such a simple cameral with a complex process after. In the second images you can see that there is almost a puddle looking pattern on the image. I think this is where I've possible left the image in the stopper for too long. I turned the images from
Vjeko Sager
My first impressions of the image were it is a very abstract image that takes a while to adjust to and identify. You can see the cuts and folds to make the photograph appear 3D. The photography style is called abstract photography that focuses on different shapes, texture and patterns. It did achieve its original purpose because you can see the detailed shapes and cuts and textures that the artist has created. I cannot really identify what the image is of but thats the beauty of abstract photography, to imagine and identify the image as what you see on the paper and use your imagination.
My first impressions of my image were that its is obviously very abstract and creative. I think my cuts and folds are very effective and you can see where I decided to project the light. In my image you can see various shadows and shapes and cuts and folds, you can see the where I have cut on the paper and what shape I have managed to create however you can see different shapes in the shadows due to where I have positioned my light. For example, you can see an arrow looking shape created by a small triangle in another triangle.
Francis Bruguiere
My first impression of this image were that it is quite different from the others because it includes faces which I thought was very interesting. I think the overlapping is very effective and clever. I believe the image is a colage of many different people created by the qualities of both paper and light, manipulating both in order to create complex patterns of texture and form. In the 1920s, Francis Bruguiere was known for exhhibiting photographic works bases on dramtically lit, cut, and folded paper shapes, some figureative, some abstract and symbolic. Francis was interested in the ways that photography could be used to capture the essence of light and form. He experimented with a variety of techniques and also used conventional materials such as cut paper or glass. These photographs are mainly characterised by their bold geometric shapes with an abstract final piece of work.
Cut Paper Abstractions
These are the images I took as a response to the artist. I had a piece of A3 paper which I scrunched up. The light source I used was a studio light which gave off lots of bright beams of light. I decided to scrunch the paper up and cut some slits rather than fold because I thought it gave a nicer and more interesting texture. There is no overall purpose to these photographs. I enjoyed this task as i was able to be experimental. I could improve this piece of work perhaps by changing the images into black and white so that I can change the colours. Next time, I'd like to put a coloured sheet over the light source as it would give a kaleidoscope effect. In addition, I also feel like a lot of my images are quite repetitive and you can also see the background to the images so next time I need to make sure to check that there is only things that I want in frame before I take the picture.
Handmade negative
I selected an image and put it in photoshop to make the images black and white. Then we had to change the contrast and brightness and then saved it so I could print it off on 1 sheet of paper from 13cm by 18cm. I then put that image in the printer and then copied it so it could become acetate. Then I went into the dark room with my acetate and used a photo enlarger machine and I exposed the image to the light for 2.5 seconds. In my opinion 2 seconds of exposure was not enough which is why I increased it to 2.5 seconds.
Photoshop Edit
My first impressions of these images were that they are rather fascinating and intriguing. This is because they are very abstract, similarly, Francis Bruguiere uses multiple exposures and the use of abstract images to create the key photographic tenet of versimilitude (similar to the truth) of the ideal image.
If I was to improve these images I would make the shadows more defined and turn the contrast down more and brightness to make it 'pop' more.
In one photograph I have blended a blue and purple colour together to achieve a nice contrast and with the other I blended a magenta colour and another shade of blue to pull of a really pretty contrast of colours.
If I was to improve these images I would make the shadows more defined and turn the contrast down more and brightness to make it 'pop' more.
In one photograph I have blended a blue and purple colour together to achieve a nice contrast and with the other I blended a magenta colour and another shade of blue to pull of a really pretty contrast of colours.
Homework - images with light
In these images you can see the way light affects every day things and how powerful light can really be. In many if the images, you can see that the different types of light have different impacts on things in the same picture. For example, we can see the different colours of pink given off on the harsh brick wall from the illuminating pink light. In addition, we can also see the light bouncing off the O2 picture and you can see mine the person next me shadows below where the our source of light, the sun is at different angles giving off a different effect.
Sculptures
This is my sculpture that I made in class with my scrunched up paper images then edited in photoshop and scanned in different colours. I really like the images as I can see the shadow very clearly and you can see the 3D effect with the different colours and shapes of card that I used. My first impressions of these images was that they are very basic and simple and personally I think I can improve by maybe putting different coloured gels over the box light to give it a glowy, dark effect.
Light Painting
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In this video, the man is telling us what light painting is. Light painting is a photographic technique where you take a very long exposure photo with a moving light source which creates a laser effect. To make light painting possible you need a camera thats got lots of memory or your phone, a mount or tripod and a moveable light source. If using a camera, it needs to be on manual mode and the exposure time should be between 10 and 30 seconds. During the cameras long exposure, you should write a word or draw an image in the air and your image should be completed. If you are ready to move to a higher level of light painting then the first try the "string light stick". To do this, you get some string lights and attach them to something. Then you move the string lights in a riund motion and take the photos. The outcome is these streaky patterns
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Light painting experimentation
I decided to chose these images because they show the improvements in our experience of light painting. First, you have to set the camera up on a tripod and turn it on. You set it to manual so you can change all the settings manually yourself not yourself. Then we changed the ISO which represents sensitivity to light. If the ISO is too hight it makes it too sensitive to light leading to a significantly bright image. When the camera was let up, we just experimented with our light source which was a torch, and what settings we wanted to use on the camera. We decided to start off with 10 seconds shutter speed and then increased to 20 seconds for more detailed images. The shutter speed is how long the camera is being exposed and how much light is being taken in. The hearts were very simple and i figured out how to get the perfect shape. When taking the pictures we had to keep the natural light source on in the room while we focused on the image then we turned the light off and took the image for as long as the shutter speed was on for while the other person created their patter or design. When we got more confident we started writing our names rather than just doing simple pictures. At first when I was writing my name, I didn't realise I wasn't moving enough which meant the letters were overlapping so the next time I did it I took large steps in between each letter.
Photograms
Photograms are photographic images made without a camera which is done by placing objects directly onto the surface of light sensitive material like photographic paper and then exposing it to light. The usual result is negative shadow image that shows variation in tone that depends on the transparency of the objects used. When taking a photogram, you must take into consideration the amount of light exposed and what areas of paper get exposed to the light. For example areas of the paper that have received no light appear white and areas that have been exposed appear grey. The equipment necessary to create a photogram consist of a light sensitive material (photographic paper), a piece of stiff card, a large sheet of black card folded in half, tracing paper, a shallow dish of cold water and a selection of interesting objects (button, lace, leaves, etc). A photographer most well known for photograms is Man Ray who was well known for his rayographs. Man Ray made his photographs by placing objects on a piece of photosynthesized paper and exposing it to light.
Step-by-step for creating photograms
1. Note: make sure your in a dark room as you will be using light sensitive paper.
- Arrange your objects on your paper covering part of the paper and leaving the rest of the paper exposed to light (to make sure you get a clear image of your object)
- The objects block out part of the light to create a pattern or picture.
2. Now get your light source ready, this can be an enlarger or even a desk lamp or torch to expose the paper.
- expose the paper for as long as needed.
3. Now make sure your chemicals are ready.
- Remove your objects when the light has been exposed and place the paper in a tray of developer (a chemical which converts your image from a latent image on your exposed film into a visible one) to see your image appear.
4. Note : make sure your using tongs to transfer the paper from one chemical to another.
- From the developer, move the paper into the stop bath (a chemical that stops the image from developing further) and let it sit for 10 seconds making sure the image is fully absorbed under the liquid.
5. Then move the image into the fixer solution (another chemical that stabilises the image) to make your image permanent.
6. Finally, wash the image in clean water and hang up to dry.
- Arrange your objects on your paper covering part of the paper and leaving the rest of the paper exposed to light (to make sure you get a clear image of your object)
- The objects block out part of the light to create a pattern or picture.
2. Now get your light source ready, this can be an enlarger or even a desk lamp or torch to expose the paper.
- expose the paper for as long as needed.
3. Now make sure your chemicals are ready.
- Remove your objects when the light has been exposed and place the paper in a tray of developer (a chemical which converts your image from a latent image on your exposed film into a visible one) to see your image appear.
4. Note : make sure your using tongs to transfer the paper from one chemical to another.
- From the developer, move the paper into the stop bath (a chemical that stops the image from developing further) and let it sit for 10 seconds making sure the image is fully absorbed under the liquid.
5. Then move the image into the fixer solution (another chemical that stabilises the image) to make your image permanent.
6. Finally, wash the image in clean water and hang up to dry.
LIGHT AS SUBJECT
Kiripi Katembo
Kiripi Katembo was a Congolese photographer however he started off as a painter and video artist before he started using photography. He uses a style in which he expresses his relationship with the urban environment. His first photographic series called "Un regard", involved the scenery of his home city, Kinshasa, where he was confronted with the hostile and unwelcoming manner of it's inhabitants towards his camera. He overcame this, by using the reflections of puddles in the water that emphasised his photos of the urban landscape.
This image really caught my eye when I was researching about Kiripi Katembo. My first impressions were that it was very unusual because it looks like its upside down. Looking closely I can see that the image is taken in the reflection of the water still showing every detail. I can see the vibrant colours almost emerging from the water showing their importance. When discussing with my classmate’s, they inferred that there is alot of reflections from the puddles and the sky almost doesn’t look real it looks cropped and added in where it should be as part of the water. This image shows the reflection of a building kind of in a reflection. I was surprised at how clear and perfect the reflection is. It could almost pull of being stuck together, it looks like a mirror had been put in the middle.
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My images inspired by Kiripi Kantembo
I took these photographs in school during my lesson. I wanted to create lots of different reflections in many different places creating patterns and shapes in the puddles. I think many of the reflections are very clear and well taken. I like how you can see the different textures such as the ripples in the puddles which in a way show the fading of the reflection slowly disappearing. I also really like how you can see the raindrops falling into the puddle again causing a ripple effect impacting the picture and how you percieve it.
All of these images I took in response to Kiripi Kantembos style of photgoraphy. Before coming across Kiripi Kantembo and her wonderful photographs, I would just walk past a puddle like it was nothing and sometimes even step in it. However, now I find myself observing the puddle and seeing it completely differently. Now I see a whole different world with the same view as what is in front of me but somehow different at the same time. When looking at Kantembos work, I turn my head in all different directions trying to figure out how she took the images. I think when taking these images I achieved my original purpose by getting the original image and the reflection all in one photograph to show the contrast in them. I feel like a place looks so different through a camera `Maybe you can see the two different worlds I can see too?
I took lots of images of reflections in puddles and then I printed them off in black and white. Then I ripped up some of the pages and placed them in the printer. I. did two single colours and then mixed them with my other black and white images to give a collage effect.