Capturing the Drama of Motion in Black and White

Now we're getting down to business. First assignment with our camera was to shoot motion with black and white film. We shot images using motion blur, pan motion, and stop motion this week. Motion blur adds drama by capturing movement (blur) that enhances the still subject. Pan motion is where the photographer keeps the moving subject in focus by following the subject with the camera (panning), capturing it in sharp focus while the background is blurred. Stop motion is just as it sounds, stopping motion with a fast shutter speed.
We all shot a roll or two of various subjects capturing images of all 3 examples and went back into the darkroom to learn to develop film. Once we developed the film, we cut our negative strips and used enlargers to create contact sheets. A contact sheet is an 8x10 sheet of photographic paper onto which a set of negative strips are developed into positive images. The images can then be examined with a loup to determine which shots you want to take to print. I've chosen all 3 of my shots and will be printing them next class session. Very exciting!

First Class

My first class was awesome! The instructor jumped right in with both feet introducing us to the darkroom tonight. We began the course by exploring pinhole photography and photograms. We constructed our own pinhole cameras and spent the first hour of the class outside taking photos with them. For those of you who don't know, a pinhole camera is made from any light-tight container (I used a quart-size paint can). You punch a hole about the size of an eraser into one side of the container and place a piece of tin or brass into which you've inserted a needle (making a "pinhole") over it, creating an aperture through which light can enter. This pinhole is then covered with a piece of tape (I used a magnet) that can be used as a shutter to "open" and "close" the pinhole. In the darkroom under a safe light, you then place a piece of photographic paper (some use film) into the container directly across from the pinhole and close the container creating a light-tight seal. Take your camera outside, choose an object or vista to photograph, remove the tape from the pinhole for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes depending upon the amount of light available. We shot in the late afternoon as the sun was beginning to set, so we used an exposure time of 1-1 1/2 minutes. We also had an opportunity to shoot in the studio the following week and ended up using exposure times from 2-5 minutes. Once you've taken your shot, you head to the darkroom to develop the negative image that's created, then use an enlarger to create a positive image for mounting.
The photogram is made in the darkroom by placing several opaque, sheer or clear items onto a piece of photographic paper then exposing them to light. After running the paper through the developer you get an image that resembles an x-ray. I used a miniature wine glass, some lace, various opaque beads, a glass bottle, and some dried flowers. Once the image is dry it is ready for mounting.
I was thrilled with the way my photogram and pinhole camera turned out. Unfortunately, I had some "techincal difficulties" when the pinhole got blocked so while I did get a couple of OK shots of some garden statuary, I still don't have just that perfect outdoor vista shot I'm looking for. I've still got time to shoot a couple more however before the end of the semester and will post them once I've got them ready to mount. Pinhole photography will definitely be something I continue to experiment with on my own.
I was so thrilled to be tossed into the darkroom right off the bat! The pinhole camera & the photogram are great ways to introduce the student to the elements of light and exposure in photography. Next up, some black & white film!

The Journey Begins...

I've always had a passion for photography. I bought my very first 35mm, a Canon AE-1 Program in high school, then "adopted" my husband's EOS Rebel X several years ago. Several hundred rolls of film later, I finally went digital this past Christmas with a Canon XSi 450D. My husband threw in copy of Adobe CS4 Extended and I was in heaven!

The more I used my digital, however, the more frustrated I became with my lack of real photographic knowledge. I found that I'm not satisfied with just "taking pictures," I want to make art with my camera. Books are great self-teaching tools, but I decided to go back to basics & take an introductory photography class this semester. My first session is Monday & I am so excited!