EMMA PROCTER
33403478 Technology of Camera’s 14th May 2015
WORK JOURNAL
CONTENTS ANALOGUE 1 - 16
POST PRODUCTION ANALOGUE 17 - 23
DIGITAL 24 - 27
CREATIVE CAMERA 28 - 39
LEVITATION 40 - 48
LAND OF GIANTS 49 - 54
ALPHABET 55 - 57
NOTEWORTHY FIGURES 58 - 62
FUSION 63 - 78
ANALOGUE
Mamiya RB76 Camera
Bracketing is the general technique of taking several shots of the same subject using different camera settings.
4 /5.6 /8 /11 /16 /22 /32 /45
Left Bowens Pro 500 Flash head: 5 positioned 2m away from model. Right Bowens Pro 500 Flash head: 4.5 positioned 1.5m away from model ISO: 400. Camera: Tethered - Tripod positioned 2m away from model Backdrop: mottled brown. Ilford 120 film
Small Format / 35mm Format
Invented during the 1920s by Oscar Barnack for Leica with the dimensions of 24x36, it quickly became used by other companies such as Nikon, Canon and Fujifilm. 135mm film was introduced by Kodak in 1934.
Leica
The first 35mm Leica camera was a practical hand-held and compact utensil which was created to take landscape images with a 2:3 aspect ratio, discovered by Oskar Barnack in 1913. Robert Frank was particular to using the 35mm Leica and photographed his series ‘The Americans’, which depicted the highs and lows of the American society post-war. .
Medium Format
Allows for better control of the depth of field and therefore more photographic creativity.
Holga
Designed in China 1981 by T. M. Lee it is a medium format camera that originally took 120 roll film but rapidly adapted to the 35mm film format too. Classed as a box camera, it is typically known to give surrealistic scenes with a lack of precision and light leaks, it was manufactured as a camera with inexpensive qualities. 120GN Holga had a plastic 60mm f/8 lens, 120 film roll, bulb exposure mode, glass lens, improves film counter window and foam inserts to provide film spool tensioning. It creates a soft focus and chromatic aberration.
SLR
Invented by Thomas Sutton in 1861, the Single Lens Reflex camera starts at 35mm and uses a mirror and prism system. It was constructed with a lens that streams an image through it and into the prisms and mirrors which then results in the exact image being reflected into the viewfinder.
Mamiya RB76 Camera
Mamiya RB76 Camera is a mechanical 6x7 single lens reflex medium format camera dubbed the “workhorse of the pros” with full mechanical reliability and multi-format versatility. It also had a revolving back and used bellows to focus upon the subject and an interchangeable back that can be fitted with either roll film or instant film such as Fuji FP-100C.
The Rolleiflex 6008
6x6 SLR medium format camera manufactured from 1995 to 2002 and used by the renowned photographer Martin Parr along with a Plaubel Makina 55mm lens.
TLR
Stands for Twin Lens Reflex which consists of two lenses of the same focal length, which one lens capturing the image and the other lens was used by the photographer to view the image. Invented in 1870 it enabled the user to maintain more stability as the viewfinder could be looked down into. The Rolleicord which was manufactured between 1993 and 1936 was a popular TLR and used by Richard Avedon for many projects.
Mamiya RB76 Camera
F16 - ISO: 100 Last O Lite backdrop mottled brown Bowens Luminar collapsobale dropboxes Left Light: 4.5 - 5ft high Right Light: 5 - 4ft high Camera positioning: 4ft away from model Reflector dish at back of model Ilford HP5 Plus 400 B&W film
Top Image Aperture: 8 Contrast stop: 4 Exposure time: 7 seconds Bottom Image Aperture: 8 Contrast stop: 3 Exposure time: 8.3 seconds
Mamiya RB76 Camera
Top: F16 Bottom: F11 ISO: 400 Last O Lite backdrop mottled brown Bowens Luminar collapsobale dropboxes Left Light: 4.5 - 5ft high // Right Light: 5 - 4ft high Camera positioned 4ft away from model 6 x 7 frame Reflector dish at back of model Instant film
Top Right: 90mm Standard Lens F11 Top Left: 50mm Wide Lens F11
Bottom Right: 180mm Telephoto Lens F11 Bottom Left: 90mm Standard Lens F16
Large Format
Typically uses the standard 120/220 roll film with the key benefit of being a lot higher in resolution. It also allows the photographer to alter both the front and back by tilting it either up or down, giving them more control. Ansel Adams used the Arca Swiss 4x5 Missura which was the smallest large format camera in the world and invented for the purpose landscape and architectural imagery.
Wide Lens
Enables the photographer to fit more of the image into the frame and get closer to the subject without cropping the edges. Traditionally used to photograph cramped areas, close shots of buildings and expansive landscapes. The lens must be less than 35mm in order to be classed as a wide angle lens, and therefore the photographer will be positioned close to the object. 24mm is often referred to as a ‘fish eye’ lens due to the low angle of view. Wide angle lenses are also known for exaggerating the distance between the camera and the object. Wide angle lenses generally produce photos which are sharp throughout because of their wide viewing angle and large apparent depth of field.
Telephoto Lens
Standard Lens
Is often to referred to as a ‘normal’ lens as it produces a photograph that matches what the viewer see’s too. SLR camera’s were commonly sold with a standard lens, hence the name, as they were cheap to produce, efficient and enabled the user to shoot both indoor and outdoor environments. 50mm is the most common standard lens, although few companies sell one that is 43mm focal length. Dubbed as a ‘fast’ lens due to the wide aperture enabling them to be used extensively for low-light photography.
Also known as a ‘long lens’, this lens enables the photographer to focus on a subject or object which is distanced far away. There are two types of telephoto lenses, prime which fixes the focal length and the zoom variety which enable the user to zoom in and focus from far away, giving great flexibility. 85mm - 135mm is a short telephoto lens and traditionally used for candid shots such as weddings and parties. 135mm - 300mm is classed as a medium telephoto lens and used for sporting events as this allows the photographer to capture the action from the sidelines and minimises the blur. 300+mm lens is also known as the super telephoto lens and is perfect for capturing wildlife and sometimes sporting events which are far away such as racing cars.
Sheet Film
Left Bowens Pro 500 Flash: 6 positioned 3m away from model height of 4ft with reflector no flash head Right Bowens Pro 500 Flash head: 4.5 positioned 2m away from model height of 2ft 300mm lens - F11 - ISO: 400. positioned 2m away from model Reflector dish at back of model Backdrop: mottled brown 10 x 8 sheet film Camera stablised on trolley
Sheet Film
Can be produced for both medium and large format cameras as an alternative to glass plates. The film is loaded into the camera emulsion side out and has a dark slide placed in front of it to stop it from being exposed. When ready to take the image the dark slide is taken out whilst the sheet is exposed and then quickly replaced again to seal the sheet film again. When we shot on the handmade 10x8 camera we opted to process the film in trays in the darkroom. The volume of solution required when using trays is only what’s needed to cover the films. There was 200ml of developer with 1800ml of water in which the sheet film was submerged into for 5 minutes and agitated every 30 seconds, followed by a stop bath of 60ml stop solution and 1940ml water for 1 minute. The sheet film was then put into a fix wash containing 400ml fix and 1600ml water for 10-15 minutes, followed by a wash for a constant 15 minutes then dried. Transparent Film Manufactured as either 10x8 sheet film or 35mm roll film it enables the photographer to shoot a positive image onto a transparent base as an alternative to negatives. It was first invented by Henry Reichenbach and George Eastman in 1884. By projecting the transparent film with a projector it can be then printed onto sheet film or used for other photographic printing processes. Ansel Adams used it for his series of images called “Entrance to Manzanar� in 1943.
120 Film Introduced in 1901 by Kodak for their medium format Brownie camera along with its sister 220 film roll they are known as the only medium format films which are available to both professionals and amateur enthusiasts. The back of the film has a long backing paper which is slightly wider than the film roll enabling the film to be rolled out during daylight without exposing any of the film. It also has number markings along the frames for the four standard image formats. Load Roll Film
In order to load film into the back of a camera the rewind knob must first be pulled then film placed into the left side of the camera. The rewind knob needs to be pushed down into the film, then pull the film over to the right hand side of the camera back whilst weaving it into the slot located in the spool. Use the rewind knob to tighten the film up and make sure there is no slackness, finish the process by closing the back of the camera and wind the film using the film advance.
Mamiya RB76 Camera
Polaroid: Left Bowens Pro 500 Flash: 5 / F16 (top) Left Bowens Pro 500 Flash: 6 / F12 (bottom) 5 x 4 back Instant Film
Mamiya RB76 Camera Photographic Emulsion
F16 - ISO: 100 Last O Lite backdrop mottled brown Bowens Luminar collapsobale dropboxes Left Light: 4.5 - 5ft high Right Light: 5 - 4ft high Camera positioned 4ft away from model Reflector dish at back of model Instant Film
Instant Film
The film contains the chemicals needed for developing and fixing the photo, and the instant camera exposes and initiates the developing process after a photograph has been taken. Edwin H. Land founded the company Polaroid in 1937 and manufactured instant roll film in 1948 and sheet film in 1958, with pack film being introduced from 1963-2008 as that’s when the compnay ceased production.
B&W Instant Film
Inside the camera is a negative sheet of film lined up with a positive sheet with indicator spread in between. When the film is exposed through the lens it makes the negative sheet develop quickly as the unexposed silver halide grains are solubilized by the reagent and transferred by diffusion from the negative to the positive. The negative is then peeled away revealing the image that was transferred onto the positive receiving sheet.
Colour Instant Film
Is slightly more complex as it has several layers of colour and emulsion made up of RGB layers and then CMY layers below. It is the same process as the black and white film regarding the reagent is spread in between. It is then exposed and colours migrate to the surface and block other colours from appearing.
Fuji FP 100C Instant Film
Instant film standard for color accuracy, clarity and creative versatility with an ISO of 100 FP-100C and performs extremely well under a range of lighting, composition, and depth of focus situations . It contains a fine grain with rich tonal gradations which make it ideal for professional ID photo applications.
Polaroid Emulsion
Is the process of soaking a polaroid under warm/ hot running water whilst gently rub at the edges of the image until you feel the thin layer of the image come away from the film then gently peeling the photograph away and sticking it down onto another object
C-41 Processing
Introduced by Kodak in 1972 it is the process for developing colour film by developing the silver in the emulsion layers of the film. The formation of dyes happens when oxidation developer reacts with dye couplers. It is then put into a bleach wash as it converts the silver to silver halide, followed by a fix wash as it removes this and finally then fully rinsed with water to remove any remaining chemicals. The colour developer develops the silver negative image, and by products activate the dye couplers to form the colour dyes in each emulsion layer. A rehalogenising bleach converts the developed silver image into silver halides. A fixer removes the silver salts.
E6 Processing
Is the process for the developing colour reversal film which is very sensitive to temperature. There are two ways to process it, either a 3 wash bath or 6 wash bath. The 3 wash bath combines colour developer, fogging solution, fixer, stop and pre-bleach however this gives less control over colouring and enables colour cross over. A black and white developer develops the silver in each image layer. Development is stopped with a rinse or a stop bath. The film is fogged in the reversal step. The fogged silver halides are developed and exhausted developing agents couple with the dye couplers in each layer. The film is bleached, fixed, stabilised and dried as described above.
B&W / Traditional Film Processing
Made up of one layer of silver salts, the exposed grains develop and turn into silver which result in blocking out light and morph into the black area of a negative film.
Method
In a light tight room or using a light proff bag with arm holes, use a bottle opener to pull off the metal top cap of the film canister and snip off the beginning of the film with scissors. Carefully then feed the negative film into the spiral using the ball bearings as guides and help feed round, this serves to separate the film roll from each other so that each frame can develop properly as the chemicals flow across freely. The reel twists in order to continuously feed the film round until it reaches the end whereupon the end also needs snipping off. Whilst still in complete darkness place the spiral into a light tight trap tank along with the agitator, light tight funnel and tank lid. Then once it is secure the light can be turned on again and developing solution poured in and agitated every 30 seconds. The solution ratio is 1:9 therefore the tank hold 330ml meaning the developing solution was 30ml and water was 300ml at 20c for 7mins (each film roll requires different times). After the allotted time, pour out the solution and pour in 300ml of stop which is made up of acetic acid (vinegar) for 10 seconds as this halts the reaction of the developer.
After pouring that out, fix is then added into the light trap tank for roughly 5-6 minutes as the film needs to clear and the pinkness needs to fade, if it is still pink then it requires more time in the fix solution. This dissolves the remaining silver halides on the negative film, followed by a wash for 10 minutes in running water to ensure all chemicals are rinsed away as it can corrode the silver image, leading to discolouration, staining and fading. Hang it up to dry for roughly 10 minutes using pegs and a drying cupboard.
Reversal B&W / Traditional Film Processing
Following on from the stop bath, the film is then bleached to remove the developed negative image as it will then contain a latent positive image formed from unexposed and undeveloped silver halide salts. This is turn results in the film being fogged by either chemicals or due to being exposed to light. A positive image is achieved because the remaining silver halide salts are developed during the second developer. Another fix bath and rinse finalise the process, followed by drying and cutting the film.
POST PRODUCTION ANALOGUE
F16 - ISO: 100 Last O Lite backdrop mottled brown Bowens Luminar collapsobale dropboxes Left Light: 4.5 - 5ft high Right Light: 5 - 4ft high Camera positioned 4ft away from model Reflector dish at back of model Sheet film negative on Solar paper
Robin Bell
Solar Paper
Specialist in hand processing and printing black and white film images for over 35 years. Having worked with renowned names such as Don McCullin and Linda McCartney, Robin has made a name for himself and now has a thriving business based in London
Is form of cyanotype with the difference of the paper being negative and already containing the chemicals used for making cyanotypes. This means that it just needs exposed under either a negative or an acetate sheet with an image printed on it whilst on top of a light box then rinsed and dried.
Salt Paper
Albumen
William Henry Fox Talbot made the discovery of this photographic printing process and put it into action during 1839-1860, calling it the negative process of a calotype. The salt process was used for positive printing from the calotype negatives, as the paper is coated with a solution of salt and silver nitrate then exposed to UV light. A sheet of paper is soaked and sensitized with a solution of sodium chloride (salt) followed by coating one side only with silver nitrate as this produces light sensitive silver chloride in the paper. After the coated paper is dry, place it sensitive side up directly under a negative and beneath a sheet of glass within a printing frame. This allows the negative to be contact printed by exposing it to UV light. Visual inspection works best to determine how long the salt paper needs to be exposed for, and when the print has achieved its desired intensity, remove it from the frame and fixed with sodium thiosulphate to halt the chemical reaction. The image is then thoroughly washed and dried, in addition to achieve better permanence prints can be toned with gold chloride as this will also enhance the tone and give richer results.
1850 saw the invention of the albumen silver print, discovered by Louis Desire Blanquart-Evrard, using egg whites to bind the photographic chemicals to the paper. 100% cotton paper was traditionally used with a base coating of an egg white and salt emulsion, resulting in a slight glossy effect upon the paper allowing the sensitizer to rest on easily. Silver nitrate is washed over the paper along with water as this helps render the surface sensitive to ultraviolet light. Placed directly under a negative and inside a glass frame and then exposed to light until the image achieves the desired level of darkness, which is typically a little lighter than the end product. A bath of sodium thiosulfate fixes the print’s exposure, preventing further darkening. It is optional to tone and stabilise the paper with selenium therefore minimising the fading effect. Julia Margaret Cameron made albumen-silver prints from wet collodion glass plate negatives. She was innovative and unconventional in her approach to the technical applications of her medium.
Cyanotype
Is a photographic process that produces a blue/cyan print through the use of a receptive photosensitive solution. Sir John Herschel discovered the procedure in 1842 and Anna Atkins brought it to the photography industry as she created a limited series of cyanotype books that documented ferns and other plant life from her extensive seaweed collection. Cyanotype chemicals are made up of 8.1% potassium ferricyanide and 20% ferric ammonium citrate which are then applied to paper or cloth and left to dry in a light tight room or area. A positive image is then achieved by exposing the paper to UV light through a contact negative as exposure to exposure to ultraviolet light reduces the iron in the exposed, turning the paper a steel-grey-blue color. Results can be seen after 10-20 minutes exposure which means that the extent of the colour is dependent on the amount of UV light exposure. After exposure, development of the picture involves the yellow unreacted iron solution being rinsed off with running water as it removes the chemicals that have not been exposed and starts the oxidizing process of the ones that have been exposed. This leads to the highlight values appearing as overexposed however the blue colour starts to darken as upon drying, which can be accelerated by soaking the print in a 6% solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide.
In order to intensify the strengthening of the blue effect, hydrogen peroxide, citric acid, lemon juice, and vinegar can be used to expedite the oxidation process the cyanotype undergoes. To reverse this process sodium carbonate, ammonia, Clorox, TSP, borax, Dektol and other reagents can be used to do so, however it is important to pull the cyanotype out of the weak solution and put it into a water bath to arrest the bleaching process.
Liquid Emulsion
Is a silver based sensitizer or silver gelatin and is applied to a surface followed by being exposed with an enlarger, which is the same process as found on photographic paper. It is a liquid form enabling it to be coated into various surfaces, giving freedom as it exposes at the same speed as photographic paper therefore needing to be applied in a light tight room. The emulsion is carefully applied with a brush, meanwhile the negative is placed into an enlarger where it will be exposed to the object covered in the liquid emulsion. It is then developed and fixed using a hardened fixer as this works best, followed by a rinse. Jungjin Lee is a Korean born photographer and artist whom uses this technique. Lee’s work is often concerned with the materiality of printing technique, and for twenty years she has utilised a liquid photo-sensitive emulsion brushed on handmade rice paper, a method akin to painting.
Photographic Emulsion
Calotype/ Talbotype
An early photographic process introduced in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot, using paper coated with silver iodide as this created a reaction with the silver nitrate and potassium iodide. One side of the paper was painted with a solution of silver nitrate, which was then dried and dipped into a solution of potassium iodide then dried again. This enables the chemicals in the paper to become insensitive to light and therefore allows the paper to be stored indefinitely. Upon use, the side coated with silver nitrate is then brushed with a solution consisting of silver nitrate, acetic acid and gallic acid, then lightly dabbed. Under near-total darkness, the sensitive calotype paper was loaded in the camera and exposed. In order to develop the paper, more of the gallo-nitrate of silver solution should be coated on whilst warming up the paper. It is then washed and rinsed in potassium bromide allowing the remaining silver iodide to convert into silver bromide, which leads to slight discolouration when exposed to light. Fixing it in a bath of sodium thiosulphate or ‘hypo’ enables the silver iodide to dissolve and leaves only the silver particles of the developed image, rendering the image completely sensitive to light. Multiple positives could be made from the translucent original negative which was produced by following the calotype process.
Is a light sensitive colloid (substance in which microscopically dispersed insoluble particles are suspended throughout another substance) which is a suspension of silver halide (bromide, chloride & iodide) particles in a gelatin solution.
Orthochromatic
Developed in 1884 by M Edgar whom finalised the solution. It is a photographic emulsion that is only sensitive to green & blue & UV lighting and can be processed under a red safelight (light source used within darkroom).
Panchromatic
Dr Benno Homolka nailed the discovery and development in 1906, with it being introduced as a photographic emulsion for black and white film, which is sensitive to all light sources.
Ambrotype
Frederick Scott Archer invented the collodion process where underexposed negatives were made to be viewed as positives, enabling James Ambrosse Cutting to coin the term in 1854. A glass plate has one side coated with a thin layer of iodized collodion then dipped into a solution of silver nitrate, followed by exposing the plate whilst wet in the camera. Depending on the light source the exposure times may very. The plate is then developed and fixed making the clear areas look dark and exposed areas are light due to it being placed against a black background.
Daguerreotype
The first photographic process and most commonly used is the one invented by Louis Daguerre in 1839 by polishing a sheet of silver-plated copper to a mirror finish then treating it with fumes therefore making it light sensitive. After this step it was then exposed within a camera for as long as necessary depedning on the light sources followed by it being fumed with mercury vapor in order to obtain a latent image. A liquic chemical treament was used to remove any light sensitvity, with a rinse, dry and seal for afterwards. The darkest area of the image is simply vare silver therefore meaning the surface is very delicate to touch and can be permantely wiped away very easily.
Tintype
Adolphe-Alexandre Martin was a French photographer and discovered this photographic process in 1853. It uses the same emulsion as ambrotype, however it is painted onto black tin rather than glass and then exposed when dry, leaving the result with no reflection or glow due to not containing silver. It also has the key point of being less fragile than glass or paper and was traditionally used as a carte de visite due to it not needing framed. Many amusement park photographers used this method as it enabled casual portraiture. Victoria Will used this process at the Utah Sundance Festival in 2014 as she photographed Hollywood stars in a phenomenal blend of historical and modern photo techniques.
Collodion Process
Another one of Frederick Scott Archer’s invention was this simple photographic process which was founded in 1851. It was made up of either iodide, bromide or chloride which is dissolved in collodion (a solution of pyroxylin in alcohol and ether) and then poured onto a clean glass plate and allowed to sit until it has set but is still moist. A silver nitrate solution converts the chemicals to silver and then the plate is removed from the silver nitrate solution and exposed within the camera whilst still wet. Sensitivity is lost during the drying process hence why it is required to be coated immediately before use and developed whilst damp using iron sulfate acetic acid and alcohol in water. The collodion process was replaced by gelatin dry plates (glass plates with a photographic emulsion of silver halides suspended in gelatin), the dry gelatin emulsion was not only more convenient but could be made much more sensitive, greatly reducing exposure times. Sally Mann, American photographer, was renowned for using this photographic process starting in the 1990’s. Centered around this filtering, and the ways in which her subjects take on new meaning when viewed through her intentionally archaic style, Mann thrives off the incomplete developments, frayed chemical edges and intentional scratching of the glass plates.
Gum Bichromate
Robert Demachy in 1894 developed a style that relied upon heavy manipulation of the image both during the development of the negative and again whilst printing. As he experimented with the process he wrote about his findings and about the aesthetics of the gum print, helping to popularize it among French photographers. It is a photographic process which utilizes the sensitivity of dichromates (a strong oxidizing agent) in a multi-layering process. Back 1839 dichromates were discovered to be sensitive to light by Mungo Ponton, meanwhile William Henry Fox Talbot found that colloids such as gelatin and gum arabic were insoluble in water after being exposed to UV light. In 1855 Alphonse Poitevin added carbon pigment to the colloids in 1855, creating the first carbon print, followed closely by John Pouncy in 1858 who used colored pigment with gum arabic to create the first color images. This then lead to the final process of gum bichromate being discovered as each layer of pigment is individually coated, registered, exposed and washed. Negatives of cyan, magenta, and yellow or red, green, and blue are used for a full-color image with it being sandwiched between the prepared paper and a sheet of glass in registration with previous passes.
The print is then floated face down in a bath of room-temperature water to allow the soluble gum, excess dichromate, and pigment to wash away. Several changes of water bath are necessary to clear the print. Afterwards, the print is hung to dry. When all layers are complete and dry, a clearing bath of sodium metabisulfite is used to extract any remaining dichromate so the print will be archival.
ISO
DIGITAL
Determines how sensitive the camera is to incoming light by correlating 1:1 with how much the exposure increases or decrease . A high ISO dramatically increases image noise.
Shutter Speed
Is the length of time a camera’s shutter is open when taking a photograph, meaning that the amount of light that reaches the film or image sensor is proportional to the exposure time.
Aperture
Refers to a hole in camera lens which can be altered to be bigger or smaller which controls the amount of light being exposed to the film or image sensor. Aperture should be combined with shutter speed and adjusted accordingly to both settings.
Nikon D800
336.3 megapixel FX-format HD-SLR with an ISO range of 100 to 6400 (expanded up to 25,600). The new EXPEED 3 image processing reduces color phase shifts, allowing you to record Full HD 1080p at 30/25/24p or 720p at 60/50p in AVC format. It is also know for its improved 51point AF system with 15 Cross Type AF sensors, versatile AF area modes and superb AF detection as well as the 3.2-inch 921,000-dot LCD screen.
Phase One p30 + Digital Back
31.6 Megapixel with a top quality fast fashion shooter with ISO capabilities of up to 1600. It is well suited for harsh environments, housing advanced features such as Opticolor+, Dynamic+ and XPose+ for even longer exposure times. Images are crisp and vivid with a Scalable focus viewing window and amazing color reproduction.
Canon 1100D
Superior 12-megapixel image quality, with an on-screen Feature Guide. It allows the photographer to capture video in HD with an ISO range of 1006400 sensitivity, alongside a wide-area 9-point AF system. The 6.8 cm (2.7”), 230,000-dot screen feature works well with all EF and EF-S lenses.
Bowens 500 Pro Flash Head
Fast recycling (1.3 sec), with short flash durations (1/900s) and a full 5 stop flash power range (500Ws-15Ws). It can be digitally controlled by twin dials , one which is for stops and the other for 1/10th stop precision control.
SD Card
Is also known as Secure Digital and is a memory card that can be used extensively in portable devices such as DSLR’s, smartphones, handheld consoles and many more items. It was first introduced in 1999 as a successor to Multimedia Cards (MMC).
RAW
Is a high quality format that is easy to manipulate and records exactly what camera sensor is seeing, also known as digital negative, although the image needs to be processed before the user can manipulate or view in other devices.
Capture One Software
Enables the user to change brightness, contrast, saturation, white balance, however can take up a lot of space and can take be a long process to manipulate. Output from each of the original red, green and blue sensitive pixels of the image sensor, after being read out of the array by the array electronics and passing through an analog to digital converter
Enables photographers to reduce the time and effort required to create stunning images from leading high-end cameras. It also allows the user to process large numbers of images quickly and effectively into multiple formats or resolution whilst preserving the originals. Processing into several formats at once using the Process Recipes or use the Export tool to quickly export images or variants is an efficient method. Capture One can present work with stylish templates, create a slideshow in seconds, produce an appealing web gallery for clients and partners and work directly with the RAW file to ensure maximum quality.
RAW formats in DSLR’s: Nikon = NEW Fuji= RAF Canon = CRW Sony = ARW Olympus = ORF
General: 300 DPI (resolution) CMYK - Cyan / Magenta / Yellow / Key (black) - basic printing uses these four colours - offset printing RGB - red / green / blue - added together to produce an array of colours
Aperture : 1.8 Shutter Speed: 1/80 ISO: 200
Aperture : 8 Shutter Speed: 1/80 ISO: 200
Adobe Photoshop
In 1988 Photoshop was created by the Knoll brothers, Thomas and John. It has become an industry necessity as it allows the user to edit photos with a wide and varied selection of tools. PSD is the file type that Photoshop automatically stores images as, letting the user to continue editing at a later date. It also enables the user to save as several other file types such as JPEG and TIFF. Adobe has bought the license to Photoshop and offers plug-ins to work in coalition with the program.
Photoshop Walkthrough
Straightening & Cropping enables the user to improve framing, accentuate subject matter and change aspect ratio. Perspective & Distortion - Is the way objects appear based on spatial attributes. Allows to warp/transform object within image & surrounding areas that differs in comparison to reality as well as a lens tilt option and a grid. Clone Tool/ Healing Brush - Lets the user to copy exact pixels already in image, blends pixels together using surrounding colour tones and use both in conjunction with one another. Sharpening - Is a tool to define details within the image and add depth, which can be applied at end of editing. Be careful not to don’t over do as can create a fake HD effect.
Layers: Allows changes to be made to original image such as blend, overlay and also interact with other layers within the file. Metadata: Informational data that is stored within the image file (time, date, camera settings), which can be used for cataloging and allows to be searched through images using specialist software such as Bridge.
Lightroom
Is a similar program to Photoshop however doesn’t allow the user to doctor the images with tools such as ‘clone’, rendering text and modifying individual photographs. Lightroom enables the user to organise and retouch several images at once, with all its edits being non-destructive. It accepts only recognized image formats.
Inkjet Printing
Traditionally uses liquid ink sprayed through microscopic nozzles onto the paper. The image they print are made up of very tiny dots that you cannot see. Different types of inkjet printer fire the ink in various ways such as Epson; Tiny electric currents controlled by electronic circuits inside the printer make miniature crystals jiggle back and forth, firing ink in jets as they do so.
Laser Printing
Repeatedly passes a laser beam over a negatively charged cylindrical drum to define a differentially-charged image. The drum then selectively collects electrically charged powdered toner and transfers the image to paper, which is then heated in order to permanently fuse the text and/or imagery.
Emulsion Printing
So a digital C Type is a traditional photographic print, made from a digital file rather than a negative. The paper is exposed using LEDs rather than a bulb followed by processing the paper in a photographic developer, then doused in a bleach fix before being washed to remove the processing chemicals.
Photographic Styles
Advertorial images are endorsed by a brand or company to promote their business. Editorial images are are presented alongside a topical article to keep readership up to date . Journalistic images that accompany written articles in order to help convey the story better. Stock images can be sourced from image banks such as getty, flickr and so on.
Billboard Advertising
Burce Webster came to the attention of the general public in the late 1980s and early 1990s with his advertising images for Calvin Klein. Weber’s photographs are occasionally in colour; however, most are in black and white or toned shades. It costs between $1.1million and $4 million to buy a billboard in Times Square, New York.
Magazine Advertising
Vogue charges up to ÂŁ144,640 for a Barn Door advertorial photograph in their monthly magazine.
CREATIVE CAMERA Initial Idea
Our first idea was to construct a camera made out of Oasis Foam blocks , which would allow us to form a structure where we could stick in fake flowers in order to make it look like a vibrant bouquet. Our insipiration was the Rio de Janeiro carnival theme, which is full of flower floats bursting with colour and life. We sourced a wooden trolley with wheels and our aim was to decorate this too, fullfilling the ‘flower float’ concept, however the dimensions of the camera weren’t in proportion to the trolley.
Materials
We sourced 24 oasis foam blocks from eBay for around £20 and then attempted to use a hot glue gun to stick the foam blocks together. Unfortunately the glue gun idea didn’t work and therefore we resorted to using indutrial strength superglue, which also didn’t stick due to the foam blocks being so absorbant.
Total Cost £25
Final Idea
After going back to the drawing board we discussed further options such as a camera made out of bricks, cassettes, doll house and more. Developing on from the idea of DVD’s and CD’s we came up with using vinyl records to make the camera out of. Our first thought was to completely make the camera out of vinyls and melt them all togther to form a cube, however we were dubious about this working due to light leaks. That is when we thought of using the record sleeves to construct the box structure to which we could then glue on melted vinyls.
Materials
We found a job lot of vinyl records on eBay which were selling for a reasonable price of £15. They were based in Leeds which enabled us to collect them directly from the seller. Homebase provided us with a large piece of wood which we then measured out to our desired dimensions and then cut using a saw. We also sanded the wood to eliminate any rough or uneven areas.
Method
1. Saw the wood into four equal lengths fitting the dimensions for the back frame of 40x40 and the front frame of 34 x 34 . 2. Sand all edges and even out wood. 3. Use industrial strength glue to bind all pieces of wood to the frames and leave for 48/ 72hours to dry in a warm and stable environment 4. Begin to cut record sleeves up to fit around wooden frame and form a cube structure which the vinyls will then be mouled to. Glue into place and leave to dry for another 48/ 72 hours. 5. Melt vinyls in the oven on 250c for 30 seconds to 1 minute to ensure they are floppy and will mould easily to the camera structure. Use grease proof paper to ensure they don’t felt fully or drip whilst in oven. Mould around edges and other vinyls using your hands. 6. Glue all vinyls to the camera and hold down for roughly 5 minutes per vinyl to ensure they are firmly stuck down. Place heavy items upon vinyl camera for 24hours tobe safe that all is stuck.
Black chalkboard paint was purchased to cover the inside of the camera to elimate any light leaks when photographing our model.
7. Once everthing is secure, use the chalkboard paint to cver inside the camera and fill any light leaks in. Layer 3 times for maximum light tightness.
We bought more glue to adhere it all together as well as some paintbrushes and other untensils.
Total Cost £36
Studio
Backdrop: Navy blue colorama Right Bowens Pro Flash Head: 5.5 situated 1.5m away from model’s face Left Bowens Pro Flash Head: 6.0 situated 2m away from models head illuminating jawline and left ear Camera positions 30cm away from models face. Mounted upon a wheelable trolley. 110 x 8 camera with a 300mm lens attached. We began by using the polaroid back and tried to focus the camera as best as possible. We took two shots on F12 and then swapped to the negative sheet film back and began to take our images.
Image of Vinyl Camera: White backdrop Right Bowens Pro Flash Head: 3.1 situated 0.5m away from camera Left Bowens Pro Flash Head: 3 situated 0.5m away from camera Phase One p30+ Digital Back Capture One software Outside Group Image: Canon 1100D DSLR with tripod
Video Link
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=mA04HBN4qdc
Appraisal
As a group we had the initial idea of constructing a camera out of oasis foam blocks, which we would then decorate with fake flowers and garlands as a representation of a carnival float. We had sourced a wooden trolley that we planned to decorate to and use for transportation of the camera, however after trying and failing at sticking the oasis blocks together we took to the drawing board once again. We had learnt that the oasis was too porous and soaked up any time of adhesive material and therefore we looked at other potential materials and settled on a constructing a basic wooden frame. Our aim was to make the camera out of vinyl records, melted and moulded around the frame, although we knew it would be a struggle to ensure it was light tight therefore we came to the conclusion of using the record sleeves to form the actual cube structure out of.
We then melted the vinyl records in the oven for around 30 seconds each and quickly moulded them to the box shape, overlapping each other in order to create a powerful visual effect. Chalkboard paint was used twice to coat the inside of the camera to eradicate any light leaks that could potentially have been created during the build. As a group we developed the images together in the dark room and then contact printed from the negative. It took a lot of effort in order to achieve the right amount of contrast and exposure for both images, however I feel they both have a dramatic impact upon the viewer. For future development we would look at making an extra section within the camera structure in order to achieve a zoom lens similar to bellows. Words: 291
LEVITATION Research
Natsumi Hayashi uses a Canon EOS 5D Mark II SLR camera. Her camera is equipped with 3 different types of lens with an extremely fast shutter speed. She either uses a friend or timer to capture the images. Levitation must project a steady, floating object without too much facial expression and movement. Lenses: Canon EF50mm F1.2L USM, EF24-70mm F2.8L USM, PENTAX 67 lenses (with adaptors) Tripods: Gitzo’s rapid-pole 3 steps with ball heads (from 1980s) Shutter speed: 1/500 sec. or faster (1/320 sec. can be used in a darker condition)
Initial Ideas
Having looked at Natsumi’s images I initally wanted to create whimsical phootgraphs of people levitating through the use of props. I began to research more into Disney and fairytale’s and looked at incorporating items such as wings, ballons and umbrella’s, all of which represented various films. I then discarded this idea as I followed in Natsumi’s footsteps and captured my images in the same style she has. The subjects were going about their daily routine however with the twist of levitation which made the whole scene even more surreal.
Appraisal
Natsumi Hayashi is a Japanese photographer who shoots self-levitation portraits showcasing her day-to-day life routine from catching the tube to using a payphone. She uses a tripod with a fast shutter speed and precise timing to capture her jump and portray it as levitation. My aim was to mimic her style and photograph typical life situations such as shopping and recycling. I found it difficult to get the timing correct and release the shutter at the exact right moment in order for the model to appear to be floating and not have a limb touching the floor. Natsumi’s images are fresh and crisp however I wanted to add my own twist and create a grainy, washed out image to represent the mundane life the subject is leading as portrayed in the photographs. In order to develop this idea further I would be keen to shoot more photographs depicting more everyday habits such as travelling, working etc and use a high pass effect to magnify the detail within the image to accentuate the levitation effect. Words: 174
I chose not to include these two imageswithin my final 6 photographs as I felt they didn’t tie in well with the rest of the series. The bicycle image is landscape and doesn’t crop well in regards to portrait, which all of the other images are. The bin image doesn’t look like he is levitating very well as his hand is clearly supporting his weight.
LAND OF GIANTS Research
Christopher Boffoli began working with photography in his teens and is best known for his work called ‘Big Appetites’, which depicts various food scenes featuring mini toy figures. He used the medium of food as it is a world wide association and can be understoof by different cultures. He found that the different textures and colours worked well as backdrops and photographed well with macro lenses. Boffoli also found that it gave the images a whimsical effect as each human has at some point in their life felt very small amongst a big world.
Initial Ideas
I wanted to surround my Land of Giants theme upon food and place my miniature figures within that kind of evniroment. Having taking inspiration from Boffoli I had a few ideas regarding the set up and what food products I would use. Raspberries: construction workers shovel & bin with tiny piece of raspberry in the bin Brocoli: make a scene to look like trees and use sitting down figures Mushrooms: construction workers & sitting figures - painting them red with white spots Donuts: construction workers - ladders - carrying up a sprinkle
Appraisal
I felt that using very small figures, which measured roughly 1cm in height, they created a more dramatic impact when set against food objects. I easily manipulated the situations they were photographed in to appear as though there was a small community living amongst the produce. I wanted to incorporate lots of different textures and therefore used various items to achieve this. Having lots of mini construction workers tied in perfectly as they were ready for ‘action’ shots and could give the impression of a surreal yet realistic community inhabiting the kitchen. I struggled more with the sitting down figures as they needed to be placed in an environment that was already busy and therefore I feel that the chopsticks image works really well. My aim was to take images from different points of view to demonstrate how versatile the mini figures were, which worked well for the egg photograph, however all the rest are very similar and this is an aspect I would like to develop further. Within the images some colours are more muted than others due to having taking the images at different times in the day and only relying on natural light, I feel that they would work better if I had a portable flash gun to bring out the vibrancy in each scene. Words: 218
ALPHABET Appraisal
I took inspiration from Abba Richman, a photographer residing in Israel whom tries to find beauty in everyday objects using their form and colour to his advantage. This form of work lead him to discover and capture images others may not see in day to day surroundings such as the urban alphabet. Abba’s images are very colourful and abstract which I aimed to recreate by photographing a lot of the alphabet outdoors capturing vivid pigments. I used the search engine ‘Google Maps’ to source my letters as I virtually looked around my local area for hidden shapes, this made it a lot easier as I planed ahead so I had a rough idea of where I could go and photograph. For me to develop this idea further I would look into solely using nature to find letters, similar to Kjell Bloch Sandved, a Norwegian nature photographer, whom captured the shapes upon butterfly wings, which resembled alphabet letters. Words: 157
NOTEWORTHY FIGURES Jerry Uelsmann
American photographer - photomontage - surrealism - uses negatives and overlays them onto each other to create an imaginative and unique photograph - uses enlarger to do so - looks at different possibilities using his proof sheets then takes them into the darkroom and pushes boundaries. He works by hand creating an image that is thought provoking and engages the viewer - image manipulation since late 1950’s - no captions in order to remain a mystery and let the viewer decide for themselves what the image is about - uses natural elements in conjunction with human forms and abstract settings in order to create whimsical piece. Jerry uses both a Mamiya 7 and a Bronica GS1 to create his surrealistic pieces of artwork.
Chuck Close
Best known for his large scale, photo-based portrait paintings which were created from large polaroid’s then re-created on canvas. His artwork pieces blurred the distinction between painting and photography as they were bold, up-front and very intimate. Photorealist painting of the 1970s celebrated the glossy, mirror-like “look� of the photograph, but after achieving that ideal, Close swiftly turned to portraiture, suggesting it as a means for exploring unsettling aspects of how self identity is always a composite and highly constructed. During the 1970s Polaroid developed an ultra-large format camera, capable of taking life-sized prints measuring 20 by 24 inches.
Robert Mapplethorpe
Introduced and refined various photographic techniques and formats including colour 20� x 24� Polaroids due to being a formalist and taking interest in composition, colour, texture, balance, and, most of all, beauty. He was well known for his controversial black and white photography that sometimes was on a large scale and featured both female and male nudes and still life images. During the 1970’s Mapplethorpe acquired a medium format Hasselblad camera and used that ever since.
Thomas Wedgwood
Wedgwood began experimenting with light sensitive chemicals (silver nitrate) coated onto white leather back in the early 1800s. He then exposed the leather to silhouette images which resulted in the sunlit areas rapidly darkened while the areas in shadow did not. However, if the images weren’t kept in total darkness they would continue developing and eventually darken all over destroying the image. Wedgwood’s work directly influenced other chemists and scientists delving into the craft of photography and encouraged them to find a solution to what Wedgwood was unable to do :”fix” his pictures to make them immune to the further effects of light. This carved the path for photography as in 1820 Nicephore Niepce succeeded, although several days of exposure in the camera were required and the earliest results were very crude.
Steven Sasson
In 1975 Steven Sasson invented the first digital camera at Eastman Kodak, whereupon it weighed 8 pounds and only consisted of 0.01 megapixels. The image recorded was black and white and took all of 23 seconds to record to a cassette tape. The image was viewed by removing the cassette from the camera and placing it in a custom playback device.The playback device incorporated a cassette reader and a specially built frame store. This custom frame store received the data from the tape, interpolated the 100 captured lines to 400 lines, and generated a standard NTSC video signal, which was then sent to a television set. Sasson had brought an idea to life which in turn lead to the revolution od digital camera’s as we know it.
Research
FUSION
Irving Penn shot a series of still life images called ‘Cigarettes’, which consisted of minimalist compositions that transformed an everyday household item, which has been discarded, into a conceptual work of art.
Rankin sourced people with terminal illnesses and asked them to expose their feelings and bare their bravado to others, not only to document it for them as a personal journey but also to showcase to family and strangers to demonstrate how they deal with it. Angelo Merendino - photographer who documented wife’s battle with cancer. Showing her everyday life from chronic pain to hair loss. Black and white images full of texture and grain to reflect their not-so-perfect life. Raw and emotional. David Jay - Scar Project photographic breast cancer survivors and their masectomy scars. Wanted to empower women and raise awareness. Stark contrast between the bright, happy faces and the dark tonal colours used. Rachael Jablo - photographer documents life and how her ilness affects her on a daily basis. Uses colour in her photos to act as ‘synthetic memories’, shows pills lying around in the dust or fotgotton on the side of the sink.
Development
I wanted to explore serval ways of using the theme of fusion within my work and therefore captured some images on a film camera. I felt this represented fusion in a different way, by capturing a still life and imprinting it onto a negative which thwen needs mixed in a fusion of solutions to be able to view the outcome. I also experimented with modge pode and infused my photograph taken from my DSLR onto a hospital gown. I also toyed with the idea of incorporating other objects such as hospital band and sewing them onto the gown material to reinforce the theme more, however I chose not to go through with this as I felt that the image would get lost and not be the centre of the piece of work.
Publication
Independent magazine featuring still life and documentary images surrounding a varied range of subjects. “PHmagazine is monthly publication without prejudice, focused on the World of photography and open to everybody. We strongly believe that good photography doesn’t necessary need “big” names on either side of the camera, our only criterion is quality.”
Ideas
I wanted to document the journey my mum is going through, battling lung cancer, and I wanted to look at the various fusion possibilites. The most significant one was all of the new medication she was taking, from morphine to chemo. My initial aim was to look at how the fusion of cancer and medication / treatment was ravanging and changing her body from the scars, bruising, weight loss and hair loss. I was aware this was going to take a lot of time and therefore settled on the idea of looking at the fusion of her medication alongside the element that has caused the cancer: tobacco. I wanted the image to be a still life to represent how we all feel and that life isn’t going anywhere right now. I began by experimenting with possible layouts such as flowers, smiley faces however I felt that my images had the opportunity to have a greater impact and therefore I also the number four to represent how many months she was given to live. At the begginning of the series the forst two images are soley of tobacco and not the actual numerical image of 4 as this was the begginning of her representation of life and before the cancer was there. The imahges then transgress into a ‘4’ and consist of both medicine and tobacco as this demonstrates the new fusion her body is getting accommodating. The last two photographs are of medicine again without having the shape of a ‘4’ in order to reflect how the tobacco is no longer a present element in her life, however the fusion has left her who she is today.
Appraisal FUSION: the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity. My aim was to portray the definition of fusion through a personal outlet and document the fusion of items, which have come together to create the person I know and love, my mum. I believe my photo story to be successful as my images are a fusion of medicinal items and tobacco products, which have fused together to make my mum the person she is today, a lady with stage 4 lung cancer. The two main objects of this project consist of the medicine, in which allows her to manage the lung cancer and pain, alongside the other element of tobacco, which represents how she got to this stage in her life, an ironic twist as she cant have one without the other. I took inspiration from the photographer Rankin as he shot a series of images called ‘Alive in the face of death’, all of which were portrait images of subjects with terminal illnesses and how they are dealing with imminent death. His aim was to reveal the intimacy of their personal story and how they are each affected differently. Rankin shot the series of images containing an extreme amount of detail in both colour and black and white, creating a striking and captivating set of photographs. Rankin sourced people with terminal illnesses and asked them to expose their feelings and bare their bravado to others, not only to document it for them as a personal journey but also to showcase to family and strangers to demonstrate how they deal with it. I was really keen to reflect this aspect in my own work by photographing the elements my mum uses to cope with her terminal illness, of which are several prescription medications which help her battle the lung cancer and her kryptonite, tobacco. Another feature I wanted to take away from Rankin’s exhibition, as inspiration was the title ‘in the face of death’ as I wanted to incorporate this into my still life images and demonstrate how many months my mum was diagnosed with left to live as a stark reminder that she really is staring death in the face. Rankin’s use of definition within the images encouraged me to use the same approach and therefore I applied it to my series of fusion photographs.
In postproduction I felt that the images needed further detailing therefore used as high pass filter to characterize and define image further mirroring how important this personal issue is. It enabled me to accentuate the fine details within the image that may have got overlooked; I feel it amplifies the stark reality of the photographs. Through experimentation within Photoshop I was able to also use the sharpening tool for specific parts of the image in order for them to really jump out to the viewer. Irving Penn shot a series of still life images called ‘Cigarettes’, which consisted of minimalist compositions that transformed an everyday household item, which has been discarded, into a conceptual work of art. I felt compelled to include this theme into my work due to it playing such a big role about how my mum has found herself in her current life situation and therefore mirrored his style and artistically displayed my objects. I initially started to photograph her medication and tobacco products in different arrangements such as flowers, smiley faces, however decided that the images created more an impact with the number 4. I therefore began to arrange the objects into the shape of a number four, however felt that having just four elements present in the image whether it was in the actual shape or not still had a dramatic effect. I feel that the images depicting the number four in a shape represent fusion even further as the materials are each fusing into each other by touching and joining together to become one. Penn shot in black and white and edited his photo to have soft tonal colours as this is a contradiction to the damage they can cause to the human body. I shot on a white background to create a stark contrast within the image and make the fusion of object more noticeable. My ISO was set to 200 due to not using any flash equipment other than a nearby lamp. As Irving Penn used black and white photography to heighten the meaning of his images I wanted to mimic this element as it helps create a dramatic effect by reflecting the life my mum is currently leading. To achieve this I selected various colour channels and altered them accordingly in order to ensure the darker pigments within the image were fully contrasted against the white background, giving them a grainy texture. These effects almost mirror the fact that my mum’s life isn’t perfect and neither are the images, along with the discoloration as it takes the life out of the images, reflecting the battle my mum is going through.
I wanted a creative and technical aspect to my project and therefore shot on a film camera as it captures a snapshot of life in seconds and is then imprinted onto film permanently, which is similar to how this has affected all of my family as it happened very fast and is engraved onto our lives forever. Film also reinforced the theme of fusion as it fuses the film with the chemicals to create a negative that displays the snapshot you captured. It also meant I could contact print the negative and potentially fuse it onto another material other than photographic sheet paper. In comparison to using my DSLR I had to consistently change my aperture as it changed often due to using a nearby lamp and repositioning it in correlation to different objects as some reflected the light upon their surfaces and others had prominent shadows. I also used a transferable emulsion called modge podge, which allowed me to transfer my photographs onto a material as another form of development for the fusion theme. The technique enabled me to fuse my photograph with material taken from a hospital gown in order to strengthen my project surrounding the topic of my mum’s terminal illness. To enhance my fusion project further I would like to shoot in the studio using Bowens 500 Pro Flash heads in order to create shadows and emphasize on the objects. This could also been seen as a representation of the shadow upon the x-ray where the cancer has lodged itself into her lung. Another aspect I would consider would be to use a tripod for optimum focus. For further extensive development I would look into involving other terminally ill subjects, similar to Rankin, and photograph the fusion of elements that make them who they are.
EP