arts206 basic photography (part 1) by Matthew Swarts

arts206

basic photography ramapo college fall 2008 4.00 credit hours section 02 w 3-6pm matthew swarts mswarts@ramapo.edu office: BC147 office hours: m 2-5pm office phone: 201.684.6284 cell phone: 617.571.2883

Walker Evans

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Deiter Appelt

what is photography for? This is a studio course that will introduce you to black and white photography. Over the course of the semester you are likely to discover that photography can be part art, part science, and (perhaps most wonderfully) still part magic. This class will make you a technically competent photographer, as we will cover a range of important technical information. My fundamental interest in photography lies in its relationship to the fine arts, and today we will begin a

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semester-long discussion about several more abstract ideas related to the process of making artwork. My hope is that by semester’s end we will share a similar enthusiasm for how photographs cut through the world, as well as an appreciation for how photography can be one of the most useful tools for examining experience. Just as the earliest developers of the photographic process accidentally began their work, we will start by making images without either a camera or a negative. From there we will begin a careful, several week-long investigation into how the basic 35mm camera works, covering all aspects of picture-making—from exposure to negative development, to printing, to final presentation. At the end of the semester we will collaborate on an editioned portfolio (with each member of the class contributing an image) as a momento of our work. As we proceed though the semester, we will develop a critical methodology and a vocabulary for looking at and talking about photographs. We will constantly be viewing the work of other artist-photographers, making visits to museums and galleries, and deepening an ongoing discussion about photographs and their special connection to consciousness. .

Joseph Koudelka

 A word about critiques: each week or at least every other week, we will try to make time to discuss each other’s work. This will take the form of a discussion where each of us should have an equal footing, with myself serving as something of a moderator. From the beginning, you should try your best to speak from your hearts and to learn from each other’s comments. Please respect each other’s voices—often many of the true gems of a workshop experience come from your peers. Remember from the outset when discussing someone else’s work to keep comments and criticisms as constructively honest and helpful as possible. This is very important. Hopefully, when we look at pictures, we will be looking at and talking about art. So please remember: in matters of art, there are no facts, only opinions. Please act accordingly.

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Recommended texts

Photography (9th edition): Barbara London, Jim Stone, and John Upton. Paperback: 432 pages Publisher: Prentice Hall; 9 edition (March 15, 2007) Language: English ISBN-10: 0131752014 ISBN-13: 978-0131752016 http://www.amazon.com/Photography-9th-BarbaraLondon/dp/0131752014/ref=sr_1_10/102-37444596421735?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1188835254&sr=1-10 Also: Barrett, Terry, Criticizing Photographs (2005) Horenstein Henry, Beyond Basic Photography. Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1977. Adams, Ansel, The Print and The Negative. (both) Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1983. Goldberg, Vicki, Photography In Print, Albuquerque: University of New Mexico, 1981. John Berger, Ways of Seeing. and Sontag, Susan, On Photography. Veronica's Revenge: Contemporary Perspectives on Photography, Elizabeth Janus (Editor), 2000.

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Michael Ackerman

Schedule/Semester-At-A-Glance Week Week Week Week

1: 2: 3: 4:

(September (September (September (September

3) 10) 17) 24)

Week 5: (October 1) Week 6: (October 8) Week 7: (October 15) Week 8: (October 22) Week 9: (October 29) Week Week Week Week Week Week

10: 11: 12: 13: 14: 15:

(November 5) (November 12) (November 19) (November 26) (December 3) (December 10)

Introduction Photograms/Camera Obscura/Pinhole Light: Film Exposure and Processing Contact Sheets/First Prints Sense of Place No Friends, All Strangers/ Contrast and Density No Ideas But In Things/ Burning and Dodging and other tricks Self Portrait/Making Final Prints The Constructed Image Bleaching and Toning Bleaching and Toning Open Assignment I Open Assignment II Presentation: Spotting and Matting Thanksgiving! Open Assignment IV Final Review

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Requirements

you miss an assignment one week, you are expected to make it up by the end of the following week, knowing that work turned in a week late drops your grade for that assignment by one letter grade. Assignments not completed after this period result in an incomplete for that class, even if you were in attendance. More than two such incompletes and you will receive an incomplete for the whole semester. •The class weblog is located at http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~mswarts /arts206 Each week you will be responsible for emailing me work to upload to the server, both as a means for sharing and a record of the semester’s progress.

luis gispert

•A word at the outset: this class will challenge you. •Take things seriously from the beginning, and I promise you will find your time spent here rewarding, engaging, and perhaps even fun. •You must come to class each week, be prepared with all the relevant materials, and complete all the assignments. Assignments are given based upon the technical, formal, and theoretical material discussed each week in class. Late assignments are your responsibility and will not, in most cases, be discussed in class the following week. If

•Assignments are detailed verbally in class and accompanied by an emailed pdf file. Keep this in mind, for although all the material will be available online, you need to be present in class or have a friend relay information to you to know the assignment for coming weeks. You will always have something to do for this class, so allot several hours per week for making your work both in the field and in the lab. These facilities get heavy traffic, so plan ahead and schedule your time in the lab accordingly. It is your responsibility to make arrangements each week to get into the lab to make your work. After we all have proper materials and access, excuses about lab crowds or an inability to access facilities will not be tolerated.

•Photocopied readings will be provided as handouts each week, or will be discussed and referred to in their PDF format. Occasionally, we will read and discuss them as a group, but they are

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intended as an optional but highly recommended supplement to our class time. I hope you will find ways to make use of them both within and outside the scope of this class. •In accordance with College policy, I will use your Ramapo college email address (@ramapo.edu) to communicate with yiou about all coure related matters. •This course will include a minimum of five(5) hours of unmonitored appropriate experience outside the classroom. Information about your experiential component requirements can be found at the following link: http://phobos.ramapo.edu/~mswarts/experiential%20learning%20component/ •One short (1 page) paper per week will accompany an assignment investigating the work of an artist or subtopic relevant to class. •Attendance: No greater than two absences will be tolerated. Miss more than two classes— lecture or lab and regardless of excuse—and you receive an automatic incomplete, without exception. •Students are expected to read and understand Ramapo College’s Academic Integrity Policy, which can be found in the Ramapo College Catalog. Members of the Ramapo College community are expected to be honest and forthright in their academic endeavors. Students who are suspected of violating this policy will be referred to the Office of the Provost. •Grading: You will receive a grade for each assignment, including the final review, based on the following scale: C=Satisfactory. Work is complete but wholly lacking engagement and originality. B=Good. Complete work with some evidence of originality, technical competence, and thought beyond merely getting things done. A=Outstanding. Work shows clear evidence of originality, passion, and engagement. Technical and conceptual elegance; several noteworthy steps beyond merely going through the motions to complete the assignment. Incomplete=Unacceptable. Assignment must be redone (see above) or incomplete will carry over to final grade. (Note: there are no “+” or “-“ symbols next to these grades. None will be given. Everything is A, B, C, or incomplete until the final grade is averaged.) Your final class grade will be based upon individual grades for the following criteria: Attendance Class Participation Completion of Assignments Short Papers/Influence Assignments Final Review

10% 20% 20% 10% 40%

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General Education: This course is part of the general education curriculum. You will develop critical thinking skills that are basic to college level study, regardless of your area of interest. You will be reading, writing, and participating in thoughtful group discussions with the aim of developing the skills of a scholar. You will learn to support your arguments using a foundation of knowledge and facts rather than from personal opinions and experiences. Note: if you require course adaptation or accommodations because of a documented disability, please email me immediately to set up an appointment to meet during office hours.

Materials and Facilities

Mariko Mori

Parts of this class will be expensive. By the third week of class, each of you is expected to have the following materials: 1) Fully operational 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) camera capable of fully manual operation. Brand and age of your camera is not important so long as the camera itself is fully functional and capable of full manual operation (ability to set focus, shutter speed, aperture, ASA/ISO (film speed), and exposure compensation by hand (that is: not computer assisted or automatic!). 2) Fully functional 50mm lens for your camera (and/or equivalent). Note: note if you have a zoom lens be certain it can be set at 50mm! No other focal lengths will be tolerated.

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3) Fully operational and accurate exposure meter: most cameras have a meter built-in, but if yours does not you are responsible for having a meter that works correctly. This is essential to accurate exposure of your film. 4) At least 15 rolls of Kodak Tri-X Black and White Film (ASA 400). 5) 100 sheet box of RC (Resin Coated) Black and White Enlarging Paper. Manufacturers, paper quality and surfaces vary considerably, but be sure to purchase either neutral or warm-toned paper in either glossy or pearl finish. As the name implies, warm-toned paper exhibits â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;warmerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;&#x2122; looking black tones that range in color from brown to green. It is potentially more useful than neutral toned paper in that its color is easily changeable through the use of toners. Some photographers, however, prefer the look and feel of a neutral toned (grayblack tones) paper surface exclusively. My suggestion is to purchase a box of your first choice paper, knowing that during the semester you are likely to need additional paper and will have the opportunity to try another surface/color combination. Some of the most popular manufacturers are: AGFA, Forte, and Ilford. 6) Apron or smock: if you like your clothes, invest in something to cover them while in the darkroom. Fixer and developer stains can be permanent. 7) Plastic negative sleeves for 35mm film. These are essential for storage and protecting your film from damage.

Sallly Mann

Purchasing equipment and supplies is relatively easy through the internet. Perhaps the cheapest of all available photographic supply houses is B&H Photo Video (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/), or (800)606.6969. Electronic bargains are everywhere, however. The best strategy may be to

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look at equipment in local electronics stores and then order from an internet supply house. Ask for my help if you are uncertain of what to buy. •If you are having problems with facilities or equipment, please contact me by phone either in my office, cell, or at home, or by email. If I am not available, please ask either Professor David Freund (x7362), or Stephanie Bursese (Darkroom and Digital Lab Supervisor) (x6234) in the equipment office for help. •If there is a facilities or a health related emergency, please call the Campus Police Department (x7432) immediately. Photographic Books and Artist’s Monographs Books by or about photographers are often wonderful ways to experience work. They are, however, difficult to locate in general libraries or conventional bookstores. Museums and galleries are often a better source for hard-to-reach titles. Even though Amazon.com will often have most titles at great discounts, it’s worth it to call Photo-Eye (address below) and request a free monthly photo-specific book catalog. At the very least, it will keep you up to date on monograph publication. Photo-eye, incidentally, also specializes in hard to find or out of print books: Photo-Eye Books, 376 Garcia Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. (800) 227-6941 (www.photoeye.com International Center of Photography Bookstore: http://www.icp.org/

Lee Friedlander

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Periodicals and Journals The following fine art photography periodicals should be available in Frost Library and better bookstores in the area. Search for subscription information on their web pages if you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t locate the actual magazine. Digital artists may not be as well represented in print as they are on the web. Still worth at least a browse are:

Aperture Portfolio Blind Spot Big Contact Sheet See AfterImage ArtForum Art in America and Creative Camera For the best deals on technical materials cameras, darkroom equipment, and other want ad listings for just about every variation of photographic equipment, consult:

Shutterbug

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diane arbus

Looking at Images Books and periodicals are terrific ways to encounter work. There is no substitute, however, for experiencing original works and actual installations by artists. Over the course of the

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William Klein

semester, we will be making several visits to local museums, galleries, and artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s studios to look at work. I hope we will be able to make at least one trip (perhaps with students and faculty from other courses) into New York. But if you are already interested please donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t wait for me to tell you where and when to go! Art resources in New York (just a little over one half hour away by car) will offer world class viewing opportunities. Exhibition listings appear regularly in The New York Times, The Village Voice, Time Out New York, and The New Yorker, among other publications. Check them out regularly, especially when you travel.

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â&#x20AC;˘This course will include a minimum of five(5) hours of unmonitored appropriate experience outside the classroom.

You will be responsible for spending at least (5) hours visiting a local museum. Each of you must turn in an original, cancelled ticket stub and receipt from your museum visit. In addition, you must write a one paragraph email to me (mswarts@ramapo.edu) describing your visit. Your Ramapo identification card will gain you discounted, if not completely free admission to most art institutions. Take advantage of this often! Some places to think about visiting include: The Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/ The Museum of Modern Art: http://www.moma.org/ The International Center for Photography: http://www.icp.org/ The Whitney Museum : http://www.whitney.org/index.php The Guggenheim Museum: http://www.guggenheim.org/ The Brooklyn Museum of Art: http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/ P.S. 1 Contemporary Arts Center: http://www.ps1.org/ Plus Many Commercial Galleries, with exhicibitions listed in The New York Times, The New Yorker, TimeOut New York, and other publications. Please ask me for resources if you are

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traveling to galleries and/or museums in other cities. The web is also an incredible resource for looking at work. As part of each class we will look at interesting spaces for photo-based web and digital art, and I will include url links in emails for you to explore on your own. Try to keep an open mind, many of these sites depart from traditional photography (and traditional exhibition space) in interesting ways. I hope viewing them will convince you that nearly everything is possible. To get you started, check out:http://www.rhizome.org/, http://gallery9.walkerart.org/, http://www.diacenter.org/webproj/index.html, http://www.turbulence.org/

v38 mon: voted earthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most mysterious star

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A final word You know by now that some aspects of photography can be very technical. I will try my best to make things as simple as possible. If you have difficulty with a particular skill or operation, please don’t be discouraged. Ask for help! Some things take a very long time to master. Your time in this course should be in the spirits of fun and self-discovery. Try to help each other.

yasumasa morimura

“Do not hurry; do not rest” --Goethe

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arts206 an introduction

William Henry Fox-Talbot

Anna Atkins

Laszlo Maholy-Nagy

Adam Fuss

Camera Obscura

Abelardo Morell

Camera Obscura

Joseph Nicephore Niepce

Abelardo Morell

Daguerrotype of the Sun

Daguerrotype

Gustave LeGray

Francis Frith

Timothy Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Sullivan

Matthew Brady

Alexander Gardner

Henry Peach Robinson

Anne Brigman

Hypolyte Bayard

F.Holland Day

F. Holland Day

F. Hollland Day

Louis Pierson

Edward Muybridge

Laszlo Maholy-Nagy

Edward Muybridge

Thomas Eakins

Jacques Henri Lartigue

Alvin Langdon Coburn

Atget

August Sander

Lewis Hine

Alfred Stiegltiz

Alfred Stieglitz

Alfred Stiegltiz

Alfred Stieglitz

Bellocq

Andre Kertesz

Manuel Alvarez Bravo

Graciela Iturbide

Edward Weston

Walker Evans

Dorthea Lange

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Harry Callahan

Aron Siskind

Robert Frank

Duane Michaels

Diane Arbus

Larry Clark

W.Eugene Smith

W. Eugene Smith

W.Eugene Smith

Robert Capa

Nicholas Nixon

Cindy Sherman

Carrie Mae Weems

William Wegman

Hannah Hoch

From Camera Obscura to Digital

ccd

Nancy Burson

Aziz + Cucher

Loretta Lux

Gregory Crewdson

Thomas Ruff

Andreas Gursky

Christian Boltanski

Thomas Demand

Yasumasa Morimura

Joel-Peter Witkin

Juergen Teller

Louis Gispert

Charlie White

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basic photography ramapo college spring 2008 4.00 credit hours section 01 w 3pm-6pm matthew swarts mswarts@ramapo.edu office: BC147 office hours: m 2-5pm office phone: 201.684.6284 cell phone: 617.571.2883

Week 1 1) Purchase London, Stone, and Upton: Photography (9th edition) (see syllabus) 2) Read: Living Like Weasels, by Annie Dillard (http://www.courses.vcu.edu/ENG200-lad/dillard.htm) 3) Read: Abelardo Morell â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Big Pictureâ&#x20AC;? (http://www.abelardomorell.net/articles/M.Singer_96.pdf) 4) Email to me (mswarts@ramapo.edu) by Monday, January 28, a one page response describing what a camera obscura is and how Abelardo Morell uses this most basic of photographic concepts in his work. (see http://www.abelardomorell.net for further information.) 5) For class next Wednesday, September 10: bring: a) interesting objects of varying translucency for making photograms (see http://www.photogram.org/frame.html) 6) Purchase/assemble/collect all of the course materials listed in the syllabus in preparation for the third week of class.

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photograms

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Week 2: Pinhole Visions Bring to class: 1 cylindrical cardboard oatmeal container (about $1 in the supermarket) (empty). w/lid Your box of photographic printing paper (do not open in the light!) Any objects you might be curious about photographing with the camera you will make out of your oatmeal container! Pinhole Photography on the web (please read for next week):

http://users.rcn.com/stewoody/makecam.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinhole_camera http://www.pinhole.org/gallery/index.cfm http://www.pinhole.org/make/exposure.cfm http://www.kodak.com/global/en/consumer/education/lessonPlans/pinholeCamera/pinhol eCanBox.shtml http://www.pinholeresource.com/pinhole.html http://www.pinhole.com/resources/ http://www.howstuffworks.com/question131.htm http://photo.net/learn/pinhole/pinhole http://www.diyphotography.net/techniques/homemade-matchbox-pinhole-camera http://www.pinholespy.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camera_obscura http://www.photographytips.com/page.cfm/2119 http://www.camerahacker.com/EOS_Pin-Hole_Lens/index.shtml

2) In class we watched DVD segments from ART21 (PBS) concerning the artists Collier Schorr and Kara Walker. Choose one artist and describe the arc of their work in detail in an email to me (mswarts@ramapo.edu). (Due Monday). Try to answer the following questions: 1) What are your chosen artistâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concerns? What is their work about? 2) What technical decisions have been made in the making of this work? (How did they produce what you see?) How do these technical choices affect the way we perceive the content of their art-making? 3) Do you find their work enaging and/or exciting or something other? Please elaborate. Collier Schorr: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/schorr/index.html http://www.papercoffin.com/writing/articles/schorr.html http://www.303gallery.com/artist.php?artistid=CS http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0268/is_3_37/ai_53286432 http://www.photoeye.com/templates/mShowDetailsbycat.cfm?Catalog=DP286 http://www.villagevoice.com/art/0548,camhi,70428,13.html Kara Walker: http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/walker/index.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Walker http://learn.walkerart.org/karawalker http://moma.org/onlineprojects/conversations/kw_f.html http://sikkemajenkinsco.com/karawalker.html http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=7898752 http://www.artandculture.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/ACLive.woa/wa/artist?id=641 http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId=%7BE4F51062-8A084593-8273-8807B8201F95%7D http://moma.org/onlineprojects/conversations/trans_kwalker.html

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basic photography ramapo college fall 2008 4.00 credit hours section 01 w 3pm-6pm matthew swarts mswarts@ramapo.edu office: BC147 office hours: m 2-5pm office phone: 201.684.6284 cell phone: 617.571.2883

“AS GREGOR SAMSA awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.” --- Kafka, “The Metamorphosis”

Pinhole Visions

For Wednesday, September 24

Using the work you saw in class as a point of departure [among others: Adam Fuss’ beautifully rendered 8x10 pinhole images of sculpture, Nancy Rexroth’s magical Iowa (plastic camera pictures of her childhood home in Ohio), Ruth Thorne-Thompson’s mythic 4x5 pinhole constructions, and Nancy Burson’s plastic camera “document” about young cranio-facial patients] make 6-8 positive images from pinhole negatives. Things to consider: * Your pinhole cameras are by nature imprecise machines, and they often make wonderfully haphazard and strangely distorted images, seeing the world from what we’d like to imagine is an insect’s eye view. Think of Gregor Samsa. Can

you take advantage of the built-in strangeness of this new vision and how it sees the world you once thought familiar? How can you benefit from the idiosyncratic ‘problems’ of your particular camera(s), using them to actually contribute meaning to your photographs? Sometimes even after several tries the images from your camera might not represent the ideas you want to convey—if this is the case, can you create a new type of camera that will do it better?

• Look carefully at the space around you when you photograph. Have you thought about how this space contributes to the meaning of your images? What does it mean to put yourself in a particular place inside a picture? How do the shapes and the light that surrounds you contribute to your images and what you want them to say? Can you combine them in different ways to make images that speak to different ideas? • Pinhole exposures are often very long. Think about how you might use this extra dimensional element of time in the “still” photographs made by your camera. Are there certain places you could photograph or movements you could make that would extend the effect of your images? * Everybody sticks their face in front of the camera—and it’s fun--but can you create images that are self-referential without directly representing your face, your body, or your reflection? • If you do chose to explore your body in your images, how are you using the space created by light and gesture? If you chose to concentrate on the figure in a traditional sense, consider carefully how the camera’s relationship to the body contributes to an images’ meaning. How are the photographs you make distinct from, say, your reflection in a mirror? Can you use the camera to see yourself in a radically new way—one that might otherwise be impossible? Thinking of people like Cindy Sherman or Kahn and Selesnick, how about creating a new or a different body with the camera? Have you considered creating an exquisite corpse from composite images or parts of your own flesh seen from many different points of view? • What you make with any camera is most often a negative. In this special case of using paper as film, are there some instances where the negative you have made is actually more beautiful or more telling than any positive you can create with it? Links of Interest: http://www.nancyburson.com/cranio_fr.html http://wirtzgallery.com/exhibitions/2000/exhibitions_2000_09/rexroth/exhibitions_nr_20 00_09_images.html http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E01E6D71439F932A05751C1A9629C 8B63 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2479/is_n1_v25/ai_20198547/pg_1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Fuss http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/sub.asp?key=15&subkey=563

arts206 pinhole and plastic visions

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Middle gray and the space/time continuum For Wednesday, October 1 Read: London and Upton, Chapters 1-6.

Expose at least 1 roll of film. Thoroughly explore the relationship between your camera’s metering system, the lens aperture, and the shutter speed for a variety of lighting situations. In other words, make negatives that explore the way the camera sees the relationship between light, time, and space. Most importantly, you should investigate how the range of exposure choices available to you can radically (or very subtly) effect the way the camera describes the world. Play, in other words, with aperture, time, and light. Things to remember before you make pictures: •

FILM SPEED: For at least the first half of the semester, you should half-rate your film. This means, in the case of Tri-X, that instead of setting your meter’s ISO/ASA dial at 400, you should

set the ISO/ASA of your camera to 200. By lowering the ASA of the film like this, you will be giving the darker areas of your subject more light than the manufacturer of the film recommends. This is a common manipulation practiced by most photographers who want the sharpest, most grain-free image possible for a given film speed.. Half-rating increases the shadow details in the negative, and will give you more options to print from later on. If you are confused, think about how your pinhole camera worked and how useful it was to have a negative that had a lot of information, as opposed to one that was mostly blank. Half-rating ensures that even in situations where you make mistakes in metering, you will be more likely to get something on film. •

LOADING FILM: After you thread your film into the take-up spool and close the back of your camera, be certain that the film rewind knob on the left hand side of your camera body turns (counterclockwise) as you advance the first few frames of the film. (Not visible in automatic cameras) If it doesn’t, you have not loaded the film properly.

Things to consider while making your negatives:: •

There is a mathematical relationship between the ISO/ASA of your film, and the aperture and shutter speed necessary to reproduce on film any given level of light that exists in the world. This relationship is inviolable. It is one of the only things you cannot challenge very effectively as an artist. So: what your meter says is very important. Learn how to read your meter effectively and always set your camera according to what the meter tells you.

•

Exposure=Intensity x Time. Implicit in this relationship are a series of choices that correspond to settings for your camera’s shutter speed and aperture. These choices are some of photography’s most powerful tools. Explore the connection between f-stops and shutter speed as rigorously as possible in these first few rolls of film and think about how profoundly you can change the way something looks by coaxing the camera to see the world from a variety of different exposure choices. Are you aware, for example, of how radically different your face will appear when it is photographed at close distance with apertures

of f2.0 and f22? How about the difference between how a falling leaf looks at 1/15 and 1 second? •

An exposure meter “sees” middle gray. This means in most cases that your meter will take all of the dark and bright and medium tones in whatever you are photographing and average them in such a way that the overall level of light in whatever you photograph will be reproduced as a medium (18%) gray tone. (See London and Upton for a more detailed explanation.). Certain situations in the world will thus create exposure “problems” for you. Make sure if you are photographing something extremely bright or extremely dark that you take this important point into consideration. Looking at the sunlit sky in the middle of the day, for example, and following what the meter says will in most instances give you the incorrect exposure. So will looking in a similar way at the moonless night. Do you understand why?

•

Film begins to “fail” at exposure times of one second or longer (and at exposures shorter than 1/1000 second). This is called the reciprocity effect, and you should be familiar with ways to compensate for such situations when making exposures in extremely low or high light conditions. (See London and Upton, p. 108)

(continued)

Writing Assignment: Answer the following questions in an email to me (mswarts@ramapo.edu) 1. If you lens is set at an aperture of f1.0, what will your pictures look like in terms of depth of field? What if it’s set at f64? 2. What does it mean that your exposure meter ‘sees’ middle gray? Give an example of how your camera can be fooled by this principle into making an incorrect exposure. 3. Pick two slides from the .pdf (middle gray and the space-time continuum) and list the slide number and artist name. Describe what aperture and shutter speed combinations were likely used to make the images.

Links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single-lens_reflex_camera http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gray_card http://www.sprintsystems.com/film_chart.htm http://www.kodak.com/cluster/global/en/consumer/products/techInfo/af9/index.sht ml http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_meter http://scphoto.com/html/exposure.html http://web.mit.edu/vap/images/guides/camera_basic.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reciprocity_(photography) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aperture http://www.aperture.org/

arts206 Middle Grey and the Space-Time Continuum

Sally Mann

William Eggleston

Josef Sudek

Roy DeCarava

William Eggleston

Craig Cowling

Phillip Lorca-DiCorcia

Nan Goldin

Mike Disfarmer

Abelardo Morell

David Hilliard

Henri Cartier-Bresson

David Armstrong

Uta Barth

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Katy Grannan

Henri Cartier-Bresson

Jack Pierson

Nancy Burson

Phillip Lorca-DiCorcia

Mike Disfarmer

Larry Sultan

William Eggleston

Henri Cartier-Bresson

William Eggleston

Sally Mann

Robert Frank

Katy Grannan

Larry Sultan

Bidaut

Jack Pierson

Roy DeCarava

Mike and Doug Starn

Nan Goldin

Edward Weston

Lee Friedlander

Martin Schoeller

Jack Pierson

Phillip Lorca-DiCorcia

Reineke Dykstra

Sally Mann

Nancy Burson

Andre Serrano

Fazal Sheikh

Edward Weston

Bernd and Hilla Becher

William Eggleston

Thomas Struth

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Thomas Struth

Walker Evans

William Eggleston

arts206

Developing Film

IN TOTAL DARKNESS, load film onto completely clean, completely dry tank reels and place in tank. Carefully cover with tank top and small, light-tight access cap.

The remainder of film processing can now take place under common room lighting.

Mix developer, stop bath, fixer, fixer remover, and wetting agent according to temperature and mixing directions on packaging and chart below. USE CAUTION WHEN HANDLING CHEMICALS AND ALWAYS ADD CONCENTRATE TO WATER, NOT VICE VERSA.

Lay out chemicals in beakers or containers according to the order in which they will be used.

Follow directions on packaging and chart below for times and proper agitation. Remember when timing steps to take into consideration filling and emptying the tank. Start timer before pouring chemicals into tank (tilt tank when filling); drain with 1015 seconds left on timer.

Drying usually takes 3 or more hours. Do not touch film when drying.

Cut film into strips with scissors, counting proper number of frames to fit into your negative sleeves.

Step

Mix/Temp

Time

Agitation

Capacity/L iter

Developer

1:9 @ 68º F

*See chart on packaging (attached for Sprint Film Developer) for type of film you are using

First 30@, then 5@ each 30@

Single Use

Stop Bath

1:9 @ 68º F

30 seconds

Continuous

60 rolls (35mm)

Fixer

2:8 @ 68 F

3 minutes

First 30@, then 5@ each 30@

30 rolls (35mm)

Rinse

@ 68º F

30 seconds

Two water changes

Fixer Remover

1:9 @ 68º F

3 minutes

First 30@, then 5@ each 30@

Wash

@ 68º F

5 minute minimum

Water changes ea. 30@

Wetting Agent

1:99

1 minute

None

Dry

60 rolls (35mm)

Varies with temp/humidi ty

* For Tri-X Rated at ASA 200, take 20% off the time recommended for ASA of 400 (@ 68º F using Sprint Film Developer, developing time would be 8 min)

arts206

Light For Wednesday October 8: at least 1 roll of developed film For Wednesday October 15: 4-6 prints from the roll (above) Photograph light. Expose at least one roll of film in which every image has light as subject. Continue to explore the basic optical principles of your camera; use shutter speed and aperture as tools for shaping the luminosity that most interests you. Note: this is a two part assignment:

you have to make at least one roll of film over the weekend, and will then make 4-8 prints from these negatives for the following week’s group critique. Things to consider: 1) We like to think that we are working with “black” and “white” materials—an idea which suggests a simple, binary relationship between things. But really your film “sees” the world as a highly sensitive continuum of grays. Can you begin to become hypersensitive to luminosity more than any other element of what you experience? 2) Light has interesting physical properties: how can you explore them in your images? Is it possible to photograph “pure” light? Also consider how light is said to be both particle and wave, words that suggest physical substance. Is this idea contrary to what we seem to experience? How can you image this? 3) The light you see is in constant flux. How things look in any given light is dependent on from where you are seeing. You should move your body as you make pictures! Consider the light from as many different points of view as is possible, and notice how many things are changing (the form itself, your exposure, etc.) as you shift your position. Again: the choices you make in this regard are elements that imbue your images with meaning. When you find something you really care about, be conscious of the range of alternatives available to you.

Links: http://www.abelardomorell.net/articles/L.Sante_04.pdf http://www.thomasdemand.de/ http://moma.org/exhibitions/2005/demand.html http://www.identitytheory.com/people/birnbaum80.html http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/mann/index.html http://www.charlierose.com/shows/2003/11/12/3/a-conversation-with-photographersally-mann

Written Assignment: In an email to me (mswarts@ramapo.edu), please describe the work of one of the artists listed in the links section (above). What is their work about? What technical decisions have been made to produce the work? What are some of the questions raised by this work?

Sunday Night by Ray Carver Make use of the things around you. This light rain outside the window, for one. This cigarette between my fingers, these feet on the couch. The faint sound of rock-and-roll, the red Ferrari in my head. The woman bumping drunkenly around in the kitchen . . . put it all in, make use.

arts206 light

Hiroshi Sugimoto

Matthew Pillsbury

Abelardo Morell

Gary Schneider

Uta Barth

Roy DeCarava

Laurie Simmons

Teun Hocks

Abelardo Morell

Emmet Gowin

David Levinthal

Uta Barth

Christopher Bucklow

James Casebere

Tim Davis

Barbara Ess

Robert Frank

Gregory Crewdson

Nan Goldin

Teun Hocks

Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Duane Michaels

Abelardo Morell

Gabriel Orozco

Robert and Shauna Parke-Harrison

Sally Mann

Sam Samore

Robert Selwyn

Larry Fink

Laurie Simmons

Sally Mann

Tim Hawkinson

Catherine Wagner

arts206

basic photography ramapo college fall 2008 4.00 credit hours section 01 w 3-6pm matthew swarts mswarts@ramapo.edu office: bc147 office hours: t 2-5pm office phone: 201.684.6284 cell phone: 617.571.2883

First Prints

For Wednesday, October 15 Make four to six prints from the negatives you have made for the previous two assignments. Make all of your prints from the entire negative. (Do not crop the image with the enlarger and easel.) Bring contact sheets to class for all rolls of film you have exposed. *Very important: be sure to set aside enough time in the darkroom to complete this assignment: your first few printing sessions will take longer than expected as you acquire some experience working with the enlarger. Things to consider when evaluating your wet prints under the white lights outside darkroom: 1. Sharpness: Are you satisfied with the clarity of the image? Does your print look as clear as the image on the contact sheet? If not, double-check the grain focusing under a wide aperture. Make sure the individual silver grains of your negative are as sharp as possible, then stop down the lens to your working aperture. 2. Density: Do your images feel too dark or too light? Can you make a better print by reducing or increasing the exposure (by time or aperture changes) with the enlarger? If you are unsure, try several variations to help you learn about the possibilities that are available. Remember that fiber based papers dry darker. If you have a print that looks absolutely right to you, it’s a good idea to make one about 10% lighter to take into account the “dry-down” factor. Don’t settle for second-rate prints! Frederick Sommer has said often: “do no less well than you can.” The rest will take care of itself. 3. Presentation: Is the image reasonably positioned on the paper? Are you showing the entire image of the negative? Do the edges of the print show black lines from the film base? Carefully adjust the enlarger column height and the blades of the easel to ensure that your paper is positioned right.

Things to remember while processing your prints: 1. Timing is very important. Get in the habit of watching the clock as soon as your print is in the developer. Drain the print with 10-15 seconds on the clock for each solution. By standardizing your times, you are ensuring consistency from print to print. 2. Agitate! Rock the tray (not the print!) for the entire time required in each solution. 3. Make certain that your print has been in the fixer for at least half the fixing time (1.5 minutes) before you examine it in the light. Then return it to the fix for at least the full fixing time of three minutes, but not longer than 5 minutes. 4. Wash for at least 10 minutes. Do not contaminate washers already in use with prints fresh from the fixer remover! 5. Squeegee both sides of the print very carefully and tenderly to cut drying time.

6. Place prints face down on screens and be certain they do not touch other prints. Drying times vary.

arts206

basic photography ramapo college fall 2008 4.00 credit hours section 01 w 3-6pm matthew swarts mswarts@ramapo.edu office: BC147 office hours: t 2-5pm office phone: 201.684.6284 cell phone: 617.571.2883

Filtration and Contrast For Wednesday, October 22 Make six prints of one image, using a different filter settings on the enlarger (use numbers 0 through 5 in whole step intervals) for each print. Make each print about the same density (darkness). Determine which filter setting seems most appropriate for your negative, then make two more prints: one at the filter number 1/2 step below your image, and one at the filter number 1/2 step above. Label the back of each print in pencil with the appropriate aperture, time, and filter number before you begin processing. *Very important: be sure to set aside enough time in the darkroom to complete this assignment: your first few printing sessions will take longer than expected as you acquire some experience working with the enlarger. Things to consider when evaluating your wet prints under the white lights outside darkroom: 1. Without a filter in the enlarger (and unless the filtration dial has been set before you) your paper behaves as if a #2 (or ‘normal’) filter were in place. 2. Filters impede the amount of light that hits the paper. While it is true that a number 2 filter placed in the enlarger will effect no contrast change, it will produce a lighter print if the exposure time is not changed. 3. As filters move up in number and down in number from 2, their density increases. A #5 filter setting is “thicker” than a #3 filter setting. A ##00 filter setting is thicker than a #1 filter setting. Exposure times must be adjusted accordingly to ensure that prints made with different filters have consistent density. 4. When assessing contrast (or density for that matter), it is better to begin by making very large changes in filtration (or time) between prints. This will minimize your estimation time, then you can hone the print down in successively smaller increments.

6. Place prints face down on screens and be certain they do not touch other prints. Drying times vary.

CLEAN YOUR WORKSPACES! CLEAN ALL TRAYS USED IN HOT WATER!