The Photogram

This assignment will introduce you to the procedures to use when exposing, processing, washing and drying photographic paper. You will gain an understanding of the effect of light upon sensitized photographic materials. This is your first assignment, and you won’t even need a camera – but you will need 8x10 Black & White light- sensitive photographic paper! If you try to use Inkjet Photo paper you will be very, very disappointed. Purpose

What is a Photogram? A photogram is a photographic image made (without a camera) by placing objects directly onto the surface of a photo-sensitive material and then exposing it to light. The result is a silhouetted negative image varying in darkness based on the transparency of the objects used, with areas of the paper that have not received any light appearing light and those that have appearing dark.

Some of the first photographs ever made were photograms. William Henry Fox Talbot made many of these images which he called photogenic drawings by placing leaves and pieces of material such as lace, onto pieces of photo-sensitive paper and then exposing them to sunlight. Talbot’s Fern Leaf, 1835

Explorations into Photograms were still being done in the 20th Century by a number of photographers, particularly Man Ray, who called them rayographs. He used stark and dramatic negative imaging combined with unusual arrangements of identifiable objects such as spoons and pearl necklaces.

Creating a Photogram Bring to lab a selection of opaque and translucent objects that will cast interesting shadows. Some possibilities include feathers, glassware, lace, ferns, leaves, marbles, paperclips, barbed wire, etc. Sherbon

Creating a Photogram Bring a collection of items that you can arrange to “tell a story.” You won’t make a good impression just by dumping out your pockets or purse. Fingerson

PROCEDURE Review pages 104 and 105 in your book so you will be familiar with some of your tools. The enlargers will be fitted with lenses and adjusted to illuminate an area larger than your photographic paper. You won’t need to touch any of the enlarger controls other than the exposure timer. The enlargers will be fitted with lenses and adjusted to illuminate an area larger than your photographic paper. You won’t need to touch any of the enlarger controls other than the exposure timer. PLEASE DO NOT MANIPULATE THE ENLARGERS OR LENSES UNTIL YOU HAVE HAD INSTRUCTION.

PROCEDURE Make a test strip to determine the time required to produce a full black tone on your paper. The test strip procedure will be described in lecture. Original image by P. Garcia

PROCEDURE Expose the paper according to the procedure given in class. Remove the objects and process the paper according to your lab instructor’s directions. Aleman

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