Photo grams (week one) (Photography)

   The lesson began with a short induction including: examples of modernist/ surrealist painters/photographers and their negative photo grams, which were similar to what we would be producing throughout the lesson, as well as an explanation as to how this would be achieved. After having entered the dark room, the teacher demonstrated to us the equipment which we would be using and the order in which we would do so before the lights were turned off.

   Before we were able to access black and white photographic paper, provided by the college,we had to set up the equipment as demonstrated previously:

1. Lower or heighten the enlarger to ensure that the lens was at head height.
2. Set the aperture of the enlarger to 8 (this setting enables you to control how much light can be received), make sure all coloured light levels are at 0 as the photographic paper absorbs various shades of light, except red (consequentially, red light can be used to enlighten the dark room slightly, just enough so you can see what your doing) and focus the enlarger so that the outline of the light projected down onto the baseboard, that would later hold the photographic paper was sharp.
3. Reset the enlarger timer to four seconds (this setting determines how much time the photographic paper will be exposed to light).

  When we had tested that all apparatus was at the settings necessary to correctly produce a negative photo gram, we were then given photographic paper which we had to place on top of the baseboard (emulsion (shiny) side upwards) and arrange partially transparent objects (e.g. Keys, headphones, lighters, pens etc.) upon before switching the enlarger on for four seconds. We then removed the objects and took our pieces of photographic paper to the “work station” before placing them first in developer chemicals, then in a stop bath containing water and finally the fixer chemical (for various periods of time) before washing and drying the print.