152 MCWorking With LightInstruction Manual

ByLottieBrown

Contents Page:

Workshops:

Pin Hole Cameras

Cyanotype Printing

Photograms

Salt printing

Controlling Light:

Zone System

Lighting Equipment:

Studio Equipment

Location Equipment

Studio Work:

Shooting Tethered

Pinhole Photography

About Pinhole

A pinhole camera is known as a basic camera obscura, which consists of no lens, but just a small aperture.

A pinhole camera can be made out of most things from bottles, shoeboxes, matchboxes, film canisters or tins.

Below I have shared a simple image and a set of instructions explaining how to make a pinhole camera out of a tin can. Making a pinhole camera is simple, as it seems.

Step-By-Step Guide To Creating A Pinhole Camera

Step 1- Take the lid off the can and pierce a hole with a pin to make an aperture.

Step 2- Cover over aperture with black tape, card or anything so the light can’t get in.

Step 3- Place photo paper inside the can (in a darkroom) make sure the tin is light proof.

Step 4- Expose the photo paper and take you image.

Pin Hole Photography

In order to capture an image from a pin hole camera photo paper must be placed inside whatever you are using and exposed for a certain amount of time depending on the size of your aperture.

In general, outside exposures in daylight are roughly 10-30 seconds but again it all depends on how bright the daylight is.

The brighter outside light is the less time it will need exposing, but you also have to consider your focal length.

After you have exposed your photo paper you then develop your image in the dark room and wait for great results.

Pinhole Photography

Making negative prints into a positive?

To make these pinhole images into positives you will use an enlarger in the darkroom.

First you place a piece of photographic paper (shiny side up) under the enlarger, you then your negative print, and place it image side down on top of the photographic paper.

Now place a glass plate down on your image, so it is completely flat against your photographic paper.

It is always best to do a test strip first to determine the exposure for your final positive print, and I tend to start with 5 seconds intervals.

To do this you exposure the whole print for 5 seconds, and then you cover a section of the print up with a piece of card and expose for another 5 seconds. Do this until you have the correct exposure and then you can print your final image.

How Does The Camera See The Image?

The diagram above explains how the pinhole camera sees an image through its aperture.

Light travels in straight lines - this is why you will end up with an inverted image.

References

(Below are some references that help to understand the different forms of pinhole photography that is out there)

http://www.pinholephotography.org/links.htm

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/photography-blog/2013/dec/09/videre-pinhole-cardboard-camera-instagram

http://blinkythepinholecamera.tumblr.com

Cyanotype Printing

What is Cyanotype printing?

Cyanotype is a 170 year old printing process that produces prints in a distinctive dark greenish-blue. Compared to other photographic printing processes, cyanotype is easy and inexpensive.

No darkroom is needed, instead it uses the power of the sun and iron salt solutions rather than the silver salt solution of black and white photography.

Cyanotype Printing

Step By Step Guide To Cyanotype Printing

Step 1 – Blank sheet of paper, cover in light sensitive chemicals. (Explained below)

Step 2 –Expose the coated paper to UV light for several minutes.

Step 3 –Remove the paper and rinse in water

Step 4 –Remove the paper and allow to dry (or speed the process up by using a hair dryer)

What Chemicals To Mix?

You need to mix:

(a) 10g (grams) 0f  Ammonium Citrate and 50ml (Millitres) of tap water

(b) 4g Potassium Ferricyanide and 50ml of tap water.

Mix equal amounts of (a) and (b) preferably 10ml of each onto a saucer and your solution is ready to coat your paper

Cyanotype Printing

Below is a video I researched; this video helped me to understand the process of cyanotype printing in a simple way.

It gives great simple guide if you are still unclear on the alternative process.

Put the link in below to a search engine and the video will appear.

http://vimeo.com/17858204

Photograms

What Is A Photogram And How Does It Work?

A photogram is a photographic image made without a camera.

This is done by placing objects directly onto the surface of a light-sensitive material such as photographic paper and then exposing it to light.

The result of a photogram is the outline of an object (shown above). This can be experimented in many different ways such as using transparent objects and non transparent objects. These objects can create interesting prints.

Step-By-Step Guide On Creating A Photogram

Step 1- Place an object of your choice on to light sensitive paper under an enlarger. (Make sure the enlarger is not on)

Step 2- Set your exposure time and aperture and expose the paper to the light.

Step 3- After the exposure is complete take the photo paper to the developing and begin the process.

Step 4 – After your image has been created either leave to dry or use the dryer.

Useful References – Photograms

Below are some references I use to further my understanding of the process of photograms.

http://vimeo.com/85608131

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB3kvu6dF0E

Salt Printing

Salt printing is an old process technique where paper is treated with a solution of salt and silver nitrate and the exposed outside

It was thought to have been used from 1839

How does it work?

A sheet of paper is soaked / sensitised with a solution of salt (sodium chloride), followed by coating with silver nitrate.

After the coated paper is dry, it is placed sensitive side up - directly under a negative and beneath a sheet of glass within a printing frame.

This paper negative / glass sandwich is then contact printed - by exposing it glass side up, outdoors in the sunlight.

Salt Printing

The exposure time (up to approx two hours) but you can determine this.

When the print has developed, it is removed from the frame and fixed with sodium thiosulphate (or hypo) - to stop the chemical reaction.

The image is then thoroughly washed and dried. (you can use a hairdryer to speed up the process)

Zone System

What Is The Zone System?

The Zone System is a technique that was formulated by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer back in the 1930's.

It is an approach to a standardized way of working that

guarantees a correct exposure in every situation.

Video

Explaining the zone system is difficult because there are many different opinions on the system.

In order to give an impartial view on the zone system I have linked a video below, which gives a great definition about the zone system, and will you to further your understanding on the zone system.

Lighting Equipment

Studio Equipment

The studio is a place where a photographer can experiment with ideas and new techniques. It’s important to understand what equipment provides what outcome.

I am going to complete a checklist of the equipment which I think will be of most use.

The studio can be rather daunting to somebody who hasn’t used it before so I am going to start with the basics.

Soft Box

Starting off with one of the light resources - a soft box, this hangs from the ceiling ragging system in the studio (above).

They come in different sizes small medium and large, depending on the size of the subject you are trying to light.

The soft box creates a soft lighting and is a very open source of light, giving you an even coverage across your chosen subject.

In order to work the soft box you have to use a light meter to understand what exposure you need. You can turn the intensity of the light up or down on the light which gives you control on the out come of your image.

Lighting Equipment

Spill Kill

The spill kill is more of a direct source of light. When lighting an object with one of these the light becomes much more harsh and brighter.

This is because of the shape of the attachment, it stops any diffusion of light. The spill kill is also used for the

base of another lighting attachment known as the honeycomb.

Honeycomb Attachment

The honeycomb is a flat attachment, which you add to the spill kill. The design of the honeycomb allows you to create a spot light effect.

The honeycomb also defuses the light giving a softer approach to your photographs rather than a harsh bold light.

Beauty Dish

A beauty dish is known to be mix between a soft box and a direct flash.

If you want to define a person’s body or facial features, this is a good source of light to use as it is not too hash or to soft, meaning it is able to define crucial details.

This soft lighting resource is how it got its name beauty dish.

Backdrops

There are multiple backdrops available in a studio. In this studio there are 3 which are black, white and grey.

There is a pulling system at each end that controls certain backdrops. Each color chain pulls a certain back drops down.

Backdrops can be pulled down so it is just touching the floor, giving you enough background to do simple portraits, or you can pull further across the floor to create a paper version of an infinity curve.

Reflectors/Flags

Flags are large polystyrene boards, which can be used for two things.

They can be used as large reflectors. Using the white side will lighten your subject and the dark side will darken your subject, which makes the shadows more prominent.

The second purpose is for separation, this is if you are sharing the studio with

others but don’t want their light interrupting your shoot.

Reflectors

Reflectors are used to bounce the available light to a certain part of the face or object.

Using a reflector will lighten an area, which you find too dark.

There are different types of reflectors available in the media loan shop.

Different colored reflectors will give you different glows of lighting e.g. gold will give you a warmer glow.

Location shoot

Quick guide To What You Need When On Location

When considering a location photo shoot, you are going to need a lighting travel kit.

It’s best to make a checklist of what you need for your location shoot as forgetting something when out on

location is never good.

There are two kinds of kits available from the media loan shop:

This includes:

• Single 500Watt Flash Head in travel case with stand, umbrella, mainslead and sync lead.

This includes:

• 2 x 750W flash head in travel case with 2 stands, 1 umbrella, 1 softbox, 2x mains lead, 1x synch lead and Pocket Wizard Radio Trigger

Shooting Tethered

What Is Tethered Shooting?

Tethered shooting is when you connect a computer to the camera when you shoot.

This is so the pictures you take are downloaded to the computer rather

than to a memory card.

Usually, the camera and computer are connected by cable, hence tethering.

What You Need To Set Up Tethered Shooting?

-USB cable

-Computer laptop

-Software (lightrooms 3)

Notes

You can vary the size of the cable as this will allow you to shoot further