Photograms

In one lesson with Steve, we went into the dark room thats near the camera store room and produced photograms. Inside the room, projectors sat on tables and to create a photogram we had to use a sort of plastic paper.

Using the projectors, we would lay different objects on the paper, estimating how long it would take for enough light to get on to the paper. Once we had chosen how long ( about 5+ seconds) we would put in the right amount of time into the timer and then start the timer, waiting for the light to hit the paper.

Once the time stopped we would go over to two chemicals, one that stained the parts where the light had been exposed too and the second being a chemical to stop the first from turning the whole thing black. However if the darker parts were grey or the whole image went black, not enough or to much light has been exposed to the paper. You would leave the paper in each chemical for about one or two minutes, depending on its size. After dipping the image in to both chemicals , you would dip it into running water to make sure the chemicals had been washed off.

Outside there was an iron press that had two rollers in the middle, heat running though it. You had to put the photogram through the two rollers, allowing the water to be squeezed off and when it came out of the back, it would be completely dry.

I came out with 4 photgrams. One or two of them were grey rather than black and needed a bit more time under the projector but the last one was ok. Each one was easy to spot the image of what it was ( feather, ribbon and flower).

I really enjoyed this lesson even though you would have to wait some time to get to the dye's.