Photograms

Photograms

For this assignment, it took many repeated attempts to create a photogram that I was pleased with. On our first day in the lab, my partner and I used the light from his cellphone to expose our paper. We placed some feathers from a dream catcher on the photo paper to create an image. We tried to expose different parts of the light sensitive paper for different lengths of time, to possibly create a gradient or wash effect. However, we soon discovered that the light from his phone was too bright and that, paired with an extended exposure  (the minimum length exposed being at 5 seconds, the maximum at 15 seconds), only a black image could be developed. We then each tried to shine our phones on our own papers for less time (approximately 3 seconds) and tried to use more substantial objects than the thin feathers. We were a bit more successful, but the exposure still wasn't quite right as the photos turned out very dark. We then tried holding our light source further away from the paper (still for 3 seconds) while covering it with a filter. This is how we developed our most successful photograms. Once we had mastered the correct formula for brightness and length of exposure, we were able to play around with the composition of our photograms, using different materials to try to create visually engaging images.