Darkroom Technique

I handed in my street photography assignment yesterday. Now I'm focusing on a project where I'm using stereotypes as my main focus. I'm also writing up a sketchbook which has all the darkroom experiments that we have done in it. Not alot of people know much about the darkroom and what can be made by experimenting with different techniques so I thought I'd post the experiments here. :] I'm going to go get my scanner so I can scan the piccies in.

In this image I printed through the plastic which I had drawn half a picture on. My friend drew the other half of the person and we printed them side by side.

I printed this image by placing the plastic onto some photography paper and then I put the glass on top and printed through it. This is the result, above.

Using the filters in the darkroom I experimented with the contrast. This is what using the filters does to an image:

Before and After

The below image was made by putting my fingertips into some developer and then pressing them onto photography paper, I then put the image into a tray of fix for five minutes and then into the wash for another 10 minutes.

Here are some more images from this experiment:

This next experiment is called sunlight printing. To do this, you put some flowers onto some photography paper and then place some glass over the top, you then leave it there for about ten minutes and then you put it into the fix for ten minutes.

These are just a few of the experiments I have done, I will post the rest tomorrow.

I'm watching CSI now then I'm gonna go bed.

Thanks for reading.

The Mysterious Film..

Today, after I had developed my film in the darkroom at college, I went to see my Grandad Rodney for the afternoon and found him ironing his pants and watching Bargain Hunt on the TV. He offered me a cup of tea and I politely said no as I wasn't thirsty, so he asked again 'would you like a cup of tea? a hot drink will do you good' so I replied again, politely, 'no thanks Grandad, I'm fine.' So then he offers again and I gave up refusing and said 'Ok.' He wont let you go hungry or thirsty even when your not hungry or thirsty. Bless him :)

When I got home, I decided to sort out my clothes and other items in my room that I don't want so that I can sell them at a carboot sale I'm planning on doing with my Dad on the 29th of October. He doesn't have alot of money at the moment and he has helped me out before so I'm going to give him some of the money that I make.

So there I was, sorting through my things when I came across an old film canister with the words 'open in darkroom' written across the top. So I opened it in full light, nah just kidding :P I'm a photography student why would I?

This canister belonged to my now deceased Grandad Varney and there is definately a film in the canister. Tomorrow I am going to take the film into college with me and I am going to process it and see if I can find anything interesting on it. If I'm lucky the film wont have been exposed to light and I'll get some pictures from the mystery film that my Grandad shot many, many, many years ago :) I'm excited to find out if there's something on it now :D

Here is a picture of my much missed Grandad Varney:

He was a very fun man to be around and I think I have inherited my sense of humour from both of my Grandads :]

Below is a picture of my Grandad Rodney who also likes to pose for the camera:

This photograph was taken on the Great Western Canal on Canal Hill where my Grandad lives, he used to take us, (my cousins and I) here when we were little to feed the ducks.

At college we have been experimenting with darkroom techniques, the other day, we did an experiment where we put a gloved hand into developer and then put our hands onto a piece of photography paper, and then, without letting the chemicals run, we put the paper into some fix and we got a picture of our hand prints.

I really love the effect doing this gives, so much that I scanned the image into my computer and used it on my model mayhem profile www.modelmayhem.com/gemmie

Here is what the hand picture looks like:

Please give feedback on what you think of my images, I would love to know your opinions :D

I love how the lines of my hand show up so well. Experimenting with the darkroom is great fun!

I'm going to end this post here and have an early night.

Thanks for reading!