5 Final Prints

Evaluation

I completed the assignment by choosing to take photos of landscape but also incorporating, if not focusing more on the seascape side of it. To take these photos I used a field camera and 5 by 4 film. I used  a light meter to measure the light (ISO) of the areas where I was shooting and set the aperture accordingly on the camera. 

Some problems I had were getting used to the camera at first and also loading the 5 by 4 film in the dark and then also developing it all in complete darkness and without the clock working and on my own. Some of my images didn't work due to being exposed to light after taking the shot on the film so as a result I went out and retook my images on my own. I went out three times, the first two I took three photos each time, both of which I was with other students from my class and out of the six only one worked well, another only just, the rest (4) didn't work. On the third shoot where I retook them I shot another eight and this time only one didn't work, which I was very pleased with as I had took them by myself.

I could improve my work by taking more time in the dark room to print my images and therefore get a better result of them being printed. I am happy with the photos that I took. New skills I have learned are using the field camera and 5 by 4 film as I have never used these before. I have developed my ability in the dark room more and re-jogged my memory on using the equipment. I have responded well from advice and guidance from peers and tutors. I have took on board what they have said and answered with when I have asked them questions.

I consider my work to be a success and meet the requirements of the brief as I have completed everything given by the brief. I have took photos, done contact sheets, printed five photos, written a blog and everything else asked. I'm not too sure what has inspired and influenced me, if anything, I took photos of the landscape including the sea because I have took plenty of  shots like that before in my own time so I just did something I know and like and this is the reasoning and concept behind my work. 

The assignment brief challenged me because I had never used the field camera or the film before therefore I had to get used to using them, which I have now. Upon reflection I don't think I would do anything much different as I liked the photos I took however I would work more on getting the final prints improved slightly and trying to get them as good as I can get instead of being happy with how they are and leaving it. 

Landscape - Images/ Printing

The day after I printed my first picture I went out by myself and shot another 8 pictures of the same area as before, this brought the amount of pictures I had took up to 14 overall, including ones that didn't work. I was pleased with  the eight I had last took because after developing them I could see that only one hadn't worked, which was a big improvement. After I had developed them, rinsed and dried them I managed to get one final printed in the same day as I stayed back till about 9. On the following day I carried on printing in the dark room and was there the entire day because of this I was able to get the rest of my prints done, making the total up to five final prints.

                                                                                                                    

    

                                        

This machine you can simply place your image(paper) through and it does everything for you, to even rinsing and drying as well as developing the image. This is a good time saver as you are able to get more done during the day.  

Landscape - Dark Room Printing

Recently I went in to the dark room to begin printing the one image that I have that worked. I started on the enlarger and did a test print and print. I then went on to the De-veer, which is a bigger enlarger and can be used to print much bigger images on larger pieces of paper. I began on this by printing full images on the 12 by 16 paper to get the border right and also the timing of how long the light needs to be on for. After a few goes and tries of this I did a test strip on the De-veer first starting with 5 second intervals then moving up to 15 seconds and this time using a number 3 filter, which was advised as I was having trouble making the sky darker without making the bottom of the picture where the wall is too dark. Before I used the filter I was burning in the sky. I first did the whole image for 10 seconds then did another 10 seconds burning the sky in and a second go of burning I did the same but added on another 5 seconds of burning in to the sky.

Landscape - Henry Wessel

Another American photographer I have looked at is Henry Wessel. In my opinion from these three images here I have chosen, I think he, Henry, like symmetry within his images, certainly some, like a body of work. I decided this because of the symmetry used in these images, the way the people, both images using four people, are placed and lined up. They each have a pose which could be natural and tries to appear natural but you are able to tell that they have been posed and positioned to be stood as they are.   

                                     
                                     

Landscape - Joe Deal

This American photographer, Joe Deal, takes images of the landscape in a few varying ways. For example the first image is of a suburban house in America, a human building put on to the landscape, our existence on the land. The second image shows the land without any buildings but still with human interaction, the land hasn't been left alone, we(humans) are still using the land to survive, growing crops, manipulating and abusing the land. Finally the last image is of the sea, Seascape. It depicts humans using the land to relax and have fun by enjoying themselves.  His images are all about human interactions with the landscape and the different ways in which we use the landscape.

                                      
                                      

Landscape - Printing, Dark Room

After developing and processing my film I began test strips and after finding the right amount of seconds to use to print my image I tested it on 20 seconds. On Monday I will continue to print this image and print it on a bigger scale, 12 by 16 instead of the size of the test strips. Although I only have two out of six images I am happy with this image as it seems to be a good enough exposure for me to work with. I don't think the image itself is that great or one of the best ones I took for this module however I am glad it has worked so I can work on this one and re-jog my memory of the dark room so when I come to print my other images, which will have hopefully worked and be better I will be quicker in the dark room as I will know more.

                                      

Landscape - Images

These are my six images after developing, out of which I only managed to get two as the others had been exposed to light, once the film had been used taking a photograph, before development. I will use the two images that have worked and start printing tests on them and depending on how well they work I will print them on a larger scale, of which the brief requires. (12 by 16) I am hoping to shoot some more images as my first and second shoots haven't turned out as successful as I only have 2 images out of six.

                                     
                                     

Landscape - Developing

The first image shows the three tanks where the developer, stop and fixer is. To begin with you place the images individually in frames and then hang them up on to a cage (second image). You do this in pitch black so no light gets on to the film and ruins the images. The first chemical you use is the developer which you place your images in for 15 minutes, gauging on the temperature being 21 degrees. You agitate for the first minute non stop, dipping the cage up and down in the developer and then for ten seconds every minute. Once this is done you place your film in the second tank which is the stop, this does just that, stops the developer from working on your images. You place your film in this tank for thirty seconds and constantly agitate. Finally you put the cage in the third and last tank, which is the fixer, for five minutes with constant agitation again. This allows your image to stay on the film. Once all three tanks have been used it is okay for the film to be out in to the light where you put the film to wash for 20 minutes and then finally dry.
Fixer;"Photographic fixer is a mix of chemicals used in the final step in the photographic processing of film or paper. The fixer stabilises the image, removing the unexposedsilver halide remaining on the photographic film or photographic paper, leaving behind the reduced metallic silver that forms the image, making it insensitive to further action by light. Without fixing, the remaining silver halide would quickly darken and cause fogging of the image. The most common salts used are sodium thiosulfate—commonly called hypo—and ammonium thiosulfate—commonly used in modern rapid fixer formulae."

                                     

Landscape - Images, Developing

I have developed all six of my images this morning and at first glance none of them have came through, they are all black. Some of them have a clear edge which means that they have been fine in the dark slide and no light has got to them but it is after they have been took out that they have ben exposed to too much light before being developed and processed. In the other cases where the image/slide is all black it has been whilst the film is in the dark slide that light has passed through and onto the film causing it to go black and fog. After looking at them again I have noticed that on two of my films I can see a slight image on each, as they are both dark, meaning when printed they will be both light on the image signalling that hey have been over exposed when taking the image as too much light has gone to the film. 

Landscape - Taking pictures

Last Friday I went out with Donna using the field camera taking shots over the Marina around Hartlepool. I took three film slides out and Donna took four. I retook one of my pictures from last time as a test incase it hadn't worked and also to re-jog both our memories on using the camera, so if the image went wrong it would be okay as I did already have one from previously. We stayed in the same area and didn't stray too far from the place as we liked the place for images we had chosen to take whilst we where there. I took images of the water with the town (Hartlepool) in the background and also one of the sea from the other side at a different angle. I will be developing my six photos today and start printing them. Fingers crossed some will come through.

Landscape - Research

Some books I decided to get to help with research for my Landscape project. The images and photographers in here are what I hope and would like to take and aspire to. Some great images in these. I will post more specific images once I go through them.