Week 6 Report

Dates: June 13 & 15, 2017

Processes I learned this week: We are done learning processes. With just five classes left in the semester, the remainder of the time will be devoted to working with processes we have already learned. My goal this week was to revisit unfinished projects and items on my to-do list. I made a few more digital negatives; developed and made contact sheets for the rolls of film that I shot on my homemade matchbox pinhole, the lab's Holga #4, and my Minolta Autocord; made a traditional black and white print of the strongest image from my pinhole contact sheet, and then printed a lith version; and, made more cyanotype and van dyke brown prints.

Notes on what I learned for each process, including tips, tricks, recipes, materials, failures, etc:

NA

Other processes I worked with this week and notes, tips, tricks, and failures.

1. Digital negatives. In class on Tuesday, I printed four new digital negatives. For my negative of the lake behind the Gunder Myran building on Washtenaw's campus, Tim helped me selectively change the contrast, using the lasso and paint tool and separate layers for each section of the image requiring different levels of contrast. 

2. Matchbox pinhole camera results at long last. Thursday's class time was devoted to printing pinhole pictures. First, a shot of what is left of the camera in question:

The photographs in first contact sheet were taken in my yard on Monday, May 15 at 12:50 pm. It was sunny that day. The pinhole camera was placed on a low-lying rock, and the image is of two chairs and my dog basking and rolling in front of them. The exposure times range from 1-35 seconds. The image in the upper left hand corner is the last in this series and shows the burst of light caused by the photographer inadvertently separating the film canister from the matchbox. The images in the second and third rows, taken with exposure times 25, 35, 20 and 10 seconds, are discernable. Although these images are overexposed, I can discern Coco stretching out with her belly exposed on the ground in front of the two chairs in the first three, and more upright with her head up in the last image (row 3, second image from left.)  Tim liked the snake skin pattern in between exposures, which is not visible on the contact sheet due to the exposure time required for the actual images. This pattern is consistent with scraping when advancing film, and most likely was exposed by the light leak, as it is not present in the second, post-light leak portion of the roll of film. ( I should make a little test strip sized print of this pattern for the blog! Update next week!!)

To print both contact sheets, I used an aperture of 2.8, filter of 2 and time of 20 seconds. 

The second contact sheet, post light leak, was printed using the same parameter values (time, aperture, filter) as the first. The first set of photos was shot on Monday, May 29 from 11:15-11:35 pm. Again, in my yard, of my dog resting, though from a different vantage point. I was sitting in front of my garage, and had the camera at the ground level. A sunny day, and scene more side than front lit than prior shoot. Was more rigorous about my exposure times, used smart phone countdown timer.  By row from left to right, the exposure times are: Row 1: 60 and 30 seconds; Row 2: 360, 240 and 120 seconds; Row 3, 480 and 600 (different scene.) Then I experimented with some longer exposures later in the day, and not all show up in my contact sheet.

Overall, I was surprised to get any discernible images from the matchbox pinhole camera. And inspired enough to want to try this again, although not during the time left in this class. For my next camera, I will definitely add a sprocket counter-clicker so that I do not waste so much film when advancing.

To print, I chose the 30 second exposure (Row 1, second from left.) First, the black and white traditional print (aperture 4, filter 2, time 40 sec)

   

Then, I turned to lith printing. To increase by 3 stops, I opened the aperture from 4 to 2.8 (+1 stop) and increased the exposure time to 160 seconds (40 to 80 = +1 stop, 80 to 160=+1 stop.)  I scanned the final image in black and white and will add color version next week. 

Controlling for palette is actually useful for understanding how lith differs from regular b&w developing. Lith produces a fuzzy mottling effect. My lith image is not as dark, but that is likely more a result of the exact time when I pulled the image from the developer, rather than the effect of lith intrinsically. After a failed first attempt (not posted, very dark), I pulled this print out at the precise moment when the desired balance of light and dark and midtones was reached. 

3. Medium format photos. Finished a test run on the Holga and Autocord, shot mainly at Matthaei Botanical Gardens, inside the conservatory, last Monday afternoon. Extremely hot that day, and just wanted to quickly get things done. Charmed by the Holga results:

Love the surreal effect of the light leak on the image of the koi (R4, C1) and fern (R3,C2) at Matthaei. Also like the vignetting around Coco's walk portrait at County farm park (R2, C1.)

Not as happy with the Autocord results. I think the Twin lens perspective and handling will take some getting used to. I found the quiet and gentle shutter was unnerving at first. Hence the "selfie", which is me checking to make sure the shutter is opening. Thought it would sound and feel more like the Hasselblad. Bill, my darkroom instructor, explained that the TLR does not have a mirror, which is what gives the Hasselblad such a dramatic and reassuring sound and feel to the shutter release. Film is also overexposed, although I used my modern canon 35mm camera for light metering. I think I will use the ISO 125 ilford film that I purchased in Berkeley for my next shoot on this camera. And ask Bill for a tutorial on light metering this coming Monday during class.

3. Cyanotype and Van Dyke Brown. During open lab on Thursday night, I made two VDB and two cyanotype prints using the digital negatives that I printed on Tuesday.

    The first image is of the lake behind the Gunder Myran building, using the digital negative that Tim helped me to optimize in Photoshop. The paper used is Canson water color, coated with 40 drops of B &S VDB solution on May 25 and exposed in the demo room uv box for approximately 3 minutes on June 15th. Exposure time was probably a bit longer. I had not realized that the box was not attached to the timer and got distracted assessing my coated paper collection in the drying cabinet.

I followed the usual procedure of rinse, lemon wash, rinse, fixer, long rinse (30 min.) The image was taken after the rinse, on the drying rack. Will scan dried print next Tuesday. At that point, the brown will have deepened. Depending on the results, I may decide to further tone this print.

The next image is of Coco and her ball, the same one that I lith developed last week. Used two pieces of a full sheet of Canson water color 9X12 inch paper, coated with 40 drops of B&S VDB solution on May 25, and exposed for 4 minutes in the demo room uv box. 

  

Same developing and fixing procudure as done with the other VDB print. Will post scans of dry and mellowed out prints next week.

Next, I made two cyanotype prints. Goal here was to get a nice deep blue. Fell short on first attempt:

Exposure time in the uv box was 9 minutes total: 6 minutes, then rest, and then another 3 minutes. Paper used was Lanaquerelle (the good stuff) coated once with 10 drops A and 10 drops B  (B& S cyanotype chemicals) on Tuesday, June 13 at noon. Developed in the usual manner. Rinse til yellow is out, brief Hydrogen peroxide bath, then rinse again.

The second print turned out better, although I still did not get the very deep blue that I desire.

Exposure time in UV box was 30 minutes total: 9 minutes, then rest (dinner break), then 12 minutes, then rest (chat with darkroom buddies), then 12 minutes. Used same lanaquarelle paper, with 5 A + 5 distilled water + 10 B. Yes, I know. Changed two variables. But first print was so bad that I had to go for broke. Next week, with the solution formula of the better print, I would like to try exposing the same image using sunlight. 

Finally, I brought home two more ful pieces and two test strips of Canson watercolor paper that I had coated with cyanotype solution in late May. Today, Friday, I made a photogram of starfish at High sunny noon (1 pm ish) exposing for 15 minutes. Blue looked nice and deep. Will post a picture once print has dried. Might try water color on these.

For the weekend, I checked out Holga #4 and plan on taking photos in Detroit before and after attending life drawing at the Scarab club on Sunday afternoon, weather permitting. Also, would like to make another cyanotype photogram, again, weather permitting. And may try my hand at anthotype photograms, using "warm crimson berry tea" on scraps of cream colored Rives BFK (yet again, weather permitting.) And, am going to draw in Coco's missing eye in the cyanotype/vdb print that  I made weeks ago. 

I close this post with process checklist, including plans for next week  and beyond:

1. Photograms (check)
2. Lumens (check)
3. Pinhole Cameras (check plus, see today's post)
4. Digital Negatives (check)
5. a. Cyanotype & Van Dyke (check, but still want to pursue that lovely prussian blue)
    b. Gum Bichromate (check, only did monochromatic print of medium format negatives on demo day, multi-color seems way above my pay grade at this point, but would love to revisit in the future with more time and experience. maybe even attend a weekend workshop.)
6. Medium Format (check plus, already shot on 3 different MF cameras (hasselblad, holga and minolta autocord, loving it!)
7. Image Transfers (NEED to try this next week; select image over the weekend; I think I know the one...  would like to do a print on wood, and a duck tape negative or positive, and then make a contact print or two... and develop with lith.....)
8. Lith developer (check plus, 6 prints plus the pinhole...)
9. Hand coloring (NEED to do. Coco's eye in prismacolor color pencils, plus would like to try some water colors or water color pencils on my cyanotype photograms that I am currently making.)

Optional:
Screen printing (not this time)

Polaroid and other instant cameras (not this time)

Anthotype (hope to try this weekend, definitely in the future)