Advanced Photography

Assignment Sheet

Fall Semester

 

 

 

ADVANCED PHOTO

Assignment #4 and #5

 

Negative Print:

            This refers to inverting an image from a positive image to a negative image or vice versa.  When you invert an image, the brightness value of each pixel is converted into the inverse value on the 256-step-color-values scale.  For example, a pixel in a positive image with a value of 255 (pure white) is changed to 0 (pure black). You would use this command to make a positive black and white image negative, or to make a positive from a scanned black and white negative.  Because color film contains an orange mask in its base, the Invert command cannot make accurate positive images from scanned color negatives.  Therefore if you chose to use a role of color film for this, make sure you scan your negatives as “color negatives”, then you can use the following steps to convert your positive into a negative.  If you use b/w negatives you can scan them as color negatives.  Keep them as a negative set up and simply convert to b/w mode—no need to use a filter.  Otherwise here are the steps to create a digital negative print:

 

To make a negative print from a positive darkroom image:

1.     Scan your positive print as you normally would at 300 dpi (grayscale).

2.    Make sure your print is

a. Resized

b. Edited for spotting/dust

c. Dodged/Burned using selection tools

d. Set to grayscale mode if not previously done already

3.    Go to Filter > Adjustments > Invert.

4.    Alter your final image using levels, brightness, contrast, selection tools, etc… until your liking.

5.    Print your image

 

Sabattier effect:

 

In darkroom photography this refers to re-exposing the photographic paper during development to render a silvery, almost eerie image, often containing distinct white or light lines separating the highlight and shadow areas. 

Sabattier creates a partially reversed image with an unusual negative and positive appearance.  Lightly exposed areas are most affected since these are areas that prior to becoming solarized have retained a lot of unexposed silver; with re-exposure, because they have much silver left to respond to lights, they become more dense.  Highly exposed areas are barely affected since these are areas that already have a lot of density prior to re-exposure, so the additional light does not affect them as much.

The distinct lines separating the highlight and shadow areas are called Mackie lines.  These are caused when chemical by-products from the first part of the development retard additional development.  The results are lines of low density, rendering as light on a solarized print.

In the digital darkroom this effect is seen through a series of Photoshop effects and filters.  The Solarize filter blends a negative and a positive image, for a result similar to exposing a photographic print briefly to light during development. You can manipulate this process by selecting only certain areas to be affected, or solarizing the entire are and dodging and burning selected areas to create a more uniform effect.  Play around with all that you know in Photoshop to enhance this process.

  

             To solarize digitally:

 

1.    Scan a negative (new or old as you wish) that you think would render to look successful as a sabattier image.  You can choose to scan a darkroom print from last year if you’d like as well.  If scanning a print, make sure you set the scanner to 300 resolution.  If scanning a negative scan at 2400 dpi (only scan 1-2 negs, otherwise you’ll be there all day waiting!).

2.    Make sure your print is

a.    Resized

b.    Edited for spotting/dust

c.    Dodges/Burned using selection tools

d.    Set to grayscale mode

3.    Go to Filter > Stylize > Solarize

4.    Edit your solarization using levels, or brightness/contrast, etc..

5.    Print your image

 

For this assignment please make 2 prints one sabattier and one negative print to your liking.

 

In you journal:  Write about your experience during this process. How did this process differ from the negative print process?  What was the outcome of this printing process?  Was it more successful or less successful than the negative print?  How so?  Which effect do/did you prefer?  Explain and elaborate on your responses.

 

Due: Block Day, November 5th   

 

1 Negative Print

1 Sabattier Print