Advanced Photography

Assignment Sheet

Falls Semester

 

 

Due: Block Day, October 31st-1st   

 

Sabattier effect:

 

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.

  

             To solarize:

 

1.      Develop and agitate paper normally

2.      Halfway through the development (when the image begins to appear), remove the paper from the developer and put it in a tray of water for about 10 seconds without agitation, to slow up the development process.  Dump water and keep wet print in tray.

3.      With print still in tray, and negative removed from the enlarger, re-expose the paper to light briefly, usually no more that 2 seconds at f/11, with enlarger raised all the way up.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET YOUR AREA WET!!!!!!  DO NOT SET THE TRAY DOWN – HOLD ON TO IT!!!!

4.       Put the paper back in the developer for the remaining development time, agitate normally.

 

Stop, fix, hypo, and wash the print normally.

 

For this assignment please make 2 sabattier prints 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?

 

 

 

Due: Friday September 28th

 

Expanding Contrast

PUSHING FILM

 

Please use one roll of Tri-X 400 Professional film

This assignment does the opposite of the previous assignment.  In the last assignment you were “pulling” your film by setting your ASA/ISO at 60 rather than 125 and decreasing your development time by 20%.  You took pictures in a high contrast setting and by following the recommended process you images should have come out with less contrast and a more even tones.

 

For this assignment you will be “pushing” your film by underexposing it.  This means you will be taking pictures in a low light situation (without a flash) and telling your light meter that your film responds to light quicker than it actually does.  Note this does not mean taking photos at night, or in the pitch dark.  It means taking images around dusk or just before sunrise when the lighting is dim.  Then in developing, you will add 50% to your regular time to increase contrast in your images.

 

 TRI-X 400 is recommended for this assignment. SET THE ASA/ISO ON YOUR CAMERA AT 800.  Find a low light situation (indoors under regular light…not fluorescent lights and no flash) and expose a whole roll.  Use a tripod/other tool to stabilize your camera if necessary.  “Push” process your film by adding 50% onto your normal development time. [Tri-X 400 is normally processed in your developer for 10 minutes (at 68˚) so add 5 minutes, to make it a total development time of 15 minutes.] 

 

Make a contact sheet and one excellent print due on Friday September 28th.  Late assignments up to a week late will be accepted for ½ credit.

 

In your journal section of your binder please write down your experience during the two assignments (#3 and #4). Compare and contrast the two different experiences, and how it has helped you in becoming a better photographer.  Be specific with your responses.  If it hasn’t helped you become a better photographer please explain why.

 

During the second quarter of this class you will have 5 new assignments all due at two week intervals.  Late assignments will be accepted up to one week after the due date for ½ credit.  The following assignments will be completed utilizing various manipulation techniques including Solarization/Sabatier Effects, Negative Prints, Polaroid Transfers, and Liquid Emulsion.  Multigrade Fiber Based Paper will be utilized for these assignments.  Please keep all of your prints as you will be handing in a final portfolio at the end of the semester.

Due: Friday September 14th

 

PULLING FILM

 

Please use two rolls of Plus-X Pan Professional film

Read the material on exposure and the zone system.  Use two rolls of ASA 125 film (24 exposure) for this assignment.  Choose a place, or a subject that has very high and very low values (a contrasty scene) on a bright sunny day. Note: a forest setting does not work well in this situation.  Pick a setting with open space, at high noon for example.  More specific examples could be a white building, casting deep shadows, or light-colored rocks with deep shadow areas, or a portrait of someone in bright sunlight, with deep shadow areas in and around them…

 

Expose one roll normally (taking an average reading with your camera’s meter).  Try to have a deep shadow and some bright hilights in every frame (stay with the same subject matter).  MARK THIS ROLL WITH A SHARPIE “N” (for normal).  You will process this roll normally following the time and temperature chart. i.e., 7 minutes at 68 degrees (or 6 ½ minutes at 70 degrees).  Develop this roll on the first day, and mark the following on your negative sleeve with a sharpie: Assignment #3 Normal

 

Your second roll, done [in the same place on the same day at the same time] with the same deep shadows and bright hilights, should be overexposed by one stop.  You can do this by setting the ASA on your camera at 60 and following what your light meter says, OR you can leave the ASA at 125, and simply adjust your exposure by giving one more stop than the meter says.  Use your Sharpie to mark this roll “N-1”.  This roll will be MINUS processed.  That is to say it will be underdeveloped by 20%--or 5 ½ minutes at 68 degrees (or 5 ¼ minutes at 70 degrees, etc…).  Develop this roll on a different day than the first roll.  Mark the following on your negative sleeve with a  sharpie: Assignment #3 N-1

 

Keep an exposure and development record for each roll (this part is crucial in your understanding of this assignment).  PLEASE KEEP TRACK OF WHICH ROLL IS WHICH BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER PROCESSING!  Do not attempt to process both rolls at the same time, or on the same day…you will get them confused and the assignment will render itself useless.

 

Make two contact sheets, and two prints (one from each roll).  When you make these two prints use the SAME contrast filters –i.e., 2.5 for both images.  Both prints will be of the same subject in the same location.  This way you’ll be able to see the difference in contrast produced by the exposure/development change.

 

Journal:   Please respond to your experience with this assignment.  Reflect on both your rolls of film.  Share with me which roll came out better and which came out worse.  Explain your reasoning on why things happened the way they did.   

 

DUE: at the end of the period on Block Day 9-13