Photograms

Photograms Introduction

Photograms are a different way of using photographic paper, a way of creating white silhouettes on a black background you can have coloured photographic paper but in this introduction its about negative paper.

Equipment

-You will need access to a functioning darkroom

- You will need photographic paper

- You will need developer, stop bath and fix chemicals

- You will need a photographic enlarger

- An assortment of items to place on your paper

Test Strip

Before taking your photogram you need to test the exposure of your paper you need to take a strip of the photographic paper and place it under your enlarger and place items on it covering its length but not all of the paper like a pencil from one end to the other.

Then get a piece of card and set the enlarger light timer to 3 seconds, then set of the timer and wait until it turns off

Then find the first part of the test strip that has pure black and that should be the correct exposure time and set your light timer accordingly.

Photogram

After you have set your exposure time place your items on your photographic paper, the paper must be shiny side up with the objects composed in your way and then put it underneath the enlarger with the light off! Then set of the timer covering the paper and objects in light for the correct amount of time and wait for the light to go out.

Developing

Take the paper off of the enlarger and put it in the developer for  minuets agitating the tray the whole time its in there (moving the tray) then put it in the stop bath for 30 seconds then move it on to the fix for a further 5 minuets and then into the wash for about 10 minuets and after that into a dryer.

Health and Safety

To stay safe in the dark room don’t run around for obvious reasons (its dark) and do not consume the chemicals because that will cause serious illness if ingested so wash your hands after using the chemicals also avoid splashing the chemicals out of there trays. Don’t look directly at the light in the enlarger because it will damage your eyes.