Now Image Lab has come to an end, and I can't believe that 12 weeks (including fresher's week) have passed so quickly.
Looking back over everything we've done, I can say that I have learned a lot of new skills, some of which I can see using again over the next few years.
I think I can honestly say that it started off a little boring, but got more exciting and interesting as we went on.
While the first few weeks on pinhole cameras were definitely a good start to ImageLab, I don't think I'll be shooting this way again after all.
Learning how to scan didn't interest me in the slightest. I have used scanners before, as I'm sure most of us have done, and I think I learned the least that week. It was a fun group session, but nothing more for me.
However, I can definitely see working with Cyanotypes and Argyrotypes again in the future!
Working on my time image has possibly taught me the most about my camera, and how I can use aperture and exposure together in a more effective way.
The last lab on Large Format Cameras has got me excited for using them in the second year. Yes, it takes longer to set up, but it's also so much more rewarding to see your final result and the negative!
Overall.. It's been a great 12 weeks in which I have learned a lot. It's been a bit disorganised at times, but all in all I still found it a great experience!
Tuesday, 13 December 2011
Week Eleven - Hanging our last exhibition for this unit, and coming back to our still life
This week it was time to hang our last gallery exhibition for this unit.
It was also time for us to have another go at large format photography! Most of us were confused about what was happening that day, especially when Sarah H. told me that she talked to Stephen the week before who told her that we're not actually required to produce an image, since it won't be hung up in the gallery. The idea was mainly for us to get a feel for large format photography.
We did it anyway, and also learned that way how to process the negative and how to scan it.
Overall it felt to all of us like the whole day had taken longer than it should have done, but we got there in the end and I think we were all very proud of our negative once we had it. The detail we achieved with the large format camera is amazing, and I'm looking forward to using it again. With a smaller group though, after we also took Beckie into our group the week before there were simply too many of us running around. Seven people were a few too many for what needed to be done.
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| My contribution and final image. |
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| Looking down the gallery. |
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| Other students hanging up their results. |
It was also time for us to have another go at large format photography! Most of us were confused about what was happening that day, especially when Sarah H. told me that she talked to Stephen the week before who told her that we're not actually required to produce an image, since it won't be hung up in the gallery. The idea was mainly for us to get a feel for large format photography.
We did it anyway, and also learned that way how to process the negative and how to scan it.
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| Rosie starting to set the scene. |
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| The large format camera we were using. |
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| Our final image! |
Week Ten - Studio Introduction and first try at our still life
This week we had an introduction into how to use the scanners for the large format negatives, followed by an introduction into how to use the studio and how to set up the lights. It was easier for me, as I have my own lights and softboxes at home and wasn't new to setting them up, but I still felt like there was a lot to take in over the 90 minutes in which Stephen was teaching us these things. Even my head was hurting afterwards, even though I had done most of it before.
Afterwards me and my group got together to set up our still life. All of us had brought in a lot of different objects, including a black skull Sarah H. had brought in, and we were having a lot of fun setting up our image, and playing around with different ideas.
A few of us went to find Stephen or Peter, who said that they had already prepared some film holders for us with the film already loaded. Unfortunately, when we found Peter we were told that we had to leave and tidy up, because the next groups were about to come in and have their introduction.. So we left.
We couldn't find another day that week where all of us were free at the same time to take the image, but we were assured that we would have some time to produce our image next Monday.
Images taken with a large format camera are incredibly detailed, such as this one:
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| Stephen showing us how to use the large format camera |
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| Some of the objects we brought in |
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| All of the objects we brought in, lying spread out on the table we used to set everything up on |
A few of us went to find Stephen or Peter, who said that they had already prepared some film holders for us with the film already loaded. Unfortunately, when we found Peter we were told that we had to leave and tidy up, because the next groups were about to come in and have their introduction.. So we left.
We couldn't find another day that week where all of us were free at the same time to take the image, but we were assured that we would have some time to produce our image next Monday.
Images taken with a large format camera are incredibly detailed, such as this one:
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| http://www.doobybrain.com/2010/09/10/large-format-photographs-of-hong-kong/ |
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| http://www.skaterscafe.com/showthread.php?t=92938 |
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Week Nine - Continuing "Time" and starting on the still life
This Monday we had a first look at our ideas for the time project.
I have decided on doing a small series of three images, and have cropped the originals so the glass isn't as apparent, and to make the subject less obvious:
I also found "Sang d'Encre" by Solve Sundsbo in the December 2011 edition of British Journal of Photography, A different take:
We also put ourselves into small groups for the still life we have to produce next week with a large format camera. In my group there is me, Sarak K., Sarah H., Rosie, Rachel and Heather.
We have done a lot of "idea-sharing" on facebook:
Sarah H. had the idea to use objects that mean something to each of us, and I have a few things that I could bring with me to the session on Monday, like the fluffy teddy bear I got from my best friend, or the tiny piano that used to be my sister's. We also looked at a number of links and found several good examples before we got to the above mentioned idea:
I've never worked with a large format camera before, and am really looking forward to the whole process. I have worked in a studio before, and have my own three lights at home, but it will be so much more important to get it right first time, and I think it will be quite rewarding to see the result in the end.
I have decided on doing a small series of three images, and have cropped the originals so the glass isn't as apparent, and to make the subject less obvious:
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| The red swirls remind me of my own image. pp. 38-39 |
We have done a lot of "idea-sharing" on facebook:
Sarah H. had the idea to use objects that mean something to each of us, and I have a few things that I could bring with me to the session on Monday, like the fluffy teddy bear I got from my best friend, or the tiny piano that used to be my sister's. We also looked at a number of links and found several good examples before we got to the above mentioned idea:
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| http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/Barthel-Bruyn/Vanitas-Still-Life.html |
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| http://allthingsofbeauty.blogspot.com/2010/11/renaissance-vanitas-painting.html |
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| http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/still-life-photography-tips-techniques/ |
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