Project Update

Here is the list of projects that should be done by Friday.

1. Panning - Mounted 5x7 Black and White print.(Past due)
2. Line - Mounted 5x7 Black and White print. (Past due)
3. Digital Panning - Posted to blog. (Past due)
4. Scannergram Self Portrait - Digital image with 4 objects that reflect you personally. One may be a second photo. Your name must be included. (text tool) (Past due)
5. Digital Posterization - 5 types (Past due)
6. Digital Solarization - Color and B&W (Past due)
7. Digital Infrared (Past due)
8. Digital Spot Color (Past due)
9. Letter Project - Due Friday
10. Holga Project - Due Friday

We will start shooting our last project on Monday

Sunrise/Sunset

Some of the best lighting for photographs is the period at sunrise and sunset. The golden glow and side lighting seems to make everything look more beautiful. 

The Assignment - Take photographs of sunsets or sunrises.

1. Find out the time for sunset or sunrise. 
2. Pre-select the location you plan on taking your photo. 
3. Arrive 15 minutes before sunrise or sunset and start snapping photos. Take plenty, because the sky will continue to change over a very short period of time.
4. Select the best image and post it. Write a short description about of  the location and the time you made the photograph.
5. Create a custom border effect for your image. (Photoshop) 
6. Post to blog. 

This is a shot I took just before sunset on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. As time passed the colors continued to change. Make sure you shoot more than just the sky. The trees in the foreground "frame" the canyon behind and add perspective. Below is the same image with a border effect added.

Letter Project

This is an observation project. We "Look" at the world around us but don't often "See" the interesting detail. This assignment will force you to see the everyday and mundane in a different light.

1. You may choose a word that represents a strong emotion like "love". You may use your own name, but the letters should be representative of who you are.
2. It is possible to construct letters out of objects if you desire. (Notice that the letters in the word create are made up of art materials). 
3. Using a digital camera, take photographs of the "letters" that make up your word. Each photo should be recognizable as a particular letter.
4. A cell phone camera is satisfactory if the resolution is high enough.
5. The images will need to be scaled in Photoshop. Determine size based on the number of letters in the word. (3x3 inches is typical) Make sure the "constrain proportion" button is selected when scaling.
6. Dry mount the letters on matte board. Place in the press for 20 seconds. (Longer will melt the image)

Due Date: 5/9/15

The Less Seen Side of Mahopac

Holga Project

The Holga is a cheap, plastic camera that is produced in China.  It is the stepsister of the Diana Camera which was used extensively by photographers in the 1970’s . Poor quality control, a plastic lens and light leaks are the hallmarks of these cameras.

After the Crash, Manny Boccini 

Given their shortcomings, “toy cameras” can take some evocative imagery. The image is usually sharper in the center and quickly goes out of focus in the corners of the square image. Sometimes the corners are darker as well, creating a vignette effect. 

Saugerties Lighthouse

The grity, semi-focused look is perfect for our next assignment, The "Less Seen" side of Mahopac. Look for the junk, old cars, run-down buildings etc. This isn't about the lake front homes and tidy shops, it's about the dark underbelly of Mahopac. Look for dumpsters, old pallets, loading docks. There is alot out there if you start to look!

Process:

Shooting a Holga is extremely easy, but you must follow these basic steps. I'll load it and tape it for light leaks. You will take 3 exposures and pass the camera on to the next person in your group. (4 people)

1.  Try to shoot in Bright Sunshine or Cloudy Bright situations.
2. Guess the focus distance and turn the focus ring to the appropriate icon.
3. 3. Set the aperture to the Sun (F11) or Partial Sun(F8) setting.
4.  Frame your image.
5. Hold the camera steady and press the shutter release. Do not shake, the shutter speed is only 1/60 of a second.
6. Your group will develop it's film. (I’ll load the 120mm film for you.)
7. Make an 8x8" enlargement. 
8. Dry mount your image.

Focus Ring estimated distances.

• Head and Shoulders: about 4-5 feet.
• 3 People holding hands: about 9 feet.
• 7 People: about 18 feet.
• Mountain: 30 feet to infinity.

3rd Quarter Projects Update

Here is a quick synopsis of the 3rd Quarter Projects to date. If you owe me something, get rocking!

3rd Quarter

1. First Enlargement Mounted - Past Due
2. General Sheridan image colorized using Photoshop - Past Due
3. General Sheridan image "vignette" - Past Due
4. Recreating a Painting with a Photograph - Past Due
5. Snow and Ice, "3" different digital images posted to your blog. - Past Due
6. Macro Image (film) - Past Due
7. Macro Image (smartphone) Past Due
8. Filter Project -Due by Friday
9. 3D Glasses - Due by Friday
10. Anaglyph - Due by Friday

4th Quarter

1. School Lunch (digital, 2 images posted to blog with description) Due 4/17
2. Line (film) Due 4/24
3. Panning (film) Due 4/24
4. Digital Panning (posted to blog) Due 4/17

Scannergram and Copier Arts

Copier Arts are a new media that was created with the advent of Xerox machines and printers. Originally an artist would use copy machines to degrade and manipulate original artwork to create different effects. With the advent of scanners and photo manipulation software, copier art can be taken to a high level.

A scanner can take photographs of small three dimensional objects.



Even ugly art teachers.

We will create a Scannergram Self Portrait that incorporates a photo of ourselves, and 4 scanned ojects that reflect our persona. Additional photos and your name may be added. Here is my example. I was having a "bad" day.

Don't run with the scissors!

Post your "Scannergram" to your blog and write a brief description of your concept. Why did you choose particular objects? How do they represent you?

My example:

My self portrait is my attempt at self depreciating humor. You can't imagine the number of times I've warned kids to be careful with a scissor or x-acto knife. My family (my two kids) are the "glue" that keeps me together when I'm having a bad day. The "scissor" glasses represent how I see the world through the creation of art.

School Lunch!

School Lunch, you love it or hate it. Bag lunch or cafeteria food? Are your friends in your lunch period? Is it crowded? Show me how you see "school lunch". (minimum 2 photographs.)

Recently a lot of people are talking about school lunch. Mrs. Obama's Hunger-Free Kids Act has limited high school lunches to 850 calories.

• Do you feel that school lunch is adequate? Are you hungry? Do you supplement your lunch by buying another lunch? Buying chips from the machine?
• What kinds of foods would you like the food service to add to their menu? (Sushi?)
• Is lunch too long? Would 20 minutes be long enough? 
• Do you study or work on homework during lunch?
• Would you skip lunch if you could leave school 42 minutes early?
• Do you use the school Wifi during lunch?
• Would you like to seek large screen TV's in the lunchroom. What kinds of programs whould you like to watch?

Write a paragraph describing your views on school lunch.

I took a few minutes out of my "lunch duty" to take a closer look at school lunch. I push the garbage can around and encourage the kids to recycle. Occasionally I come upon something like this.....YUK!

Ketchup Art?

Look at the lunch room in a different way. Try different points of views! There is a lot going on there!



The "regular" UNO game.

3D Photography

3D Photography

Most of us have had the opportunity to watch a movie in 3D. Perhaps you had the opportunity to take a 3D thrill ride at Bush Gardens. Some people play 3D video games. Long before 3D movies, photographers made stereo pairs with special cameras with two lens. These "pairs" were viewed with a special Stereoscope. 

We will be making basic 3D images called "Anaglyphs". 

In order to view our images we must make 3D glasses. Here is an unusual example:

Mr. Boccini 3D Glasses.

Assignment


Using "chip board" and acrylic paint make a "custom" pair of Stereo Glasses.

• Be creative, anything from super hero's to cartoon characters make good glasses.
• Make sure to use the template so the spacing between the eyes is correct.
• Think about adding three dimensional elements. (ie. hair made of yarn)
• If you need something special, ask! You never know what kind of junk I have collected.
• The glasses may be attached to a dowel or be worn in the traditional manner. (stems over the ears)
• Consider working with other people to create a theme. (ie the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs.
• Blog a picture of you wearing your glasses.
• Blog your Anaglyph.

Photoshop Filter Project

Assignment - We will go over this project next week in the computer lab. You must colorize your pinhole image before starting.

1. Duplicate your colorized pinhole image 25-30 times on a 8.5x11" Photoshop document.
2. Manipulate each small image with a different "Filter" effect. 
3. Center on the page.
4. Save as a jpeg file and post to your blog.
5. Add the caption: Photoshop Filter Project.

Photoshop Filter Project

Quarter Grades to Date

Here is a quick synopsis of the 3rd Quarter Projects to date. If you owe me something, get rocking!

First Enlargement Mounted - Past Due
General Sheridan image colorized using Photoshop - Past Due
General Sheridan image "vignette" - Past Due
Recreating a Painting with a Photograph - Past Due
Snow and Ice, "3" different digital images posted to your blog. - 3/6/15
Macro Image (film) - 3/13/15
Macro Image (smartphone) 3/13/15

Colorize a Pinhole Image

Assignment

Take your Pinhole Self Portrait or Pinhole Close-up and duplicate it. Using the same technique we used on our digital restoration, add color to your image. Post it to your blog. 

You will need this image for the next project!

Here is one of my pinhole images. Another art teacher had a bag of old toy baby parts which I used as my subject. Creepy!

Colorized Pinhole Photo

More Smartphone Macro Photography

Here is a photo of the rig I've built (3) to help you take your smartphone close-ups. Your phone sits on the top piece of Plexiglas and you position your camera lens over the disposable camera lens. The object you want to photograph sits on the bottom layer of Plexiglas.

The thickness of the plexiglass will cause some vignetting.

Use the zoom on your smartphone camera app to crop out the rough edges. Here is the same image "zoomed in". I used a backpacking headlamp to light the objects from below.

I switched to a red light for this image....

Make sure you bring items in to photograph!! I know you won't forget your phone. :)

There are a whole world of small objects just waiting for you to explore.

I used an app (free) called Snapseed to give this image it's rough look.

This is of the circuit board that was inside the disposable camera I "borrowed" the lens from.

In this image I placed the lenes between my Otterbox and my camera. I used Snapseed to saturate the colors in the image.

2/26/15 - I added this image today. I found that I eliminated the vignetting when I took my Otterbox off my Iphone. I placed a cheap ($1.00) LED light under the paper clips. I placed two sheets of blue tissue paper over the light to get the color in the background. (and diffuse the light). 

Smartphone Macro Photography

There are several ways to add macro capacity to your smartphone. Often, the native application is limited in it's ability to adjust exposure or get in close to an object. For the photo of the knife blades, I used an app called Camera+. It's macro feature allows you to get quite close to the image.  I used a headlamp as my light source. The image was edited using the "Ansel" filter.

The image below was created using the lens of a disposable camera. The lens fit comfortably between my Otter Box and Iphone 5c. I placed the camera on a tripod and used the timer feature in Camera+ to limit camera shake. The composition is made up of some key rings, paperclips and a metal pencil sharpener.

This image was taken hand held. I rested the bottom of the camera on the table and used the headlamp to illuminate the dollar. I used the zoom to get even closer.

Your assignment is to create 3 different closeup images with your Smartphone.

Snow and Ice

Sprout Creek, Lagrangeville

If you haven't noticed, it's cold outside! Snow, ice and cold are the subject of our next digital assignment. Here are a couple of tips for taking snow photos. Take lots of images and post your most interesting "three" to your blog.

1. Control Exposure - Even though smartphone cameras take great photos, it is wise to consider controlling your exposure manually. Light meters in cameras try to expose the large snow areas as 18 percent gray, leaving you with a dark image. With film, photographers will often "overexpose" 2 stops to make the snow appear white. The latest Iphone operating system allows for some control of exposure. If the snow in your digital images appears to dark, you can adjust it in Photoshop using the Brightness/Contrast controls. 
2. Make Sure you have a Subject - What exactly are you photographing? Name it in your mind. Remember the subject is the first thing the human eye will see when looking at your image.
3. Create Depth - Large areas of white can create a flat and lifeless image. Is there a distinct foreground, midground and background in your image?
4. Keep the Sun behind your back. (Bud don't get your shadow in the image.)
5. Best to shoot after a new fallen snow...nice and clean!
6. Branches heavily laden with snow make interesting images. (Contrast with dark pine trees works well too.)
7. Watch where your footprints are, they can ruin a great shot.
8. Capture action shots. (Kids playing, sledding, snowball fights)
9. Try getting a portrait. (See After the Crash below.)
10. Consider using black and white, it will bring out the starkness of a winter scene. 
11. If you use color, add contrast to make the color "pop". Red works really well in snow scenes.
12. Add people to your scene for reference. (In a landscape)
13. Stay warm! Dress appropriately for the conditions.
14. Keep your camera cold, if you keep it warm it will fog your lens!

After the Crash, Holga Photograph

St. Francis Statue

Never Dies

Recreate a Famous Painting

Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earing

I'm always looking for new ideas for a photograph. Last week when searching the web for ideas, I came upon Two Bored Coworkers Recreate Famous Paintings Using Their Office Supplies. Wow, I'll have to try this in my Photography class! Like usual, I test the project first. I solicited the help of my favorite model to try my hand at recreating Vermeer's famous image.

Like the Bored Coworkers, I limited myself to my Iphone 5C and stuff that was around the house. T is wearing my revolutionary war farmer's smock. The blue scarf is a pillow case and the scarf came from her closet. The earring was a donation for her "Earrings for Encouragement" project. She hopes to give earrings to the many woman who finish their breast cancer treatments at Vassar Hospital.

I used a large china cabinet for for the background. The original was a green color, but has mellowed to look like a dark black. Lighting was a table lamp and a flexible desk lamp.

Some Art History

The Girl with the Pearl Earring is often classified as a Tronie. (Tronie is dutch for face.) A "Tronie" is a common portrait that shows an unusual facial expression. Typically, the head or bust if featured and the subject is wearing unusual or exotic clothing.

Process

• For this project we will work in teams of 2. You pick your partner.
• Your team will pick a painting out of a hat. If you want, you may trade images with another team.
• Using common everyday objects and clothing, try and recreate the famous painting.
• Think about the background...you could draw it.
• Lighting - notice the shadows in my image. I tried to closely match the original.
• Use the Focus and Exposure Lock on your camera.
• Take a lot of photos!

• Choose the best one and post it next to the original on your blog. There are a ton of Apps that will create a collage of images. I used Pic Stich to put my images together, but you can just post them to your blog.
• Your post should include information about the artist and painting. (not just names and dates) Include information about your models, location and props.

Good Luck,

Mr. B

Develop a Roll of Black and White Film

Preparing Chemicals - The Chemistry should be at about 68 degrees.

I pour the chemistry into pitchers and place them in front of each labeled bottle. This ensures you don't accidentally use the wrong solution.

Film Developer - Mix  ILFOSOL 3concentrate at 1 to 9.  You will need at least 30 oz. of developer, or 3 oz. of concentrate to 27oz. of water.  Mix with paddle.  This is a one shot developer and is disposed of after use.

Stop Bath – Premixed by teacher.  Check the color.  Yellow is Ok.  A violet color means the stop bath is exhausted.

Film Fixer – Premixed by teacher.  Place one drop of Fix-a-sure into the fixer.  If a white cloud develops and remains the fixer is exhausted.

Photo-flo – Mix 40 oz. of water with one cap full of Photo-flo.


Go over the Processing Steps before beginning!

1. Developer
2. Stop Bath/Wash
3. Fixer
4. Wash
5. Photo-flo
6. Drying

Developing

Fill the tank with developer, then start the timer. Bang the tank against the edge of the sink a few times to dislodge any air bubbles (this is especially important if you're using a large tank). Agitate the tank for 10 seconds every minute by rocking the tank back and forth, or if you're using a plastic tank, by spinning the "stir stick".

Develop for 7:30 minutes.

When the development time is finished, pour the developer into the large tank for separate disposal.

Stop Bath

Pour stop bath into the tank. Agitate constantly for about 10 seconds.Let sit for 25 more seconds.  Return the stop bath to the bottle.

Fixer

Pour Fixer into the tank, and set the timer for 5 minutes. Agitate the tank 10 seconds every minute. Whe the fix time is finished, return the fixer to the bottle.

Wash

Remove the lid of the tank, and place the reel into the film washer. Wash for 5 minutes. Make sure the water is reaching the top and then empting. (Sometimes it sticks and you must knock the side of the washer.

Photo-flo

Place reel in the photo-flo. Agitate for 20 seconds.

Drying Film

Hang the film to dry.  Clips are under the sink.  Use a weighted clip at the bottom of the roll.  Normally, a roll of film will take about three hours to air dry completely. 

Important: always handle wet film by its edges only! Fingerprints and dust on the film during drying are very difficult if not impossible to remove later.

Remember, Dust is the Enemy!