Photo Shoot: Black & White Film – revised March 2009)

This shoot is to ensure that you can use a manual film camera to get good exposures of interesting subjects, and to learn how to do film developing and print enlarging.

Make sure you go over the web page on exposure (shutter speed and aperture) before you start, so you understand what the terms mean, what they look like, and what shutter speeds and apertures are appropriate for different situations. If you’re not sure, ask!

Also, before you’re given film, you need to show me that you know everything on this checklist.

Your job here is to capture several different types of images on film under different lighting conditions, trying to get perfect exposures. You’ll have to adjust aperture to get shallow and deep depth of field, and the shutter speed and aperture to get perfect exposures. AS YOU SHOOT YOU MUST RECORD DETAILS ABOUT EACH SHOT ON AN EXPOSURE RECORD – see this example. Here’s where to print one: Exposure Record Printout

Then you’ll develop the film and later print contact sheets and a few enlarged prints.

Requirements

1. Work with one to three partners. You must actually be here to work with a group! If you have your own film camera you may work on your own.
2. Be patient and efficient. We only have a few working film cameras.
3. Get a roll of film from me with about 16-20 exposures. Share each roll (cut the negatives into sections and distribute them to whoever took each section)
4. As a group, document each shot you take using the Exposure Record. (click the link, open in Word and print)
1. You must record the shutter speed and F-stop after each shot – don’t try to guess afterward! It’s hard to learn to be a better photographer if you don’t know what settings worked!
2. “Subject” identifies the shot, along with the numbered contact sheet.
3. Light conditions examples: outdoor sunny; overcast; shaded; indoor indirect sunlight; room lights; spotlight & reflector.
4. Intentions: e.g. motion blur of pitcher’s arm and ball being thrown, background clear
5. Even though you’re just learning, always aim for shots that are well-composed, well-exposed and hopefully interesting.
6. Produce 1 of these shots per group member:
1. Nature Shot – outdoors, focusing tightly on a natural object in a natural setting
2. Facial Portraits (at least 2)

1. lit from one side. Try using window light and a dark background (Bristol board? Or find a location with a dark background where your subject can be lit.)

2. shallow depth of field

3. lots of texture, good skin tones, nothing washed out, even range of blacks, greys and whites

4. Try to capture the personality of your subject. What pose suits them? Should they look at the camera?

7. Produce one (or more) of these shots per group:
1. A Still Life – arrange suitable objects on a neutral appealing background. Arrange lighting.
2. Cameo masking of one of your portraits. Watch for a demo and details. Basically this means cutting an oval “mask” out of opaque paper, and using it to frame your subject in the enlarging process. Raising the mask carefully should produce a soft grey edge.

Example of mounting 2 shots: (this year’s subjects are different…)

Deep and Shallow Depth of Field Black and White Print A. Student, 2008

Hand In – EACH GROUP:

1. all negatives in a sleeve
2. Contact Sheet(s) showing your negatives. Clearly mark which ones you made prints from.
3. Test strips and imperfect prints – show me your progress and experiments!
4. The required final prints per student and group, mounted & labelled (title, 2008, Black & White Print, Your name(s)). All prints inclding the cameos should be half sheet, except the portraits, which should be full sheet. Do NOT waste paper – use a test strips to get your full sheet exposure right the first time!
5. Summary Sheet (a printed Word document): a version of the exposure report for each of the three required shots. Just tell me the shot (what one you’re talking about), the shutter speed, aperture and lighting and subject description. Give a very brief reflection on your work: what did you do well, what are your best prints (why?), what could you have done better?

Tips

• Learn exactly what each shot requires, and plan it out
• ASK if you’re not sure!
• Be creative and compose artistically. Ask for tips!
• Remember that shots in low light require a slower shutter speed and therefore a very steady camera. Rest your elbows or the camera itself on a solid surface, or use the tripod.
• Be very careful and neat at all stages. Don’t get fingerprints on your negatives in the dark bag, or scratch them.
• Take the exposure report with you so you won’t forget to record the info.

Evaluation (still under revision March 2009)

Your mark will be determined by the level at which you achieve the following:

• Demonstrating that you know how to load the camera
• Demonstrating that you know how to adjust shutter speed and aperture to get good exposure
• Being a reliable group member and hard worker, using your time to explore photography
• Filling in the exposure record as you work, not later
• Doing the required shots (DOF, portrait)
• Quality of the images: good balanced exposure (blacks, grays, whites); clarity; focus; lack of blur; clean developing
• Successful contact sheet
• Several excellent prints. You should have at least 3 per group member. Only mount your best work. If you want, you can also include a few unmounted prints that show e.g. a different exposure of one of your mounted prints
• Composition and artistry of the shots