Pinhole Assignment

Be sure to look at all the notes and examples before finishing the assignment.

Final Submission

Hand in all materials in a 2-pocket folder, which you can get from me. As usual, put your best and your "good" images in one pocket, along with the required printouts. In the other side, include images which you don't want evaluated, but that show evidence of you doing experiments and tests that didn't quite work out.

On the "good" side should be:

• At least 5 good developed images – more if you’ve got them. Write a descriptive title on the back if you're referring to them in your writeup. Mount and title two of your best. Also mount one beside a printout of the positive scan. (same titling as for Photograms: Title, year, technique, your name(s))
• As well as the mounted inverted scan, scan at least one more which you just save and print but not mount. All scans must be trimmed, inverted, cleaned, flipped horizontally (Image menu). Click here for scanning instructions. For the one(s) you print, print on the laser printer, removing most of the surrounding black first (pure black prints poorly and wastes ink). Save the scan files as JPEGs (NOT psd’s) from Photoshop. Put them in a folder named G:/AWT3/Pinhole. Here are the filenames I expect to see for each of the 2 scans:
1. the original scan (negative) e.g. graveyard scan- your name.jpg
2. the cleaned up inversion e.g. graveyard positive – your name.jpg

• a digital photo shot from the same position as one of your shots, preferably with your camera in it.. Borrow a digital camera from me if you need to. This would be a good way to demonstrate that you achieved a wide angle shot with the pinhole. Save this in your AWT3/Pinhole folder, and print it too.

• Writeup: Make a short Word document describing in point form for each image (you can stop at the best 5 if you’ve shot more):
1. its title (e.g. Graveyard Ghost) Also write the title and your name in pencil on the back of the prints.
2. what and where the subject was (e.g. tombstones and me, Mt. Albert cemetery)
3. lighting conditions and exposure time (e.g. cloudy, dusk, 4 minutes)
4. anything important about how it was shot. For instance, camera on ground looking up; subject moved to 3 different spots; whatever makes it unique, or things I might not notice, especially how long subjects were in the image for "ghosts"
5. which categories the shot fulfills (see below)
6. brief comments on how it worked out – pluses and minuses

Categories (You might cover more than 1 category with one shot)

• Indoor – the subject must be indoors. Easiest if illuminated by window light or STRONG artificial light.
• Ghost experiment - Use the long exposure time to “see through” your subject by moving him/her/it part way through. Make sure there’s a textured background that you’ll be able to see through your ghost subject. Example
• Optional: Away from school - take a loaded camera home for one shot; optionally bring more cut photo paper ready to use in a dark bag, and re-load in a TOTALLY black room e.g. a basement bathroom , all lights in the basement off, towel under the door.
• Portrait of a person – portrait means a close shot that concentrates on the face. Do it outside so your subject doesn’t have to sit still for as long. They have to be absolutey still, so set them up so they can lean on something to steady themselves. – example of portrait combined with fisheye
• Closeup – small details in a small area – maybe a “still life” arrangement of plants, dishes, or objects that look great and mean something to you. Bring in some props!
• Landscape (can include buildings). This is a good thing to combine with a wide angle shot.
• Deep Depth-of-Field Pinholes rule in this category! Include a shot that demonstrates how objects mere inches away from the camera will be in focus at the same time as objects many meters away. Here’s a link that explains Deep and Shallow Depth-of-Field.
• Very wide angle or fish-eye, along with regular angle of the same shot. Choose one of your best regular shots. Shoot it again from exactly the same spot and exposure, but this time attach the paper close to the front of the can, and/or bend it. See the examples. Even better, do the same shot with the paper bent concave, then convex. What will the difference be??? Make sure you label and write up these shots so I know which ones belong together.

“Look-Fors”

• Interest – we’re always looking for photos that make you want to look at them. Some of your efforts here will just be technical experiments, but a few of them will hopefully be good artful shots. Use your Artistic Eye – how can you best use this medium to express yourself? What makes a good composition?
• Clarity of image – small details are crisp. This requires a perfect pinhole, good light, no can movement, and patience.
• Exposure: good range of grays, black & white – not too washed out or underexposed (difficult!)
• Innovation – did you invent or use unique techniques? Are your angles and subjects unusual? Did you try something new like a double exposure?)
• Good use of deep depth-of-field (Pinholes are awesome for having very close and very distant objects equally in focus. Compose some scenes that include part of the subject only inches away as well as elements in the more distant background)
• Good demonstration of wide-angle (close objects that are wide work well. A comparable digital shot helps show how wide the field of view is.)
• Scan and Photoshop work done to best effect. Ask me for help if you need it.
• Concise, thoughtful write-up
• Attractive presentation
• Good productive use of time.